讀者Carmen 來電郵問有關forget 這個字的tense，她說如果「這一刻」忘記了一些事，實際上是「已經」忘記了，是否都要說︰ I've forgotten或I forgot， 而不可說Iforget something？
Fai (english@mingpao.com)Have you any questions about English usage?Don't hesitate to send them to us!
(1) Carmen 說得對，記起忘了什麼的時候，忘的早就忘了，所以說I've forgotten 或I forgot，肯定是對的。但在實際情形，也有人說I forget，這是習非成是。
(2) 有時候提到習慣性的善忘，又另當別論。譬如太太抱怨先生常常忘記結婚紀念日，就會說︰ 「He always forgetsour wedding anniversary.」
(3) 其實，think這個動詞很多時候也會用過去式。看到聽到什麼有趣的東西，要跟友好分享，我們會說︰ 「I thought youmight find this interesting」、「I thought you might likethis」，不說「I think you may find this interesting」、「Ithink you may like this」，原因跟tense 無關，反而跟mood有關。這個說來話長，留待有機會再介紹。
2010年5月12日星期三
A top chef glossary
Catch Top Chef 5 every Monday and Tuesday at 9pm onSony Entertainment Television(nowTV 514, bbTV 310, TVB PayVision Ch 21)
Top Chef 5 is a reality show in which 17 chef-testants competeto survive the weekly chopping blocks and choosy palates (味覺) tobe the Top Chef in New York. Found yourself scratching your headwhile watching chefs and judges babble on about sous-vide this?High-level cooking has its own special language that might seemmysterious-until now.
Sous-vide (soo-VEED, 真空烹調)
Literally "under vacuum" in French, it is amethod of cooking food in vacuum-sealedplastic bags submerged ( 浸) in a bath ofwater at a carefully-maintained temperature.
Chiffonade (shiff-on-AHD, 細切蔬菜)
To cut leafy greens or herbs into very thinribbons. To chiffonade basil, for example, stackthe leaves, roll them into a tight cigar-like roll,and cut across the roll into thin strips.
Blanch (飛水、出水)
To cook, usually very briefly, in boiling water.Vegetables are often blanched to loosen theirskins for peeling.
Offal (OFF-uhl, 雜肉、動物內臟)
Also known as "variety meats", the organs,glands (腺), tail, feet, snout, tongue and otherparts of the animal that are today relativelyuncommon in Western kitchens.
Purée (煮爛、過濾或製漿的食物)
To chop or marsh a food until it achieves asmooth, uniform consistency.
Al dente (al-DEN-tay, 彈牙的)
Literally "to the tooth" in Italian. It describesfood, most commonly pasta or rice, that iscooked through but still firm, offering slightresistance when chewed, and not soft ormushy (柔軟、糊狀) at all.
Top ChefGIVEAWAY
Top Chef 5 is now giving away 5copies of Julia Child's My Life inFrance to Ming Paoreaders, simply sendyour name andaddress to:Top Chef giveaway,English Page, 15/F,Block A,Ming Pao IndustrialCentre,18 Ka Yip Street,Chai Wan.
Top Chef 5 is a reality show in which 17 chef-testants competeto survive the weekly chopping blocks and choosy palates (味覺) tobe the Top Chef in New York. Found yourself scratching your headwhile watching chefs and judges babble on about sous-vide this?High-level cooking has its own special language that might seemmysterious-until now.
Sous-vide (soo-VEED, 真空烹調)
Literally "under vacuum" in French, it is amethod of cooking food in vacuum-sealedplastic bags submerged ( 浸) in a bath ofwater at a carefully-maintained temperature.
Chiffonade (shiff-on-AHD, 細切蔬菜)
To cut leafy greens or herbs into very thinribbons. To chiffonade basil, for example, stackthe leaves, roll them into a tight cigar-like roll,and cut across the roll into thin strips.
Blanch (飛水、出水)
To cook, usually very briefly, in boiling water.Vegetables are often blanched to loosen theirskins for peeling.
Offal (OFF-uhl, 雜肉、動物內臟)
Also known as "variety meats", the organs,glands (腺), tail, feet, snout, tongue and otherparts of the animal that are today relativelyuncommon in Western kitchens.
Purée (煮爛、過濾或製漿的食物)
To chop or marsh a food until it achieves asmooth, uniform consistency.
