I n my previous two columns I said good riddance to the MTR chief executive Jay Walder, which means I am happy to see him leave. Many readers also sent me e-mails saying good riddance to Walder. I'll forward all your e-mails to Transport Secretary Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, and to Commerce Secretary Greg So Kam-leung, who had suggested that if the MTR train that arrives at a station is too full, you should not complain but wait patiently for the next one. I think So Kam-leung should give back his government car and brave the crowds at MTR stations like ordinary Hong Kong people.
If you are brave, it means you have guts or are courageous. To "brave the crowds" means to be willing to go to very crowded places even though it may be uncomfortable to do so. When something is "selling like hotcakes" it means it is selling very quickly and in large quantities. It is similar to the expression "flying off the shelves". Baby milk powder sold like hotcakes, or flew off the shelves, in Hong Kong when mainlanders were allowed to come here to buy large quantities. However, after the government said people are only allowed to take two tins out of Hong Kong, baby milk powder no longer sold like hotcakes. I want to thank all of you again for your kind support in buying my books and for sending me e-mails about the MTR.
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我今天想多謝兩班人。我想多謝所有不畏人潮（braved the crowds）來書展見我的人。感謝你們，令我的書在書展期間熱賣（sold like hotcakes）。我也想多謝所有寫電郵給我，談及港鐵服務有多不濟的人。在我上兩篇專欄中，我呼籲讀者寫電郵給我，要是他們也因為要等幾班車才能上車而感到憤怒。我所收到的回應令我驚訝。回應中壓倒性（overwhelming）的大比數讀者，都同意港鐵的服務在過去幾年每況愈下（deteriorated）。
在我的上兩篇專欄中，我慶賀（said good riddance）港鐵行政總裁韋達誠，高興能見他離任。許多寫電郵給我的讀者也說謝天謝地（good riddance）。我會轉寄你們所有的電郵給運輸局局長張炳良和商務局局長蘇錦樑，他們曾建議，要是一班港鐵列車到站時滿座，你不應該抱怨，而是耐心等待下一班車。我認為蘇錦樑應退還他的政府座駕，而像一般香港人一樣，在港鐵站勇敢走進人群中（brave the crowds）。
若說你很brave，是指你很勇敢。To "brave the crowds"即是願意走到擠逼的地方，即使那令你感到很不舒服。當某物"selling like hotcakes"即是說它暢銷或熱賣，類近習語"flying off the shelves"。嬰兒奶粉在香港也是sold like hotcakes或flew off the shelves，因為內地人獲准來港大量入貨。然而，當政府宣佈人們不許再攜帶多於兩罐奶粉離港時，嬰兒奶粉不再被搶購一空（sold like hotcakes）了。我希望再一次感謝你們所有人，願意買書支持我，和寫有關港鐵的電郵給我。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=295327§ion_name=wtt&kw=126