又中又英｜Panda fever

Some years ago, Cathay and its parent company Swire invited me and several other journalists to Chengdu. The trip included a visit to the Chengdu Panda Base. I saw many adult, young, and new-born pandas at the Panda Base. Throngs of tourists were excitedly taking pictures. Chengdu can rightfully blow its horn about having a panda economy. The word “throng” means a large crowd of people. Throngs of tourists means a lot of tourists. To blow your horn means to talk about your achievements in a proud way. Chengdu doesn’t need to blow its horn about a panda economy because the Chengdu Panda Base is already popular and well-known.

The recent birth of panda twins at Ocean Park and the arrival next month of two more giant pandas from the mainland have sparked panda fever in Hong Kong. The word “fever” means higher than normal body temperature caused by an illness. But it also means great excitement. Panda fever means great excitement caused by pandas. Some government officials and politicians have suggested using the recent birth of panda twins and the arrival of two more pandas from the mainland to create a panda economy in Hong Kong.

Ocean Park now has two giant pandas, which recently mated and gave birth to twin pandas. The mainland will send two more giant pandas soon. That’s a total of six. Ocean Park can use the four adult and two baby pandas to attract more tourists, but that is not the same as a panda economy. Ocean Park needs more pandas and breeding facilities like Chengdu to have a true panda economy.

好些年前，國泰和它的母公司太古集團邀請了我和其他幾個記者前往成都。那趟行程包括探訪成都的熊貓基地。我在熊貓基地見到許多成年、年輕和新生的熊貓。大群大群的遊客（throngs of tourists）很雀躍地拍照。成都可以理所當然地吹奏（blow its horn）自己擁有熊貓經濟。Throng 是指一大群的人，throngs of tourists 則指許多許多的遊客。To blow your horn是指去自豪地誇耀自己的成就。成都不必自吹自擂（blow its horn）自己有個熊貓經濟，因為成都的熊貓基地早已廣受歡迎和聞名於世。 

最近，海洋公園有一對熊貓孖胎出世，內地所送的兩隻大熊貓又將於下月抵港，引發香港一一股panda fever 。Fever即發燒，因為疾病而導致體溫高於平常，但它也解作狂熱，panda fever就是熊貓熱——因為熊貓而亢奮與群情洶湧。一些政府官員和政客就提議，藉着最近熊貓孖胎的出生以及內地另外兩隻熊貓的來臨，去創造香港的熊貓經濟。

海洋公園現時已有兩隻大熊貓，就是最近交配並誕下熊貓孖胎的。內地很快又會送來兩隻大熊貓，總共將會有六隻。海洋公園可以利用四大兩小的熊貓吸引更多遊客，但那跟熊貓經濟是不一樣的。要有一個真正的熊貓經濟，海洋公園需要有更多熊貓和像成都的繁殖設施才行。

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