Al dente (al-DEN-tay, 彈牙的)
Literally "to the tooth" in Italian. It describesfood, most commonly pasta or rice, that iscooked through but still firm, offering slightresistance when chewed, and not soft ormushy (柔軟、糊狀) at all.
Top ChefGIVEAWAY
Top Chef 5 is now giving away 5copies of Julia Child's My Life inFrance to Ming Paoreaders, simply sendyour name andaddress to:Top Chef giveaway,English Page, 15/F,Block A,Ming Pao IndustrialCentre,18 Ka Yip Street,Chai Wan.
Gap year
The mention of the two words gapyear brings about dropped jaws andstunned glances amongst most HongKong parents. The mentality of atypical Hong Kong family would smirkat this absurd ( 可笑的) idea, because,of course, why would anyone waste ayear travelling instead of going touniversity immediately?
We need to repel the perception thatgap years are for people who couldn'tget into university or have "failed".
Most of us make the decision to take ayear out for various reasons-abreak from education, to prepareoneself for university, to travel and seethe world, to broaden our horizons, tolearn something new, to really decidewhere our future lies, etc. Forwhatever reason it may be, a "gappie"ends the year, if planned well, with agreat deal more worldly knowledgeand experience than someone whohas leaped straight from school touniversity. In a way, it is a long-terminvestment where immediate benefitsmay be difficult to see, but it can reallychange one's perception of life.
Gap years aren't for everyone, andnot everyone tackily "discoversthemselves" in a mere year, but theydo open the eyes of many, and indeed,enhance their future prospects in duecourse. With experience of working inthe real world, travelling to the end ofthe Earth, exploring new and uniqueinterests, helping with charitableorganisations... most gappies feel likethey've learnt more in a year than intheir life duration of education. Soperhaps Hong Kong should warm tothe idea of students entering the"University of Life" for a year. Needlessto say, what parents would honestlywant their children to miss out on aonce-in-a-lifetime experience?
Writer's Profile
An unconventional boarding school-educatedgap year student who is about to study atOxford University.
We need to repel the perception thatgap years are for people who couldn'tget into university or have "failed".
Most of us make the decision to take ayear out for various reasons-abreak from education, to prepareoneself for university, to travel and seethe world, to broaden our horizons, tolearn something new, to really decidewhere our future lies, etc. Forwhatever reason it may be, a "gappie"ends the year, if planned well, with agreat deal more worldly knowledgeand experience than someone whohas leaped straight from school touniversity. In a way, it is a long-terminvestment where immediate benefitsmay be difficult to see, but it can reallychange one's perception of life.
Gap years aren't for everyone, andnot everyone tackily "discoversthemselves" in a mere year, but theydo open the eyes of many, and indeed,enhance their future prospects in duecourse. With experience of working inthe real world, travelling to the end ofthe Earth, exploring new and uniqueinterests, helping with charitableorganisations... most gappies feel likethey've learnt more in a year than intheir life duration of education. Soperhaps Hong Kong should warm tothe idea of students entering the"University of Life" for a year. Needlessto say, what parents would honestlywant their children to miss out on aonce-in-a-lifetime experience?
Writer's Profile
An unconventional boarding school-educatedgap year student who is about to study atOxford University.
Striking proper balance between privacy and safety
HONG KONG has seen another mental patientstab his neighbours to death. Nevertheless,the scheme to help discharged mentalpatients to assimilate into the community deservessupport in principle, though the government shouldallocate more resources so that it can provide themwith better support.It is unrealistic to try to have every dischargedmental patient looked after by a community psychiatricnurse (CPN), but the government must set areasonable CPN CPN--patient ratio. It may have taken intoconsideration the employment of resources when itdecided to launch the scheme. However, economyshould not be its primary consideration, or it will pushpotentially dangerous mental patients to thecommunity. It is irresponsible to do so.
The suspect in the Kwai Shing East Estate tragedyhas rejected CPNs' regular home visits. HospitalAuthority chief executive Shane Solomon maintainsthat discharged mental patients, who are not criminals,have the right not to be visited at home. We could notagree with him. Mental illnesses can rarely be totallycured, and they must be kept under control withmedications. Former mental patients' personal freedommust be respected. However, they may be potentiallydangerous and home visitors can best observewhether their condition has worsened. Therefore, forthe sake of their neighbours' safety, it should not be upto them to decide whether to allow home visits. Tenyears ago, the suspect, a schizophrenic, stabbed hiswife. He was jailed for thirty thirty--two months. Evidently, itwas an indication of his worsened condition that hesuddenly rejected home visits.
