A n authoritative person is someone who can be trusted to give you accurate information. Reporters often get information from authoritative sources. An authoritative source is a person who gives reporters accurate information but does not want to be named. A mission is an important job, task, or assignment that is given to a person or group of people to do. A secret mission is a mission or job that is secretly carried out, without the public knowing about it. For example, many people think Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was given a secret mission, or secret assignment, by the central government to change Hong Kong into becoming more like mainland China.
Authoritative sources told me the central government invited Patten to come here on a secret mission to ask him if he wants to be governor of Hong Kong again. Patten was far more popular as a British governor than the three chief executives who followed him after Hong Kong's return to China. Central government officials believe that if they appointed Patten as governor, Hong Kong people would be so happy that they would forget about universal suffrage. The pan-democrats would then lose their influence and no one would bother to join Occupy Central. Authoritative sources told me Patten is worried that if he became governor again he would eat too many egg tarts and grow fat again. By the way, today is April Fools' Day, when people play jokes on each other. How many of you are April Fools who were fooled by this column?
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前港督彭定康上星期訪港時，他的一些擁躉向他揮舞舊港英旗，表明他們寧要英國統治。現為牛津大學校監的彭定康，來這裏是為了宣傳牛津大學出版社。但有權威人士（authoritative sources）告訴我，他來此地其實是為了一項秘密任務（secret mission）。權威（authoritative）人士跟我說，彭定康在粉嶺別墅秘密會見香港、英國和中央政府官員，那兒就是前任英國港督和現任特首周末度假的地方。彭定康被直升機迅速接往（whisked）粉嶺別墅。
An authoritative person就是值得信賴、能給你準確資訊的人。記者不時會收到權威消息（authoritative sources）而來的資訊。An authoritative sources就是給予記者準確資訊但不願具名人士。Mission就是給一個人或一群人的重要任務。Secret mission就是不能讓公眾知悉的秘密任務。譬如，許多人都認為特首梁振英被中央政府指派一項秘密任務（secret mission），就是將香港打造得愈來愈似中國大陸。
權威人士（Authoritative sources）告訴我，中央政府以秘密任務（secret mission）為由邀請彭定康來港，問他會否想再做港督。彭定康當港督時，要比香港回歸後、他其後的三任特首要受歡迎得多了。中央政府相信，要是他們委任彭定康做港督，香港人會高興得忘掉普選。泛民會失去影響力，因為沒有人會費神參與佔領中環。權威人士（Authoritative sources）跟我說，肥彭擔心若他再任港督，他會吃太多蛋撻而再長肥肉。順帶一提，今天是愚人節，人人都會互相捉弄。你們有幾多人被這篇專欄愚弄，做了蠢人？
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=280344§ion_name=wtt&kw=126