I t is not good English to say "the gate is always open". The proper expression is "the door is always open". If you say "my door is always open" to dialogue, it means you are always willing to discuss any issues with others. Student leaders have said they are always willing to discuss with the government how to end the political crisis in Hong Kong. The word "vague" means unclear or uncertain. If you say you "vaguely remember", it means you cannot remember clearly. The expression "for the life of me" means however hard I try, or even if my life depended on it. Therefore, when I said "for the life of me I can't remember which student leader said", I meant however hard I tried, I couldn't remember. To be passionate about something means to have very strong feelings or beliefs about something.
Many Hong Kong people are very passionate, or have very strong beliefs, about democracy. That is why they are even willing to risk arrest and injury by joining protests day after day to pressure the Hong Kong and central governments to allow genuine democracy in Hong Kong. I do not know how or when the Occupy Central movement will end. But if all sides make sure the door is always open to discussions, I am sure a solution can be found.
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我隱約記得（vaguely remember），有位學生領袖上星期在一個英語電台上說，跟政府對話談政改的閘門是常開的（the gate is always open）。我拼了老命（for the life of me）也想不起是哪位學生領袖說的。我想是學聯秘書長周永康（見圖），若他不是說這話的人，希望他能諒解。我曾數度在我的電視節目上訪問周永康，他是位友善有禮的年輕人，對民主很熱切（passionate）。我曾幾次告訴他，有熱情（passionate）是好的，但他應小心選擇戰役，參與示威時盡量避免被拘捕和受傷。
說「the gate is always open」不是上乘的英語，正確的習語應為「the door is always open」。若你指「my door is always open」，即是指你常常願意與人開放討論任何議題。學生領袖曾說，他們總是願意跟政府討論怎樣結束香港的政治危機。Vague解作含糊或不確定。若你說你vaguely remember，就是你只能依稀記得。習語for the life of me就是無論我怎樣努力，即使要了我的命；因此當我說「for the life of me I can't remember which student leader said」，我意思就是我怎樣努力也想不起來。To be passionate about something就是對某事充滿激情和強烈信念。
許多香港人也對民主抱有激情（passionate）或強烈信念，因此他們甚至甘願冒着被補和受傷的風險，也要日以繼夜的參與示威，向香港和中央施壓，要求給予香港真正的民主。我不曉得佔中運動到底會怎樣或何時結束。但若各方都確保討論的大門常開（the door is always open），相信一定能找到解決方案。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=305691§ion_name=wtt&kw=126