二〇二二年四月十九日,流亡英國並獲得批准政治庇護的前議員羅冠聰寫了段英文推特貼文,被前特首梁振英揶揄一番。然而,羅的英文問題確是代表了香港一般學子的語文問題,即是問題首先出在思想和概念,之後才是寫作和語法。
羅的原文如下:
HKers have a unique identity and a community. HKers and Chinese are two distinct communities—their spoken languages, culture, and way of life are different. Understanding this difference is the most crucial step to make Hongkongers feel respected.
三日後,梁振英批評如下:
Nathan, mind your English. Your English language skills were a lot better in “your” book “Freedom”. What happened? And, surely difference between HKers and Mainland Chinese is nothing compared to the differences with the British? For example, you speak much better Putonghua than English. If you want to gauge the amount of respect you get in England, learn the expressions 沐猴而冠,. #NathanLaw, #羅冠聰
梁的批評,劈頭一句就來mind your English是老氣橫秋,不可一世(patronizing),之後又恃熟賣熟,說讀過人家的Freedom一書,之後是言不及義,說人家的族群差異比起英國人更大,而且在英國得到的尊重更少。
羅的問題,是首句HKers have a unique identity and a community. 的動詞have的兼帶不清,是 (Hongkongers) have a community還是 (Hongkongers) have a unique community?要解決動詞兼帶謂語的混淆,與其重複unique一詞,不如另外用動詞,例如:HKers have a unique identity and form/constitute a distinct community.
第二句HKers and Chinese are two distinct communities—their spoken languages, culture, and way of life are different. 香港人和中國大陸人的形成的不是community,而是ethnic community(族群)或people(民族)。此外,講到文化或族群,英文的Chinese的涵義廣闊(泛指華人),香港人也是華人,故此不能用Chinese 一詞,必須用Mainland Chinese或 Chinese in Communist China之類。由於首句已有community,就當作是ethnic community來蒙混過關,下句就不要將香港人和大陸人來並列為community了,否則會糾纏於人類學/民族學的族群觀念。倒不如用日常英文輕輕帶過,反正這是政治宣傳,不是學術論述:The people in Hong Kong and their counterparts in Mainland/Communist China are drastically different. Even tourists or expats can distinguish them by their spoken language, beliefs and way of life.
最令人莫不着頭腦的是第三句:Understanding this difference is the most crucial step to make Hongkongers feel respected. 這句的主詞是誰,是首句的HKers 還是第二句的HKers and Chinese?羅大概是指外國人吧,是接收香港移民和流亡者的英國政府吧?好大的官威啊,難怪他說不出口了。這句由於不誠實,故此沒得救。勉強改為:Should people granting/offering refuge to fleeing Hongkongers understand this difference, we shall feel most grateful and consoled.
我的英文不是很好。然則,如果羅冠聰先生的思想可以有點條理,講話有些分寸,他大概不會在香港搞出魯莽的港獨來,雖然或會被取消議員資格,但斷不至於要被逼流亡海外,起碼是自願到外地闖一下。
Source: 陳雲
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