It is clear from some cases that discharged mentalpatients may signal danger when they reject homevisits by CPNs or social workers.
A discharged mental patient's rejection of homevisits should not be dismissed as nothing serious. Thegovernment should put in place a mechanism forensuring that discharged mental patients are regularlyvisited at home so that problems can be prevented atthe outset. Violence Violence--prone discharged mental patientcannot control themselves if their condition worsens.Therefore, in dealing with them, it is necessary to strikea proper balance between respecting their rights andkeeping others safe. Strictly speaking, it is a measureto protect discharged mental patients to require themto be visited at home.
The suspect in the Kwai Shing East Estatetragedy is mentally ill. He was jailed for stabbinganother. After he had been released, the authoritiesbounteously allowed him to live in public rental housing(PRH). There are PRH tenants like him, and the SocialWelfare Department has information on them. In ourview, the government should consider having theSocial Welfare Department inform the HousingDepartment of such cases provided that it does notviolate the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance to do so.With such information, the Housing Department cantell estate officers to be more careful.
If there are too many fire walls betweengovernment departments, lack of basic informationmay make it hard to alert people to problems. TheKwai Shing East Estate tragedy once again showsthat, if government departments just mind their ownbusiness, it is citizens that will be harmed. We hopethey will better coordinate their efforts. Thegovernment should devote more resources to the careof discharged mental patients and set up such anotification mechanism so as to help them toassimilate into the community and to keep theirrelatives and neighbours safe.
明報社評2010.05.11
勿只顧私隱罔顧安全 設通報機制減少慘劇
本港又發生精神病人斬殺街坊鄰里事件，儘管如此，政府推行社區精神科計劃的原則，仍然值得支持，但必須多撥資源增加支援配套服務，協助精神病康復者融入社會。
要求每一名在社區康復者都有社康護士跟進，不切實際，但是當局須制訂合理的社康護士與病人比率。政府推行社區精神科計劃，不排除有資源運用的考慮；不過， 「節省資源」不應該是首要考慮，否則是政府把有潛在危險的精神病人推向社會，乃不負責任的做法。
今次葵盛東邨慘劇，疑兇曾經拒絕社康護士的定期家訪，醫管局行政總裁蘇利民認為精神病康復者並非犯人，有不接受家訪的權利。對於這個說法，我們不敢苟同。精神病難以根治，患者只能靠藥物等控制病情。因此， 精神病康復者的個人自由固然值得尊重，不過，若康復者有潛在危險，而家訪最能觀察其病况有否惡化，為了周遭鄰居安全，是否接受家訪，就不能由康復者說了算。10 年前，疑兇因為精神分裂，斬傷妻子前科，被法庭判囚32 個月，他「突然」拒絕家訪，現在看來是病情轉變的表徵。
從過去一些個案顯示，拒絕精神科社康護士或社工家訪，其實是康復者釋出的危險信號。
所以，若有精神病康復者拒絕家訪，不宜等閒視之，當局必須有機制確保康復者接受定期家訪，以收防微杜漸之效。事實上， 康復者的暴力傾向惡化至行動，他們也不能自制，所以，對有暴力前科和傾向精神病康復者的處理，必須在尊重其權利和其他市民的安危之間，取得適當平衡。嚴格而言，例如強制家訪也是保護康復者的步驟。
另外，類似葵盛東邨慘劇疑兇的人，有精神病，也有斬人、坐牢前科，出獄後獲恩恤安排入住公屋，他們的情况社會福利署應該知之，我們認為政府應該研究在符合私隱條例的前提下，社署宜把有關康復者的基本情况知會房屋署，再轉告管理公司人員多加留意。
部門之間太多「防火牆」，基本情况互不知會，容易出現信息不靈通以至無法及早預警的問題；今次葵盛東邨斬殺慘劇，再一次說明部門各自為政，受害的是市民大衆。我們希望部門之間加強協調、在適當增加資源和建立通報機制之後，一方面協助精神病康復者融入社會，另方面可以增加與康復者共處的親友、街坊、鄰居的安全系數。
Glossary
em employment ploymentuse.
economy
the use of the time, money etc available in away that avoids waste.
violence violence--prone
who is prone to violence (likely to use violence).
