Hong Kong has become unbearably hot. This summer is so hot it feels like I am in a desert. But deserts are very dry while Hong Kong has humid summers. The Hong Kong Observatory is useless in forecasting the weather. It covers its ass （arse in British English） by forecasting showers, thunderstorms,sunny periods, and cloudy periods every day. The only thing it does not forecast is snow. Even I can forecast weather that includes everything！ In the US, forecasters do not cover their asses by including everything. If they forecast rain, they will even tell you how many percent chance of rain there will be.
T
o forecast means to predict or guess. When the air is humid, it means there is a lot of moisture （tiny drops of water） in the air. The slang expression "cover your ass" means to do things or take steps to protect yourself from criticism or attacks. Your ass is your backside, buttocks, or anus. People who feel it is a bad word can say "cover your backside" instead. The Hong Kong Observatory "covers its ass" by including everything in its forecasts. This way, it is protected from criticism whatever the weather turns out to be.
The word "unbearable" means hard to tolerate. To bear something means to tolerate it. I can bear cold weather but very hot weather is unbearable. The word "bear" when used as a noun is a type of large animal. Many English words have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. Some have the same spelling but are pronounced differently. For example, a desert is a place with very little water and covered with sand. Deserts are very hot during the day and cold at night. As a verb, it means to abandon or leave a place or organization, usually in a disloyal way. For example, some soldiers desert the military. As a verb, the pronunciation is the same as dessert, the sweet foods eaten after meals.
The yearly Book Fair will start tomorrow. I'll be at the Book Fair on Sunday, July 20 from 3-4 pm, and on Tuesday, July 22 from 4-5 pm to sign my latest 又中又英 book. I'll be at the Sing Tao booth 1aD22. I hope to see you there.
香港現在真是令人受不了（unbearably）的炎熱。這個夏天熱得令我感覺自己像身處沙漠（desert）。但沙漠（deserts）是很乾燥的，香港有的卻是很潮濕（humid）的夏季。而香港天文台預報（forecasting）天氣卻很不濟。它每天都會預報有驟雨、雷暴、陽光又有雲，真夠「戴頭盔」（covers its ass,英式串法為arse）。它唯一沒有預測的是雪。就是我也能做一個包攬所有天氣的預報（forecast）吧。在美國，氣象員（forecasters）不會為了保障自己（cover their asses）而將所有天氣都囊括在內，要是他們預告（forecast）有雨,他們甚至可以告訴你，可能有雨的百分比。
To forecast即是預測或估計。當空氣是humid的，即空氣中有許多水分或濕氣（moisture）。俚語cover your ass即是做一些事情或步驟去保護自己免受批評或攻擊，有點像潮語「戴頭盔」。Ass就是你的臀部、屁股或肛門。有些人覺得這個字粗俗，便可以說cover your backside。香港天文台在天氣預報（forecasts）裏包含所有，也可算是「戴頭盔」（covers its ass）了。這樣，無論最終天氣是怎樣，它亦可免受批評。
Unbearable解作難以忍受的。To bear就是去承受或忍受。我可以忍受（bear）寒冷的天氣，但酷熱的天氣真令人受不了（unbearable）。Bear作名詞用時就指熊。許多英文字都有着一樣的串法和發音，但意思卻迥然不同。有些字有着一樣的串法，但卻有不同的發音。例如，desert是沙漠，日間很酷熱，晚上卻冷得很。作動詞用時，就解作遺棄或捨棄一個地方或機構，通常是有背棄的意思。例如，有些士兵會擅離職守，捨棄（desert）軍隊。作動詞用時,它的發音跟餐後甜品的dessert是一樣的。
* 一年一度的書展於明天開始，我會在星期日七月二十日三至四時，以及星期二七月二十二日四至五時，到書展為我的新書《又中又英》簽名。我會在星島檔位1aD22，希望到時見到你。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=293567§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
