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!

當你讀到這裏的時候，我已身處美國了，這是我在香港和台北逗留九個月之後，再度回美。每次我從亞洲回到美國，我的身體機能（bodily function）都會天翻地覆（turns inside out）。我的生理時鐘（body clock）會亂了套（goes haywire）。若某事物turns "inside out"或這樣用 "upside down"的話，它的意思是它徹底顛倒了。你的 body clock就是你的生理時鐘，告訴你何時睡覺、吃飯、上廁所，以及其他的生理運作。若你的 body clock goes haywire，意即你的生理時鐘紊亂，又或不能好好運作。

美國與香港或台灣的時差大約有十二至十五小時，視乎你在美國何處。這個時差令我的生理時鐘（body clock）與身體機能（bodily function）非常混亂。我晚上不能入睡，但日間又感到困倦且沒有胃口。我的身體機能（bodily function）不知道應何時上廁所小解或大解。這樣的情況大約維持一個星期。然而，當我從美國飛返香港時，我的生理時鐘（body clock）與身體機能（bodily function）只需過幾天就能回復正常，我也不知道為甚麼。

現在，我已回到美國，基本上都是說英語。我在香港的時候，通常都是說廣東話。我在台北探望許多在那兒做小生意的香港朋友，還是多說廣東話。我沒幾多台灣朋友，因為我不懂國語，而他們大部分人都不懂英語。我由廣東話轉英語，又或英語轉廣東話時，我的身體機能（bodily function）與生理時鐘（body clock）倒能完美地運作呢！
 
mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