I f you are a big fish in a big pond, it means you are a powerful and influential person globally (throughout the world). Both Obama and Xi Jinping have great influence globally. But if you are a big fish in a small pond, it means you are only important and influential within a small area or within your own circle. Leung Chun-ying is only important in Hong Kong but not world-wide (globally). Lau Tak-wah is a bigger fish in a small pond than C.Y. Leung because he is more well-known on the mainland, Taiwan, and in Chinese communities around the world. Tao Kit is well-known in Hong Kong but he is not as influential and powerful as C.Y. Leung or Lau Tak-wah. That is why he is a medium-sized fish in a small pond. I hope he will not get angry with me for saying that！
To aspire to be something means to have an ambition to be something. Many people aspire to be famous movie stars. When I was in school, I aspired to be a journalist. I achieved my aspiration (noun). But it is much harder to achieve my ambition (aspiration) to be a medium-sized fish in a small pond. Starting next week I'll co-host a new Chinese-language TV show with former legislative councillor Chim Pui-chung. I hope that will help me become a medium-sized fish in a small pond.
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美國總統奧巴馬，是大池裏的大魚（big fish in a big pond）。主席習近平也是大池裏的大魚（big fish in a big pond）。特首梁振英是小池裏的大魚（big fish in a small pond），劉德華也是小池裏的大魚（big fish in a small pond）。我的好友陶傑大概就是小池裏的中型魚（medium-sized fish in a small pond）。我走在街上，許多人因為我的英文和中文電視節目而認得我，但我仍是小池裏的小魚（small fish in a small pond），無足輕重。我永遠也不會是大池裏的大魚（big fish in a big pond）或小池裏的大魚（big fish in a small pond），但我渴望（aspire）可以像陶傑一樣，做一尾小池裏的中型魚（medium-sized fish in a small pond）。
若你是 big fish in a big pond，即是指你在全球（globally）也很有權力和影響力，奧巴馬和習近平都是世界上（globally）舉足輕重的人，但若你只是big fish in a small pond，你就是小地方或你自己圈子內的大人物。梁振英的重要性，只限於香港，而不是全世界（world-wide或globally）。相比梁振英，劉德華則是小池中較大的魚（bigger fish in a small pond），因為他在內地、台灣以至全球的華人群體中更出名。陶傑在香港也很有名，但他就不及梁振英或劉德華具影響力及權力了。因此他是medium-sized fish in a small pond。我這樣說，希望他不會惱怒吧﹗
To aspire to be something即是有雄心想做某事。許多人嚮往（aspire）做知名電影明星。當我還在學時，我就渴望（aspired）做新聞工作者。我亦實踐了我的抱負（aspiration，名詞）。但要做小池裏的中型魚（medium-sized fish in a small pond），就困難得多了。下星期開始，我會跟前立法會議員詹培忠拍檔主持一個全新的中文電視節目。我希望這可以幫助我成為小池裏的中型魚（medium-sized fish in a small pond）吧﹗mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=268949§ion_name=wtt&kw=126