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，国泰和它的母公司太古集团邀请了我和其他几个记者前往成都。那趟行程包括探访成都的熊猫基地。我在熊猫基地见到许多成年、年轻和新生的熊猫。大群大群的游客（throngs of tourists）很雀跃地拍照。成都可以理所当然地吹奏（blow its horn）自己拥有熊猫经济。Throng 是指一大群的人，throngs of tourists 则指许多许多的游客。To blow your horn是指去自豪地夸耀自己的成就。成都不必自吹自擂（blow its horn）自己有个熊猫经济，因为成都的熊猫基地早已广受欢迎和闻名于世。 

最近，海洋公园有一对熊猫孖胎出世，内地所送的两只大熊猫又将于下月抵港，引发香港一一股panda fever 。Fever即发烧，因为疾病而导致体温高于平常，但它也解作狂热，panda fever就是熊猫热——因为熊猫而亢奋与群情汹涌。一些政府官员和政客就提议，借着最近熊猫孖胎的出生以及内地另外两只熊猫的来临，去创造香港的熊猫经济。

海洋公园现时已有两只大熊猫，就是最近交配并诞下熊猫孖胎的。内地很快又会送来两只大熊猫，总共将会有六只。海洋公园可以利用四大两小的熊猫吸引更多游客，但那跟熊猫经济是不一样的。要有一个真正的熊猫经济，海洋公园需要有更多熊猫和像成都的繁殖设施才行。

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