B ut the Hong Kong Journalists Association also claimed the motive of the attack was linked to media freedom. Journalists should rely only on facts, not on guesswork. It is jumping the gun to say the attack was meant to silence the media. It is also jumping the gun to say the attack was not connected to media freedom. The expression "jump the gun" was originally used in sports competitions. If a runner in a contest starts to run before the signal, which is sometimes given by the firing of a pistol (gun), then the runner has jumped the gun.
The expression can also be used to describe a person who does something too soon, or before it should be done. If you accuse your husband of having an affair with a beautiful mainland girl before you have evidence to prove it, then you have jumped the gun. In a court case, the jury is the group of citizens who decide if a suspect is guilty or not. The jury decides in private, away from the court room, and while the jury is away, you can say the jury is out. But you can also use the expression "the jury is still out" when people haven't decided on something or do not yet know the answer to something, such as whether to limit the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong. To shoot off your mouth means to talk too much, especially about something you shouldn't talk about. If a senior government official tells you everything about a confidential matter, then he is shooting off his mouth.
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警務處處長曾偉雄有沒有言之過早（jump the gun）﹖抑或是香港記者協會言之過早（jump the gun）﹖現在事件還未有定論（the jury is still out），所以沒人能確切肯定。警方拘捕十一名涉嫌與《明報》前總編輯劉進圖遇襲案有關的疑犯後，曾偉雄說，襲擊跟劉進圖身為新聞工作者無關，但他沒有百分百證據支持，又怎能這樣說？警方的最高領導人不應多嘴（shoot off his mouth）談及某單罪案的動機（motive），除非他有充分證據。
不過，香港記者協會亦聲稱，襲擊動機（motive）與新聞自由有關。新聞工作者應依據事實而非揣測，要說襲擊是要令傳媒噤聲，是言之尚早（jumping the gun）；但要說襲擊跟新聞自由無關，同樣是言之過早（jumping the gun）。習語jump the gun本身是體育賽事的用語，當跑手在訊號發出前，例如在鳴槍（pistol）前偷步，那名跑手就是jumped the gun。
這個習語也可用來形容人操之過急或過早行動。若你在未有證據之下，便指控你丈夫跟一名內地美女有一腿，那你就是jumped the gun了。在法庭上，jury就是由公民組成的陪審團，決定疑犯是否有罪。因為陪審團（jury）會退庭商議，因此當陪審團（jury）退庭時，你可以說the jury is out。但當人們還未下定論，又或你不知道事情的解決方案時，例如應否限制來港的內地自由行，你也可以用上習語the jury is still out。To shoot off your mouth即是多嘴了，特別是對於你不應談論的事情。要是一位政府高官跟你大談某宗機密事情，那他就是shooting off his mouth了。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=278456§ion_name=wtt&kw=126