I think it is good that young people in Hong Kong have become passionate about politics. Too many young people nowadays are only passionate about such things as the latest iPhone and the latest fashions. More young Hong Kong people should also be passionate （adjective） about such things as eradicating poverty. University students are old enough to decide for themselves if they want to boycott classes next week to show their passion （noun） for democracy. But I am of two minds about whether secondary school students should also join the boycott. If you are of two minds, it means you are unable to decide. The expression in British English is "in two minds".
Some teachers and others in the democracy camp have said they want secondary school students to join the boycott also. I think teachers and others in the democracy camp should not encourage secondary school students to join the boycott. Many secondary school students are only 12 or 13 years old. They are too young to decide for themselves whether to join the boycott. I think it should be a matter between the secondary school students and their parents. Outsiders should not interfere or offer encouragement. If secondary school students have great passion for democracy, it is up to them to convince their parents to let them join the boycott. I hope all the students who boycott classes next week will not waste their time on movies or protests. They should do volunteer work to help needy people.
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許多學生不時傳電郵來，說他們喜歡讀我的專欄，改進自己的英語。知道學生們喜歡我的專欄，令我很雀躍（thrilled）。自下星期起，許多學生便會罷課以爭取他們口中真正的民主。許多香港的年輕人都對民主的事很熱衷（passionate）。Passionate這個字可以有許多用法，在這裏解作對某事很熱心或很渴求。世上最富有的比爾．蓋茲，就很熱心（passionate）要根絕（eradicating）全球貧窮與疾病問題。To eradicate某事即是要摧毀或滅絕它。
香港的年輕人對政治有熱忱（passionate），我認為是好事。今時今日太多年輕人只會熱衷（passionate）於最新款的iPhone或最潮時裝，好應有多些香港年輕人熱衷（passionate）於滅絕（eradicating）貧窮。大學生年紀已經夠大，可以自行決定他們下周是否要以罷課來展現對民主的熱誠（passion，名詞）。但我對於中學生應否參與罷課，仍是有點猶豫（of two minds）。若你是of two minds，即是你三心兩意，難下決定。英式英語的說法則是in two minds。有些泛民陣營裏的老師和其他人，也說希望中學生參與罷課。我認為民主派裏的老師和其他人，不應鼓勵中學生參與罷課。許多中學生只得十二或十三歲，他們年紀太小，未能自行決定是否去罷課。我認為這應是中學生與他們的父母之間的事，外人不應插手或加以鼓勵。若中學生對民主有熱誠（passion），那應由他們去游說父母，容讓自己參與罷課。我希望下星期罷課的學生，不會浪費時間去看電影或示威。他們應該做義工，幫助有需要的人。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=301483§ion_name=wtt&kw=126