The suspect in the Kwai Shing East Estate tragedyhas rejected CPNs' regular home visits. HospitalAuthority chief executive Shane Solomon maintainsthat discharged mental patients, who are not criminals,have the right not to be visited at home. We could notagree with him. Mental illnesses can rarely be totallycured, and they must be kept under control withmedications. Former mental patients' personal freedommust be respected. However, they may be potentiallydangerous and home visitors can best observewhether their condition has worsened. Therefore, forthe sake of their neighbours' safety, it should not be upto them to decide whether to allow home visits. Tenyears ago, the suspect, a schizophrenic, stabbed hiswife. He was jailed for thirty thirty--two months. Evidently, itwas an indication of his worsened condition that hesuddenly rejected home visits.
It is clear from some cases that discharged mentalpatients may signal danger when they reject homevisits by CPNs or social workers.
A discharged mental patient's rejection of homevisits should not be dismissed as nothing serious. Thegovernment should put in place a mechanism forensuring that discharged mental patients are regularlyvisited at home so that problems can be prevented atthe outset. Violence Violence--prone discharged mental patientcannot control themselves if their condition worsens.Therefore, in dealing with them, it is necessary to strikea proper balance between respecting their rights andkeeping others safe. Strictly speaking, it is a measureto protect discharged mental patients to require themto be visited at home.
The suspect in the Kwai Shing East Estatetragedy is mentally ill. He was jailed for stabbinganother. After he had been released, the authoritiesbounteously allowed him to live in public rental housing(PRH). There are PRH tenants like him, and the SocialWelfare Department has information on them. In ourview, the government should consider having theSocial Welfare Department inform the HousingDepartment of such cases provided that it does notviolate the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance to do so.With such information, the Housing Department cantell estate officers to be more careful.
If there are too many fire walls betweengovernment departments, lack of basic informationmay make it hard to alert people to problems. TheKwai Shing East Estate tragedy once again showsthat, if government departments just mind their ownbusiness, it is citizens that will be harmed. We hopethey will better coordinate their efforts. Thegovernment should devote more resources to the careof discharged mental patients and set up such anotification mechanism so as to help them toassimilate into the community and to keep theirrelatives and neighbours safe.
明報社評2010.05.11
勿只顧私隱罔顧安全 設通報機制減少慘劇
本港又發生精神病人斬殺街坊鄰里事件，儘管如此，政府推行社區精神科計劃的原則，仍然值得支持，但必須多撥資源增加支援配套服務，協助精神病康復者融入社會。
要求每一名在社區康復者都有社康護士跟進，不切實際，但是當局須制訂合理的社康護士與病人比率。政府推行社區精神科計劃，不排除有資源運用的考慮；不過， 「節省資源」不應該是首要考慮，否則是政府把有潛在危險的精神病人推向社會，乃不負責任的做法。
今次葵盛東邨慘劇，疑兇曾經拒絕社康護士的定期家訪，醫管局行政總裁蘇利民認為精神病康復者並非犯人，有不接受家訪的權利。對於這個說法，我們不敢苟同。精神病難以根治，患者只能靠藥物等控制病情。因此， 精神病康復者的個人自由固然值得尊重，不過，若康復者有潛在危險，而家訪最能觀察其病况有否惡化，為了周遭鄰居安全，是否接受家訪，就不能由康復者說了算。10 年前，疑兇因為精神分裂，斬傷妻子前科，被法庭判囚32 個月，他「突然」拒絕家訪，現在看來是病情轉變的表徵。
從過去一些個案顯示，拒絕精神科社康護士或社工家訪，其實是康復者釋出的危險信號。
所以，若有精神病康復者拒絕家訪，不宜等閒視之，當局必須有機制確保康復者接受定期家訪，以收防微杜漸之效。事實上， 康復者的暴力傾向惡化至行動，他們也不能自制，所以，對有暴力前科和傾向精神病康復者的處理，必須在尊重其權利和其他市民的安危之間，取得適當平衡。嚴格而言，例如強制家訪也是保護康復者的步驟。
另外，類似葵盛東邨慘劇疑兇的人，有精神病，也有斬人、坐牢前科，出獄後獲恩恤安排入住公屋，他們的情况社會福利署應該知之，我們認為政府應該研究在符合私隱條例的前提下，社署宜把有關康復者的基本情况知會房屋署，再轉告管理公司人員多加留意。
部門之間太多「防火牆」，基本情况互不知會，容易出現信息不靈通以至無法及早預警的問題；今次葵盛東邨斬殺慘劇，再一次說明部門各自為政，受害的是市民大衆。我們希望部門之間加強協調、在適當增加資源和建立通報機制之後，一方面協助精神病康復者融入社會，另方面可以增加與康復者共處的親友、街坊、鄰居的安全系數。
Glossary
em employment ploymentuse.
