2013-06-04
Source: http://news.hkheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=240591§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
My friends and I loved to play pranks on people when we were kids (slang for children). One of the pranks we played was pressing all the floor buttons in an elevator (lift in British English). That's why I cracked up when Longhair Leung Kwok-hung's assistants did the same thing. They pressed all the floor buttons in three elevators in the Legislative Council building to delay councillors who were rushing to the council meeting for there to be a quorum during Longhair's filibuster of the budget. Police have arrested five of the pranksters, all in their 20s.
A
prank is a silly trick played on others. A prankster is a person who plays pranks. The slang expression "crack up" means to laugh a lot. A quorum is the minimum number of people who must be present at a meeting to make that meeting valid. If a Legislative Council meeting does not have a quorum (not enough members attending), the meeting will have to be cancelled. I don't think the police should have arrested the five pranksters. Their prank was childish (something silly that only a child would do) but it exposed the laziness of legislative councillors. If it was so important for them to rush to the council meeting in time so there would be a quorum, why didn't they use the stairs?
The council meeting room is on the first floor. The offices of the legislative councillors are on the sixth to tenth floors. They didn't even have to walk up the stairs, they just had to walk down. It's easy and very healthy. Doctors and health experts always advise people to use the stairs sometimes instead of the lifts all the time. It is good exercise. Also, we are all supposed to use the stairs instead of the elevators when there is a fire. I think the Legislative Council should pass a law that requires all councillors to use the stairs in the Legislative Council at least three times a week. I know it is difficult for female councillors wearing high-heel shoes. But it is good practice in case there is a fire.
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我和朋友還是小孩（kids，children的俚語）的時候，喜歡玩惡作劇（pranks）戲弄人。我們玩的其中一樣惡作劇（pranks），就是按下升降機（elevator，英式英語是lift）內所有樓層的按鈕。當長毛的助理做同樣的事，我不禁捧腹大笑（cracked up）。長毛在立法會辯論《財政預算案》撥款期間拉布，當會議要湊夠法定最低開會人數（quorum）時，有人將立法會大樓三部升降機（elevators）的樓層全部按下，阻礙趕往開會的議員。警方已經拘捕五名玩惡作劇的人（pranksters），全都是二十來歲的小夥子。
Prank是惡作劇，玩惡作劇（pranks）的人就是pranksters。俗語crack up即是捧腹大笑。Quorum是會議所需的最低出席人數，會議方為合法。要是立法會會議不足法定人數（quorum），就要流會。我不認為警方應該拘捕那五名惡作劇的人（pranksters）。他們的惡作劇（prank）很稚氣（childish），但也暴露了立法會議員的懶惰。若然他們趕往立法會會議，及時符合法定人數是那麼重要，為甚麼他們不用樓梯？
立法會會議室在一樓，立法會議員的辦公室位於六至十樓。他們毋須爬樓梯，只須走下去，既簡便又有益身心。醫生和健康專家常常建議人不要常常乘升降機（lifts）而多用樓梯，這是很好的運動。而且，有火警時我們也不能乘升降機（elevators），而要改用樓梯。我認為立法會應該立法要求所有議員，一星期至少走三次樓梯。我知道這對於穿高跟鞋的女議員來說會有困難，但也是一個好練習，防範將來有火警發生。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