又中又英｜Body clock goes haywire

By the time you read this, I will be in the US after nine months in Hong Kong and Taipei. Every time I return from Asia to the US, my bodily function turns inside out. My body clock goes haywire. Your bodily function is the process that takes place in your body, such as urination and defecation. If something turns "inside out" or "upside down" used this way, it means it changes completely. Your body clock is your body system that tells you when to sleep, eat, go to the toilet, and other body functions. If your body clock goes haywire, it means it becomes confused or stops working properly.

The time difference between the US and Hong Kong or Taiwan is between 12 to 15 hours, depending on where in the US you are. This time difference confuses my body clock and bodily function. I can't sleep at night but feel sleepy during the day with no appetite. My bodily function doesn't know when to urinate or defecate. This lasts for about a week. But my body clock and bodily function return to normal after just a few days when I fly from the US to Hong Kong. I don't know why.

Now that I am back in the US, I speak mostly English. I speak mostly Cantonese when I am in Hong Kong. I do that in Taipei too with my many Hong Kong friends who have small businesses. I have very few Taiwan friends because I can’t speak Mandarin, and most can’t speak English. My bodily function and body clock work perfectly when I switch from Cantonese to English or the other way around!

当你读到这里的时候，我已身处美国了，这是我在香港和台北逗留九个月之后，再度回美。每次我从亚洲回到美国，我的身体机能（bodily function）都会天翻地覆（turns inside out）。我的生理时钟（body clock）会乱了套（goes haywire）。若某事物turns "inside out"或这样用 "upside down"的话，它的意思是它彻底颠倒了。你的 body clock就是你的生理时钟，告诉你何时睡觉、吃饭、上厕所，以及其他的生理运作。若你的 body clock goes haywire，意即你的生理时钟紊乱，又或不能好好运作。

美国与香港或台湾的时差大约有十二至十五小时，视乎你在美国何处。这个时差令我的生理时钟（body clock）与身体机能（bodily function）非常混乱。我晚上不能入睡，但日间又感到困倦且没有胃口。我的身体机能（bodily function）不知道应何时上厕所小解或大解。这样的情况大约维持一个星期。然而，当我从美国飞返香港时，我的生理时钟（body clock）与身体机能（bodily function）只需过几天就能回复正常，我也不知道为什么。

现在，我已回到美国，基本上都是说英语。我在香港的时候，通常都是说广东话。我在台北探望许多在那儿做小生意的香港朋友，还是多说广东话。我没几多台湾朋友，因为我不懂国语，而他们大部分人都不懂英语。我由广东话转英语，又或英语转广东话时，我的身体机能（bodily function）与生理时钟（body clock）倒能完美地运作呢！
 
mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