economy
the use of the time, money etc available in away that avoids waste.
violence violence--prone
who is prone to violence (likely to use violence).
2010年5月11日星期二
Political choice
A Legislative Council by by--election takes place onMay 16. It is only a week away. Willpolitically politically--appointed officials (the ChiefExecutive, the three principal secretaries, thesecretaries, the undersecretaries and the politicalassistants) go to the polls? When he was asked thisquestion last Thursday during question time in thelegislative chamber, Donald Tsang refused to give astraight answer, saying only he would talk about it aftergiving it some thought. Because some legislators labelthe by by--election a de facto referendum, it is verydifferent from conventional ones. Political appointeesmay have reason to decide politically not to cast theirvotes in the by by--election.
Normally, going to the polls is neutral and involvesno political connotations connotations. That is why it is regarded as. a civic obligation. However, one will make a politicalstatement simply by going to the polls on May 16. Themove would connote a degree of support for the defacto referendum. A political appointee's decision notto vote in the by by--election is a political one. It wouldsignify his disapproval of the de facto referendum. Apolitical appointee who decides not to go to the pollswill not fail to discharge his civic obligation, still less seta bad example to children.
While one may disapprove of an official's politicaldecision in respect of the de facto referendum, oneought to respect it, just as one must respect one'srelative's wish not to go to the polls though one mayhave bitterly argued with him because he believes thede facto referendum is "anti anti--mainland" and will throwHong Kong into confusion.
The Chief Executive and his thirty thirty--threesecretaries and undersecretaries are politicalappointees. Just as establishmentarians supportestablishmentarian legislators, so they may have theirpolitical position on the de facto referendum. That is nocause for complaint. However, it is necessary to seewhether the political appointees' position would bringabout such pressure on civil servants (politicallyneutral) that they may refrain from exercising their civicright.
The Chief Executive said last Thursday inanswering a related question, "It is up to civil servantsto decide whether to go to the polls. No civil servantswill come under any pressure from the ChiefExecutive, and no such pressure will be exerted." Thismay be taken as a solemn pledge he has made to civilservants that the administration will not settle scoreswith them. If any civil servant who goes to the polls onMay 16 comes under pressure afterwards, he shouldimmediately report it.
Furthermore, the government's advertisementsabout the by by--election have aroused controversy.Unlike past advertisements, those the government putup late last April contain no Chinese or English slogantto urge voters to go to the polls. Nor do its televisiono and radio commercials tell citizens not to forget to doso.
As the government has made it clear that it willdischarge its constitutional obligation to hold theby by--election, it ought to remain completely neutral andpublicise it exactly as it did the past by by--elections. Itshould do neither more nor less and leave it to votersto decide if they should go to the polls.
If the government has decided against givingpublicity to the by by--election for political reasons, itshould make public its position in an open andaboveboard manner and leave it to society to judgewhether it is sensible for it to do so. It has now deletedslogans to urge voters to go to the polls in itsadvertisements. Doing so is like lurking in a darkcorner to make petty moves to discourage voters. Thatis improper.
