又中又英｜Fallen from grace

Fallen from grace

It didn’t come as a surprise to me that Singapore’s Changi Airport was again named the world’s best. It’s the 12th time Skytrax, which does an annual survey, has named Changi the best airport. It didn’t surprise me the Skytrax survey showed a free fall in Hong Kong International Airport’s rankings. The expression “free fall” used this way means a sudden and sharp fall from a higher position. Hong Kong’s airport was ranked 33, a huge drop from last year’s ranking of 20. Hong Kong has won the best airport crown nine times. The last time was in 2011.

It’s been in a free fall since 2018, dropping every year. The airport was opened with great fanfare on July 2, 1998 by Jiang Zemin, China’s president at the time. Hours later Bill Clinton, the US president at the time, graced the new airport by landing there, becoming the first foreigner to land at the airport. The expression “great fanfare” means a lot of excitement and attention to celebrate something. Air Force One is the plane US presidents use. To grace something means to bring honour and dignity to it. Hong Kong’s airport has now fallen from grace. To fall from grace means to lose respect or prestige.

To me, Hong Kong’s airport is still special. It is efficient, has good restaurants, and a hotel. It has fallen from grace because other airports have upped their game. To up your game means to try hard to improve your quality. Hong Kong must up its game a lot to compete with Changi, which has forest-like gardens, an indoor waterfall, a shopping mall, and a hotel.

新加坡樟宜机场再一次获选为全球最佳机场，我一点也不感到意外。Skytrax每年一次举行调查，而这已经是第12次将樟宜定为最佳机场了。Skytrax的调查又显示，香港国际机场的排名free fall，我同样不感到意外。习语“free fall”在这里是指由高处骤降、急速下堕。香港的机场自上年排名20，大幅下跌至排名33。香港曾九度赢得最佳机场的桂冠，最后一次是2011年。

自2018年起，机场排名就按年下跌，一落千丈（free fall）。机场于1998年7月2日隆重（great fanfare）开幕，由当时的中国国家主席江泽民主持开幕典礼。数小时后，时任美国总统比尔‧克林顿的专机于机场降落，成为首位抵达的外国人，为新机场带来荣耀（graced the new airport）。习语“great fanfare”是指隆重其事、大张旗鼓地庆祝某事。 Air Force One就是美国总统乘搭的空军一号。To grace something是指去给某事带来荣耀，为其增色。香港机场现在已经 fallen from grace——to fallen from grace即失宠了，失去了众人的敬重与声望。

对我来说，香港的机场仍然很特别，它富有效率，有好的餐厅，还有酒店。它失去恩宠（fallen from grace），是因为其他机场都已 upped their game——to up your game即努力改进，提高你的水平。香港必须大大提升它的水平（up its game），才能跟那有着像森林的花园、室内瀑布、购物商场以及酒店的樟宜机场比拼。

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