I f I had been at the press conference I would have retorted: “No, not later. Please answer the question now because it is discrimination to give priority to Cantonese and Putonghua questions.” To retort is to answer back in a sharp, angry or clever way. I cannot put out of my mind Lee Wai-king’s behavior (behaviour in British English) because it is further proof that English is no longer considered important by politicians and government officials. Liberal Party member James Tien Pei-chun behaved in the same way at a press conference last October when the central government fired him as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. When a reporter asked a question in English, he said he would answer it later.
Questions at press conferences should be answered in the order they are asked. Questions in English should not be relegated to the end of the press conference. To relegate something means to give it an inferior or lower-class position. A similar word is downgrade. All the reporters at last Thursday’s press conference should have demanded that Lee Wai-king answer the English question when it was asked. Reporters should always stick together. To stick together means to remain united or to always support each other. Maybe Lee Wai-king downgraded English questions because the DAB believes Hong Kong people who cannot speak Cantonese or Putonghua are unimportant.
上星期四談及政改的記者會上，民建聯主席李慧琼怎樣拒絕理會（dismissed）一道英語提問，至今仍在我腦海中揮之不去（cannot put out of my mind）。 To put something out of your mind即是努力不去想，或去忘懷那件事。 Dismiss在這裏是指認為某事無關痛癢、不值得考慮。李慧琼認為那道以英文提問的問題並不重要，因而拒絕考慮（dismissed）。她跟那名記者說：“Maybe later”（「或者待會吧」），續以廣東話答問，也用普通話回答了一條問題。
如果我在記者會現場，我便會回嗆（retorted）：「不，沒有待會。請現在回答問題，因為只優先考慮廣東話和普通話問題，是一種歧視。」 To retort就是以尖銳、憤怒或聰明的方式反駁。我沒法忘懷（put out of my mind）李慧琼的行為，因為這進一步證明，政客和政府官員不再看重英語。自由黨成員田北俊，上年十月被中央政府撤去其全國政協委員一職，他在記者會上亦是同一做法。當有記者以英語提問，他也說他會稍後回應。
回應記者會的問題就該按著提問的先後次序。英語的問題不應被貶低（relegated）至記者會尾聲才答。 To relegate something就是將某事置於低級或次等的地位。類似的字是downgrade。上星期四記者會上的所有記者，都應要求李慧琼在被問到英語問題時即時回應。記者們好應同氣連枝（stick together）。 To stick together就是團結一致，互相支持。或許李慧琼貶低（downgraded）英語問題，是因為民建聯相信，不能說廣東話或普通話的香港人是不重要的。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=334071§ion_name=wtt&kw=126