明報英語網「雙語社評」english.mingpao.com/critic.htm
政治官員可以不投票補選廣告不可以搞小動作
距離55 月16 日立法會55 區補選投票日只有一星期，究竟政治官員（特首、司局長、副局長、政治助理），會否在補選投票？曾蔭權上周四在立法會答問會被問及有關問題時，拒絕表態，只說考慮後會作交代。這次補選被部分議員冠以「公投」的名義，與傳統的補選有很大分別，作為政治任命官員，作出政治決定拒絕投票，是其政治選擇，有其理據。
一般情况下，投票只是一個中立表述，沒有政治信息，因此才被視為公民責任；但在今次補選，單單前往投票本身就不再是政治中立，而是一種政治表態，代表對「變相公投」某程度上的支持。因此，即使官員選擇不投票，也是其政治選擇的一種，代表官員對「變相公投」不認同，並非什麼「不履行公民責任」，更不是什麼「教壞細路」。
官員對「變相公投」的政治選擇，公眾可以不同意，但應該尊重，正如你有親朋戚友狠批「變相公投」是反中亂港，你可以不同意，與他激辯，但必須尊重他拒絕投票的意願。
香港的特首司局長等34 人，全屬政治任命，自然對「變相公投」有政治取態，情况就如建制派成員支持建制派議員一樣，沒有什麼好投訴的。不過，要注意的是，政治官員的取態會否對政治中立的公務員構成壓力，使之不敢行使公民權利。
特首上周四回應相關提問時稱， 「投票是自己的決定，不會受到行政長官任何壓力，亦無這些壓力」，可解讀為向公務員作出了莊嚴的承諾，保證不會秋後算帳，因此，若有公務員在投票後受到壓力，應立即舉報。
除了官員會否投票外，政府就補選推出的廣告也引起爭議。政府在44 月底推出新一輪補選宣傳廣告，與過往的補選廣告比較，少了「請踴躍投票」的中英文字句，在電視電台播放的廣告也沒有了「記得去投票呀」的呼籲。
政府既然表明要履行憲制責任，舉辦補選，就應徹底保持中立，直接跟隨過去補選的宣傳程序， 「不增加不減少」，讓選民自行決定是否投票。
如果政府因為政治理由，拒絕為補選搞宣傳，大可明刀明槍，向公眾清楚交代，讓社會裁決政府的做法是否合理。如今在補選廣告中刪去「請踴躍投票」的字眼，猶如躲在暗角，閃閃縮縮，在小處「搞抵制」，並不恰當。
Glossary
connotation //kk nn ''te teII ʃʃ(()n/)that which is implied in addition to the primarymeaning.
take
understand, consider.lurk /l :k/:wait secretary, especially because you aregoing to do something bad.
Normally, going to the polls is neutral and involvesno political connotations connotations. That is why it is regarded as. a civic obligation. However, one will make a politicalstatement simply by going to the polls on May 16. Themove would connote a degree of support for the defacto referendum. A political appointee's decision notto vote in the by by--election is a political one. It wouldsignify his disapproval of the de facto referendum. Apolitical appointee who decides not to go to the pollswill not fail to discharge his civic obligation, still less seta bad example to children.
While one may disapprove of an official's politicaldecision in respect of the de facto referendum, oneought to respect it, just as one must respect one'srelative's wish not to go to the polls though one mayhave bitterly argued with him because he believes thede facto referendum is "anti anti--mainland" and will throwHong Kong into confusion.
The Chief Executive and his thirty thirty--threesecretaries and undersecretaries are politicalappointees. Just as establishmentarians supportestablishmentarian legislators, so they may have theirpolitical position on the de facto referendum. That is nocause for complaint. However, it is necessary to seewhether the political appointees' position would bringabout such pressure on civil servants (politicallyneutral) that they may refrain from exercising their civicright.
The Chief Executive said last Thursday inanswering a related question, "It is up to civil servantsto decide whether to go to the polls. No civil servantswill come under any pressure from the ChiefExecutive, and no such pressure will be exerted." Thismay be taken as a solemn pledge he has made to civilservants that the administration will not settle scoreswith them. If any civil servant who goes to the polls onMay 16 comes under pressure afterwards, he shouldimmediately report it.
Furthermore, the government's advertisementsabout the by by--election have aroused controversy.Unlike past advertisements, those the government putup late last April contain no Chinese or English slogantto urge voters to go to the polls. Nor do its televisiono and radio commercials tell citizens not to forget to doso.
As the government has made it clear that it willdischarge its constitutional obligation to hold theby by--election, it ought to remain completely neutral andpublicise it exactly as it did the past by by--elections. Itshould do neither more nor less and leave it to votersto decide if they should go to the polls.
If the government has decided against givingpublicity to the by by--election for political reasons, itshould make public its position in an open andaboveboard manner and leave it to society to judgewhether it is sensible for it to do so. It has now deletedslogans to urge voters to go to the polls in itsadvertisements. Doing so is like lurking in a darkcorner to make petty moves to discourage voters. Thatis improper.
