T o “lose your marbles” means to be crazy or to be out of your mind. It is an American slang expression. The MTR must be crazy or out of its mind to dare ask for a fare increase when it makes gazillions of dollars. The slang words “gazillions” and “zillions” are similar. They both mean a lot or a very large number. They are slang words that originated from the words “millions” and “billions”. For example, you can say: “My boyfriend is fat and ugly but has zillions in the bank.” This means he is fat and ugly but very rich. When something sucks (slang word), it means it is bad or lousy. If you say your girlfriend’s cooking sucks, it means her cooking is lousy.
When you use the expression “over my dead body”, it means you strongly oppose something and will do everything you can to stop it from happening. If you say the MTR will raise fares over my dead body, it means you will do everything you can to stop it from raising fares. I think it is time for the government to put its foot down and order the MTR to do a better job. It is ridiculous for MTR trains to be so over-packed that passengers must wait for the next train. To put your foot down means to use your power to order someone to do something. If you are lazy, your boss can put his foot down and order you to work harder.
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港鐵是不是瘋了（lost its marbles）？他上年的盈利是天文數字（gazillions），服務卻是糟透了（sucks）。列車總是擠逼的，故障又已是家常便飯。它的行政總裁和董事支薪過高，但港鐵還想加價3.6％。它真的失去理智（lost its marbles）了。我們應該站出來說：「加價？除非我死了！（Over my dead body）。」港鐵應該花時間改善服務，而不是浪費時間去要求加價。一家公司賺取龐大的（zillions）利潤而提供糟透的服務，卻還想年年加價，真是個天大的笑話。
To lose your marbles解作瘋了或喪失理智。這是個美式俚語。港鐵有着龐大（gazillions）收益卻仍要求加價，一定是瘋了或喪失理智了。俚語gazillions和zillions意思相近，都解作很多或龐大的數目。他們是從millions和billions演化而來的俚語。例如你可以說：「我男友又肥又醜，但他在銀行有很多（zillions）。」即是說他又肥又醜但很有錢。說某事sucks（俚語），即是說它很差勁或糟透。若你說你女友的廚藝sucks，即是說她的廚藝糟透了。
當你用上習語over my dead body，即是說你強烈反對某事，也會盡力阻止它發生。若你說MTR will raise fares over my dead body，即是說你會用盡一切辦法去阻止它加價。我認為政府是時候堅決制止（put its foot down）。港鐵過分擠逼，迫令乘客等待下一班車，實在太荒謬。To put your foot down即是用你的權力去命令人做事，若你很懶惰，你的老闆可以put his foot down命令你勤力一點。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=280608§ion_name=wtt&kw=126