又中又英｜Knocked back and forth

Numerous ideas are being knocked back and forth now that Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has admitted there will be a $100 billion deficit for this financial year. It’s the third $100 billion deficit in a row. Ideas are being knocked back and forth among politicians, academics, and commentators on how to reduce the deficit. The expression “knocked back and forth” used this way means being pushed in opposite directions between two people or two groups of people. Some people have suggested cutting the salaries of Hong Kong’s highly paid government officials.

Others have pushed back with warnings that cutting the pay of civil servants and top officials will lead to lower pay in the private sector and weak consumption. Hong Kong will then get caught in a vicious circle. A vicious circle is a difficult situation which has the effect of creating new problems which then cause the original difficult situation to return. It is unacceptable to have deficits of $100 billion three years in a row. The government needs to trim the fat. To trim the fat means to cut excess fat from meat, but it also means to cut unnecessary expenditure.

Executive Councilor Ronny Tong Ka-wah has suggested raising the discounted public transport fare of $2 for the elderly to $3 to lower the deficit. This is an asinine idea. The word “asinine” means extremely stupid or silly. Raising the government-subsidized public transport fare for senior citizens by $1 will not reduce the deficit by much. Cutting the salaries of highly paid government officials, executive councilors, and legislative councilors will do much more to reduce the deficit. Merry Christmas to all!

现在财政司司长陈茂波承认，这个财政年度将会有一千亿元赤字之后，社会来来往往（knocked back and forth）有好些想法在碰撞。这已经是连续第三个千亿元赤字了。在政客、学术界和评论员之间，来来回回（knocked back and forth）都在争拗各种怎样减低赤字的构思。习语knocked back and forth在这里是指，一些想法在对立的两个人或两班人之间推来推去，争持不下。一些人建议，应该削减香港高薪厚禄的政府官员的薪金。

另一些人则反击，警告指削减公务员和高官的薪酬，将会导致私人市场的减薪及疲弱消费。这样，香港就会堕进一个vicious circle——a vicious circle就是恶性循环，是一个困难的境况，当中衍生的新问题会影响原有的难题复返。连续第三年有一千亿元赤字是不能接受的。政府好应 trim the fat——to trim the fat是切除肉类上的肥膏，但它也指要削减不必要的开支。

行政会议成员汤家骅则建议，将长者乘搭公共交通的两元车资优惠提高至三元，以减低赤字。这真是个 asinine的想法。Asinine是指特别愚蠢的。给政府资助长者的公共交通车费增加一元，并不能为财赤减低多少。削减那些高薪酬的政府官员、行政会议成员以及立法会议员的薪酬，就真的能大大减低财赤了。祝大家圣诞快乐！

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