明報英語網「雙語社評」english.mingpao.com/critic.htm
政治官員可以不投票補選廣告不可以搞小動作
距離55 月16 日立法會55 區補選投票日只有一星期，究竟政治官員（特首、司局長、副局長、政治助理），會否在補選投票？曾蔭權上周四在立法會答問會被問及有關問題時，拒絕表態，只說考慮後會作交代。這次補選被部分議員冠以「公投」的名義，與傳統的補選有很大分別，作為政治任命官員，作出政治決定拒絕投票，是其政治選擇，有其理據。
一般情况下，投票只是一個中立表述，沒有政治信息，因此才被視為公民責任；但在今次補選，單單前往投票本身就不再是政治中立，而是一種政治表態，代表對「變相公投」某程度上的支持。因此，即使官員選擇不投票，也是其政治選擇的一種，代表官員對「變相公投」不認同，並非什麼「不履行公民責任」，更不是什麼「教壞細路」。
官員對「變相公投」的政治選擇，公眾可以不同意，但應該尊重，正如你有親朋戚友狠批「變相公投」是反中亂港，你可以不同意，與他激辯，但必須尊重他拒絕投票的意願。
香港的特首司局長等34 人，全屬政治任命，自然對「變相公投」有政治取態，情况就如建制派成員支持建制派議員一樣，沒有什麼好投訴的。不過，要注意的是，政治官員的取態會否對政治中立的公務員構成壓力，使之不敢行使公民權利。
特首上周四回應相關提問時稱， 「投票是自己的決定，不會受到行政長官任何壓力，亦無這些壓力」，可解讀為向公務員作出了莊嚴的承諾，保證不會秋後算帳，因此，若有公務員在投票後受到壓力，應立即舉報。
除了官員會否投票外，政府就補選推出的廣告也引起爭議。政府在44 月底推出新一輪補選宣傳廣告，與過往的補選廣告比較，少了「請踴躍投票」的中英文字句，在電視電台播放的廣告也沒有了「記得去投票呀」的呼籲。
政府既然表明要履行憲制責任，舉辦補選，就應徹底保持中立，直接跟隨過去補選的宣傳程序， 「不增加不減少」，讓選民自行決定是否投票。
如果政府因為政治理由，拒絕為補選搞宣傳，大可明刀明槍，向公眾清楚交代，讓社會裁決政府的做法是否合理。如今在補選廣告中刪去「請踴躍投票」的字眼，猶如躲在暗角，閃閃縮縮，在小處「搞抵制」，並不恰當。
Glossary
connotation //kk nn ''te teII ʃʃ(()n/)that which is implied in addition to the primarymeaning.
take
understand, consider.lurk /l :k/:wait secretary, especially because you aregoing to do something bad.
2010年5月6日星期四
The One
The One
A 和B 一見鍾情（found love atfirst sight） 。他們交往不久便結婚（tied the knot），從此過着幸福快樂的生活（lived happily ever after） 。C 覺得跟D 的關係穩定（goingsteady） ， 決定求婚（to pop thequestion），誰料D 覺得C 不是理想對象（not his / her cup of tea）。透過兩句經典對白- 「問題在我，不在你。」（"It's not you, it's me."）和「你應有更好的。」（"You deservebetter."），C 不知不覺被拋棄了（gotdumped）。
E 懷孕（has a bun in the oven），要求F 負責任。雖然他們奉子成婚（had a shotgun marriage），但也成了患難與共的一對（a couple thatstuck together through thick andthin）。G 和H 習慣一夜情（one nightstand） 和沒約束的關係（casualrelationships）。每次被問起跟某某的關係時就答： 「我們只是玩玩而已。」（"He / She was just a fling."）。他們以為花花公子/ 公主（playboy /playgirl）這銜頭很瀟灑，但其實只是美化womaniser和man-eater的稱呼。I 和J 的婚姻乏味，兩者都以MBA（married but available）的身分發展婚外情（to play away fromhome），導致婚姻觸礁（put theirmarriage on the rocks）。雖然雙方曾考慮離開對方（consideredwalking out on each other），但結果決定嘗試修補關係（decided totry and patch things up） 。K 和L在極速約會（speed date）邂逅，一拍即合（they really hit it off）。翌日， K 鼓起勇氣約會L （to askhim/her out on a date）…
相信這些情節在大家的生活也出現過，問題在於你是當中的主角還是旁觀者。很多人說： 「愛是犧牲和妥協」（Love is sacrifice andcompromise），但這種說法帶消極的含意，還是「愛是諒解和無私」（Love is understanding andselfless）比較正面吧！
A perfect MATCH
