頭條日報 頭條網 - ATV is trying to find a white knight to buy it by Michael Chugani

When I was a kid (slang word for child), I loved reading stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Historians (experts in history) are divided as to whether King Arthur really existed and how many Knights of the Round Table there were. My favourite Knight of the Round Table was Sir Lancelot. I loved reading about his adventures when I was a kid. In medieval Europe, also known as the Middle Ages, which started around the 5th century, knights were respected soldiers who served the king. Nowadays, the British queen can give the title of a knight to well-known people, such as politicians and businessmen. This award is called a knighthood.

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n Hong Kong, businessman Li Ka-shing and former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen are knights. People who receive knighthoods can use the title "Sir" but Li Ka-shing and Tsang Yam-kuen have chosen not to be called Sir Li Ka-shing and Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. In recent weeks, the expression “white knight” has been heard a lot in Hong Kong because of ATV's financial troubles. ATV doesn’t have money to pay its staff and wants a white knight to buy it. The expression "white knight" can be used in several ways. A person who comes to help someone in serious trouble can be called a white knight. For example, health workers who put their own lives in danger to help people infected with SARS in 2003 can be called white knights.

        A person or company who agrees to buy a company in financial trouble can also be called a white knight. ATV is trying to find a white knight to buy it so it will not have to shut down. If it succeeds in finding a white knight, the staff will be able to get their pay. However, in ATV’s case, the use of the expression "white knight" is not totally correct. When a white knight saves a company by buying it, it is normally to stop other companies that the company in financial trouble does not want to sell to. In ATV’s case, no one so far is too eager to buy it.

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        當我還是小孩（kid，俚語）的時候，我很喜歡閱讀亞瑟王與圓桌騎士（Knights）的故事。歷史學家（Historians）對於亞瑟王是否真的存在、圓桌騎士（Knights）又有幾人等說法意見分歧。我最喜愛的圓桌騎士（Knight）是蘭斯洛特爵士。當我還是小孩（kid）時，我喜愛閱讀他的歷險故事。在中世紀歐洲（約於五世紀開始），騎士（knights）都是備受尊重、侍奉君王的士兵。今天，英國的女皇可以將騎士的頭銜賞賜給政客和商人等名人，這個榮譽便稱為爵士封號（knighthood）。

        在香港，商人李嘉誠與前特首曾蔭權也是爵士（knights）。獲得爵士封號（knighthoods）的人都可冠上 Sir的稱謂，但李嘉誠和曾蔭權便選擇不被稱為李嘉誠爵士或曾蔭權爵士。香港最近幾星期，因着亞視的財務問題，常常會聽到習語 white knight。亞視不夠錢去支付員工薪金，需要一個「白武士」（white knight）去收購。習語 white knight可以有幾種用法，當某人在別人遭遇困境時出手相助，他便可被稱為「白武士」（white knight）。例如，2003年那些醫護人員冒着生命危險去幫助感染沙士的病人，他們也可被稱為 white knights。

        若一個人或公司願意收購另一間財困的公司，也會被稱為白武士（white knight）。亞視嘗試尋找一個白武士（white knight）去收購它，好使它不用倒閉。若它成功尋得白武士（white knight），員工便得以支薪。然而，以亞視的情況來說，習語white knight並不完全適用。通常是當那間財困的公司不想落入其他公司的手中，白武士（white knight）便以收購來攔截其他公司。但以亞視來說，至目前為止都沒有誰很渴望去收購它。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=315049§ion_name=wtt&kw=126