2013-08-06
Source: http://news.hkheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=249156§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
Every day when I squeeze toothpaste out from the tube to brush my teeth, I think of Development Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. Many people say he has not told the whole truth about owning farmland in the northeast New Territories, which the government wants to develop for new towns. The government will handsomely compensate landowners for resuming (taking back) their land. Chan has denied that he knew about the development plan in advance. He said his wife has already sold the land and will not benefit from the handsome compensation. But critics say he has been telling the truth in dribs and drabs while covering one lie with another. They likened (compared) this with squeezing toothpaste from a tube.
T
he word handsome can be used in different ways. A good-looking person is a handsome person. But when someone is handsomely compensated, it means he is generously compensated. The expression "dribs and drabs" means little by little. Chan's critics want him to come clean completely, not in dribs and drabs. To come clean means to tell the truth without hiding anything. I do not know Chan Mo-po but we should sympathize with (feel sorry for) him. Have you tried squeezing out all the toothpaste from a tube with one squeeze? It is impossible. It only comes out in dribs and drabs. That's why we should sympathize with him for failing to squeeze all the toothpaste out with one squeeze.
I used a new tube of toothpaste to try squeezing it all out. I squeezed the bottom of the tube very hard but only about two inches of toothpaste came out. More came out when I squeezed from the middle, but not all. My experiment proved it is impossible to squeeze it all out with one squeeze. Chan should repeat my experiment at a press conference to prove it is only possible for him to tell the truth in dribs and drabs. It is, of course, possible to squeeze all the toothpaste from tiny tubes available free in some hotel rooms. But I advise Chan not to do this because the media will say he has hidden many more tiny tubes and has not come clean completely.
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每天當我擠牙膏刷牙時，我都會想起發展局局長陳茂波。政府希望於新界東北發展新市鎮，許多人說陳沒有說出他在當地擁有農地的全部事實。政府會為收回土地而慷慨地（handsomely）賠償予地主。陳否認他預先知道發展計劃，說他的太太已經賣掉土地，並沒有從那可觀（handsome）的賠償中得益。然而批評者卻說他逐點逐滴（dribs and drabs）地說出真相，以大話蓋大話。他們把這比作（likened）擠牙膏式的回應。
Handsome這個字可以有不同的用法。英俊的人是handsome person，但當某人is handsomely compensated，即是說他得到慷慨的賠償。習語dribs and drabs即是一點一滴地。批評陳的人希望他從實招來（come clean），而非逐少逐少地（dribs and drabs）回應。
To come clean即是毫無掩飾地交代真相。我不認識陳茂波，但我們應該同情（sympathize with）他。你可有試過擠牙膏的時候，一下就能擠出所有牙膏？這是沒可能的。牙膏只會一點一滴地（dribs and drabs）擠出來。所以他沒能擠一下就擠出所有牙膏，我們好該同情（sympathize with）他。
我用一支新牙膏，試試可不可以把它一下子擠出來。我大力擠壓牙膏管的末端，但只有兩吋牙膏出來。當我擠壓中部時，擠出多些牙膏，但不是全部。我的實驗證明，一下就擠出所有牙膏是沒可能的。陳好應在記者招待會上重複我這個實驗，好證明他只能夠一點一滴地（dribs and drabs）交代真相。當然，那些在酒店房間免費派發的小牙膏，是有可能一下子擠出來的。但我建議陳茂波別這樣做，因為傳媒會說他收起了許多支小牙膏，並沒有和盤托出（come clean）。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