頭條日報 頭條網 - a different take on the matter by Michael Chugani

It is clear from the many e-mails I have received about my recent columns on Hong Kong's declining standard of English that readers care very much about the issue. There is near unanimity among readers that the English standard of Hong Kong people is getting worse. The noun unanimity comes from the adjective unanimous, which means everyone fully agreeing on something. For example, if every member of the Legislative Council agrees that they must all speak in English, then the decision is unanimous. But there is near unanimity if only 65 of the 70 members agree they must all speak in English. When I say there is near unanimity among readers that Hong Kong's English standard is dropping, it means almost all readers agree, or it is almost unanimous among readers that the standard is dropping.

        A few readers disagreed that Hong Kong people had lousy English but one reader had a completely different take on the matter. The expression "different take" means a different opinion. If you want to ask someone for his opinion on the standard of English in Hong Kong, you can say: "What is your take on the standard of English in Hong Kong?" The reader who had a different take on the matter said, in his opinion, the standard of English in Hong Kong had actually improved. He explained that the children of many families who had emigrated to Canada, the US, and Australia before the handover to Chinese rule have now come to live in Hong Kong. Some of these children were born in English-speaking countries and others grew up there. They, therefore, speak perfect English.

        The reader is partly right. The children of Hong Kong parents who were born or who grew up in English-speaking countries do speak very good English. Just last week in the MTR I heard two teenage students speak in perfect English with a Canadian accent, which is similar to an American accent. I deduced (reached a logical conclusion) that they must have been born in Canada or grew up there. But my take is that even though Hong Kong people born abroad have good English, most of those born here have lousy English.

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        無數電郵紛至沓來，都是關於我近日談及香港英語水平下降的文章，由此可見，讀者們都很關心這個議題。讀者們幾乎一致同意（near unanimity），香港人的英語水平日走下坡。名詞unanimity源於形容詞unanimous，亦即所有人一致同意。例如，要是立法會所有成員都同意所有人都得說英語，那麼議決就是經過全體同意（unanimous）；但要是七十個成員當中，只有六十五個同意所有人都說英語，那麼議決就是接近全體同意（near unanimity）。當我說讀者們幾乎一致同意（near unanimity）香港英語水平下滑，那即是說，差不多所有讀者都同意，或者讀者差不多一致同意（almost unanimous）英語水平下降。

        有幾位讀者不認同香港人的英語爛透，有一位讀者在這議題上有截然不同的立場（different take）。習語different take即是不同的意見。要是你想問人怎樣看香港的英語水平，你可以說：「對於香港的英語水平，你有甚麼見解（what is your take）？」那位持相異見解（different take）的讀者說，在他而言，香港的英語水平其實進步了。他解釋說，許多在回歸中國前移民到加拿大、美國和澳洲的家庭，他們的子女現在回到香港居住。他們當中有好些出生於英語國家，有些則在當地長大。因此，他們說的是流利英語。

        這位讀者說對了一半。香港父母的子女若在英語國家出生或成長，當然說得一口流利英語。就在上星期，我在港鐵就聽到兩個年青學生，以帶有加拿大口音（接近美式口音）的流利英語交談。我以此推論（deduced），他們一定是在加拿大出生或長大。但我的立場（my take）是，即使在外國出生的香港人能操流利英語，大部份在這兒出生的人，英語都糟透。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=266088§ion_name=wtt&kw=126