T he word trick has many meanings and can be used in many ways, but when used this way it means an act that is performed for entertainment. For example, Ocean Park has dolphins that can do tricks, such as holding balls in their mouths. In 2010, when I first started this column, I wrote that Tien Pei-chun had used the word "irregardless". It is bad English to use this word. Many English-language experts argue there is no such word although it is often used in America. The correct word is regardless, which means "anyway", "in any case", or "even if". I pointed this out to Tien Pei-chun when I saw him a few months after I wrote about his mistake. But he used the word "irregardless" again during a radio interview a few months after I told him about his mistake.
Last week, he again used the word during an English-language interview. When I heard him make the same mistake for the third time, it reminded me of the expression "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I hope Tien Pei-chun is not an old dog who can't learn new tricks. Maybe I should teach him the expressions "it's never too late to mend" and "you're never too old to learn". They have similar meanings and mean it's never too late to learn. It's never too late for Tien Pei-chun to learn to say "regardless" instead of "irregardless".
養狗之人不時會教牠們一些小把戲（tricks）。其中一個受歡迎的把戲（trick）是教導狗隻跟人握手。但當狗隻年紀漸大，要教牠們把戲（tricks）就難得多了。一個家傳戶曉的習語正是you can't teach an old dog new tricks，我倒好奇，自由黨的田北俊可有聽過這句習語，它的意思就是積習難改。習語"old habits die hard" 亦有相近的意思。我每早晨也會喝杯茶，是個改不了的習慣——真是積習難移（Old habits die hard）。田北俊又是否可比喻為那隻學不了新把戲（tricks）的老狗？
Trick這個字有許多意思和用法，但這樣用時解作供人娛樂的把戲。譬如，海洋公園有懂得耍把戲（tricks）的海豚，例如用口頂着圓球。二○一○年，我初開始寫這篇專欄時，我曾寫過田北俊用了"irregardless"這個字。用這個字是差勁的英語，許多英語專家都力斥，根本沒有這個字，即使它常用於美國。正確的字是 regardless，意即「無論如何」或「即使」。我寫到田北俊此錯處的幾個月後，遇見他時還特地向他指出。然而，跟他提及其錯處才過了幾個月，他在電台訪問中又再用上"irregardless"。上星期，他在一個英語訪問中又再用到那個字。當第三度聽到他重蹈覆轍時，不禁令我想起習語"you can't teach an old dog new tricks"。我希望田北俊不是一隻學不懂新把戲（tricks）的老狗。或許我應教他習語"it's never too late to mend"和"you're never too old to learn"。它們的意思類近，意即亡羊補牢，未為晚也。田北俊要學懂說"regardless"而非"irregardless"，永不嫌遲。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=329716§ion_name=wtt&kw=126