M any people believe Hong Kong's rule of law is eroding, or being slowly destroyed, because protesters taking part in Occupy Central have ignored court injunctions to remove some barriers they have put up in Admiralty and Mong Kok. A court injunction is an order by a judge. For a society to have the rule of law, everyone must follow the orders of the court. The expression "external forces" means outside influences or pressures. To bankroll something means to pay for it. For example, Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has bankrolled the activities of pro-democracy political parties in Hong Kong. To foment means to stir up or encourage trouble. The words "incite" and "instigate" have similar meanings.
Many people believe external forces are fomenting trouble in Hong Kong by bankrolling the Occupy Central movement. Leung Chun-ying recently said on my TV show that external forces are involved in the Occupy Central movement. He said several countries were involved but did not name the countries. Some legal academics and politicians have said it is acceptable for people joining a civil disobedience protest to ignore court injunctions without eroding the rule of law. Those who support Occupy Central insist it is nonsense to say external forces are bankrolling the movement. What do you think?
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香港的法治(rule of law)正在崩壞(eroding)嗎﹖外國勢力(external forces)是否在資助(bankrolling)香港的公民抗命示威,煽動(foment)暴亂以威脅中國的安全?自佔中啟動以來,許多人一直在問着這兩條問題。香港是個以法治(rule of law)管治的城市,即是說,香港是以法而非政府官員或軍隊等個人的判斷來管治。例如,你是否有罪,並非特首梁振英或中國人民解放軍可以決定;只有法官可以判決,而法官必須依法判斷。人人都得遵從法院的判決。當某事在eroding,即是它正逐漸被削弱或破壞。
許多人相信香港的法治(rule of law)正被侵蝕(eroding)中,或慢慢被破壞,因為佔中的示威者漠視法院要拆去他們在金鐘和旺角那些障礙物的禁制令(injunctions)。A court injunctions就是法官頒佈的強制令。一個有法治(rule of law)的社會裡,人人都得遵從法院的指令。習語external forces即外圍勢力或壓力。To bankroll something就是提供財務資助。例如,《蘋果日報》東主黎智英就有資助(bankrolled)香港泛民政黨的活動。To foment就是煽動或挑起混亂,跟incite和instigate的意思相似。
許多人相信,外國勢力(external forces)正在資助(bankrolling)佔中運動,以激起(fomenting)香港的紛亂。梁振英最近就在我的電視節目上,直指佔中運動牽涉到外國勢力(external forces)。他說有幾個國家牽涉在內,但沒有明言是哪些國家。有些法律學者和政客道,人們參與公民抗命示威,忽略法院的禁制令(injunctions)而沒有削弱(eroding)到法治(rule of law),是可以接受的。支持佔中的人亦堅持,說外國勢力(external forces)正在資助(bankrolling)運動是無稽之談。你認為呢?
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=308621§ion_name=wtt&kw=126