又中又英｜Daydream

Daydream

Regular readers of this column will know whiskey is one of my favourite happy hour drinks. There are many different types of whiskey, such as blended, single malt, and bourbon. A blended whiskey is produced by blending (mixing) different types of whiskey. Single malt whiskeys are also blended but are the product of a single distillery (alcohol factory). Bourbon is an American whiskey. Special news reports about whiskey always catch my eye. If something catches your eye, it means it gets your attention. A news report last week about the world’s oldest whiskey instantly caught my eye.

About 40 bottles of the world’s oldest whiskey were found in the cellar of a 750-year-old Scottish castle. The whiskey was distilled (purified) in 1833 and botted in 1841. An auction will be held next month for 24 of the bottles. Each bottle is worth about HKD100000. I would give my right arm to have a bottle of the world’s oldest whiskey. If you would give your right arm to get something, it means you want it so much that you would do almost anything to get it. I am just a journalist and cannot afford such a bottle of whiskey even though it is the world’s oldest whiskey.

Journalists with principles must be factual and unbiased but I think journalists are also allowed to daydream, which means to have pleasant thoughts while awake. I cannot afford HKD100000 for a bottle of the world’s oldest whiskey but I can daydream about sitting on my serviced apartment balcony drinking it while looking at Hong Kong’s beautiful harbour!

一直有看這個專欄的讀者們都會知道，威士忌是其中一樣我最喜愛的歡樂時光飲品。威士忌有許多種，例如 blended、single malt和bourbon。A blended whiskey就是調和威士忌，以不同種類的威士忌酒混合（blending）而成。Single malt whiskeys即單一麥芽威士忌，也是調和的（blended），卻是出自同一間蒸餾廠（distillery）。Bourbon就是美式的波本威士忌。有關於威士忌的特別新聞報道總是能 catch my eye——若某事物 catches your eye，即是它吸引到你的注意。上星期，一則關於世上最古老威士忌的新聞報道，瞬間抓住我眼球（caught my eye）。

在一個有750年歷史的蘇格蘭古堡的地窖（cellar）內，發現了40瓶世界現存最古老的威士忌。這批威士忌是於1833年蒸餾（distilled）、1841年入瓶。下星期將為其中24瓶酒舉行拍賣會，每瓶酒價值約10萬港元。我會give my right arm ，也要一瓶世上最古老的威士忌。若你會give your right arm to get something，意即你很想擁有它，不惜一切代價也要取得。我只是一個新聞工作者，雖然這是世上最古老的威士忌，但也未能買得起這樣一瓶威士忌。

新聞工作者有原則，必須根據事實和不偏不倚，但我認為新聞工作者也可以daydream ，意即在清醒時發發白日夢。我不能拿出10萬港元去買一瓶世上最古老的威士忌酒，但我可以發個白日夢（daydream）：坐在我的服務式住宅單位的陽台上，一邊喝着它，一邊欣賞香港美麗的海港！

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