2014年4月15日 星期二

頭條日報 頭條網 - I nearly made a scene. by Michael Chugani

Last week I almost made a scene while boarding a crowded MTR train in Mong Kok. A middle-aged man lining up in front of me stood by the door once he got on the train. This made it difficult for me and other passengers lining up behind me to board. The middle of the train carriage was not as crowded but he selfishly stood by the door. I shoved him aside and forced my way on to the train. He moved a little bit but was still in my way as I tried to get to the middle of the carriage. When I shoved him aside again, he muttered bad language at me. The bad language he used sounded very similar to "delay no more".

        I t was after he swore (used bad language) that I nearly made a scene. I wanted to tell him loudly that he was being selfish by blocking other people from moving to the middle of the carriage. I wanted to say loudly that many Hong Kong people behave selfishly by blocking the train doors and playing with their mobile phones once they enter the train. But I knew if I said all those things, people would stare at me and think I was crazy. So I decided not to make a scene. I tried to get rid of my anger by listening to soothing (calming, relaxing) music with my iPod.

        The expression "make a scene" means to behave in a loud and rude way in public. For example, mainland visitors have, on several occasions, made a scene when they felt they had been cheated by travel agencies. The separate sections of a train are called carriages. To shove someone means to push someone in a rough way. When someone is in your way it means he is blocking you. To mutter means to say something in a low voice so it is difficult to hear. I do not understand why so many MTR passengers stand by the train doors instead of moving to the middle of carriages so other passengers can board. It is very selfish.

        *****

        上星期我在旺角上一列擠逼的港鐵列車時,差點兒大吵大鬧(made a scene)。一位排在我前面的中年男人,一上車便即站在車門邊,令我和其他排在後面的乘客難以登車。列車車廂(carriage)的中間位置沒那麼擠逼,他卻自私地站在門邊。我把他推向(shoved)一邊,努力上車。他移動了一點兒,但仍然阻着(in my way)我走進車廂(carriage)中間。當我再次推開(shoved)他,他卻輕聲(muttered)用粗口罵我,他用的粗口發音類近英文"delay no more"。

        就在他爆粗(swore)過後,我差點要跟他吵鬧(made a scene)。我很想大聲跟他說,他沒有移進車廂(carriage)中間,阻礙其他人,是很自私的行為。我很想大聲說,許多香港人都很自私,一上車便擋着車門和玩手機。但我知道,要是我說這些話,人們便會盯着我看,以為我是瘋的,因此我決定不大吵大鬧(make a scene)。我嘗試用iPod聽紓緩(soothing)的音樂,好讓自己不那麼憤怒。

        習語make a scene解作在公眾地方大吵大鬧。例如,當內地遊客覺得自己被旅行社欺騙時,便曾大吵大鬧(made a scene)過幾次。列車的車廂便叫做carriages。To shove someone即是粗魯地推開某人。當某人in your way即是說他擋着你去路。 To mutter就是低聲嘀咕,音量小得令人差點聽不見。我不能理解,為何那麼多港鐵乘客會站在車門邊,而不走進車廂(carriages)中間,好讓其他乘客能上車。這實在太自私了。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=282169§ion_name=wtt&kw=126