D ixon Sing Ming, an associate professor at the University of Science and Technology, was one of 32 academics who initiated a petition to support the strike. About 400 academics signed the petition. To initiate something means to be the first to start an action. I phoned Prof Sing to invite him to my show. He curtly (rudely)told me he was on another line, said he would call back, and hung up. He didn't call back. I sent him an SMS and a WhatsApp message to apologize for having called him while he was on another line and invited him to my show. He ignored my messages.
I called Tommy Cheung Sau-yin, president of the students' union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to invite him to my show. He was very courteous and accepted my invitation. Other student leaders who came to my show in the past had also been courteous. I want to teach Prof Sing the meaning of the word courteous. It means polite and respectful. Prof Sing should learn from Cheung Sau-yin how to be courteous. He should have been polite enough to call me back even if he didn't want to come on my show. Maybe he felt he was too famous to come on my show since many reporters had wanted to interview him. I want to teach him the expression "15 minutes of fame". The American artist Andy Warhol made up the expression. It means fame doesn't last long. Prof Sing should remember that.
香港正在經歷（experiencing）非比尋常的時刻。 Experiencing這個字在這裏是解作經歷或遭遇。我們正在經歷艱難的政治時勢。上星期，數以千計的大學生罷課，有些更衝進了政總。學生成功迫使佔中主辦者不再留待明天，而是即時啟動公民抗命。罷課及佔中的目的，是向中央政府施壓要給予香港直正的民主。我決定邀請一位罷課的學生，以及一位支持罷課的教授，上來我的電視節目，談談我們正在經歷（experiencing）的這個非常時期。
香港科技大學副教授成名，是三十二位策動（initiated）聯署支持罷課的學者之一，最後約有四百位大專教職員參與聯署。Initiate 就是去開始或策動一件事。我致電成教授，邀請他上我的節目。他草草（curtly）說了自己正在另一邊談電話，說稍後回電，便掛了線，但他最終並沒有打電話回來。我傳他短訊和WhatsApp訊息，為着在他通話的時候致電他道歉，同時邀請他來我節目。他亦毫不理會我的傳訊。
我致電香港中文大學學生會會長張秀賢，邀請他來我的節目。他謙謙有禮（courteous），接受了我的邀請。其他以往曾上我節目的學生領袖，同樣謙恭而有禮（courteous）。我很希望教導成教授courteous這個字的意思，它解作謙恭、彬彬有禮，成教授好應向張秀賢學習以禮待人（courteous），即使他不想上我的節目，亦應有禮地回電。或許他認為自己太出名了，不好上我的節目，因為有許多記者想訪問他。我希望教他一個習語15 minutes of fame,是美國藝術家安迪．沃荷發明的。它是指名氣轉瞬即逝。成教授請謹記。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=303310§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