「異性相吸」（opposites attract）除了是物理學的定律，也能應用在愛情上。你們可以幫右面的動物找牠們的另一半嗎？順道猜猜牠們是什麼動物吧！
Answers
1. I (山羊); 2. J (豬); 3. B (鹿);4. A (牛); 5. C (鴨); 6. E (鵝);7. G (驢); 8. D (羊); 9. F (雞); 10. H (馬)
3S 女士的S 代表什麼？來港尋找另一半的油王又有什麼擇偶條件？ 切勿錯過香港電台電視節目《反斗英語》之「摩登媒人」。節目在5 月8 日（星期六）晚上7 時30 分於無綫翡翠台播出，港台網上廣播站（tv.rthk.org.hk）視像直播及提供重溫。
作者：高思哲
A 和B 一見鍾情（found love atfirst sight） 。他們交往不久便結婚（tied the knot），從此過着幸福快樂的生活（lived happily ever after） 。C 覺得跟D 的關係穩定（goingsteady） ， 決定求婚（to pop thequestion），誰料D 覺得C 不是理想對象（not his / her cup of tea）。透過兩句經典對白- 「問題在我，不在你。」（"It's not you, it's me."）和「你應有更好的。」（"You deservebetter."），C 不知不覺被拋棄了（gotdumped）。
E 懷孕（has a bun in the oven），要求F 負責任。雖然他們奉子成婚（had a shotgun marriage），但也成了患難與共的一對（a couple thatstuck together through thick andthin）。G 和H 習慣一夜情（one nightstand） 和沒約束的關係（casualrelationships）。每次被問起跟某某的關係時就答： 「我們只是玩玩而已。」（"He / She was just a fling."）。他們以為花花公子/ 公主（playboy /playgirl）這銜頭很瀟灑，但其實只是美化womaniser和man-eater的稱呼。I 和J 的婚姻乏味，兩者都以MBA（married but available）的身分發展婚外情（to play away fromhome），導致婚姻觸礁（put theirmarriage on the rocks）。雖然雙方曾考慮離開對方（consideredwalking out on each other），但結果決定嘗試修補關係（decided totry and patch things up） 。K 和L在極速約會（speed date）邂逅，一拍即合（they really hit it off）。翌日， K 鼓起勇氣約會L （to askhim/her out on a date）…
相信這些情節在大家的生活也出現過，問題在於你是當中的主角還是旁觀者。很多人說： 「愛是犧牲和妥協」（Love is sacrifice andcompromise），但這種說法帶消極的含意，還是「愛是諒解和無私」（Love is understanding andselfless）比較正面吧！
A perfect MATCH
「異性相吸」（opposites attract）除了是物理學的定律，也能應用在愛情上。你們可以幫右面的動物找牠們的另一半嗎？順道猜猜牠們是什麼動物吧！
Answers
1. I (山羊); 2. J (豬); 3. B (鹿);4. A (牛); 5. C (鴨); 6. E (鵝);7. G (驢); 8. D (羊); 9. F (雞); 10. H (馬)
3S 女士的S 代表什麼？來港尋找另一半的油王又有什麼擇偶條件？ 切勿錯過香港電台電視節目《反斗英語》之「摩登媒人」。節目在5 月8 日（星期六）晚上7 時30 分於無綫翡翠台播出，港台網上廣播站（tv.rthk.org.hk）視像直播及提供重溫。
作者：高思哲
Go Find a Psychic
It is Christmas Eve at Cafe Kinesis, a hapless (運氣不好的) coffee house in a sleepy country town.Once a year, an odd group of men gather togetherto review the year, exchange stories and blowoff steam. They are men of incredible psychicabilities, and yet are determined to keeptheir very underused talents secret.
When an affable ( 和藹可親的) andstarry-eyed television AD, Yone Sakurai(Masami Nagasawa, 長澤正美), is senton a mission to find some "real" psychics fora popular variety show, she arrives at thecafe disillusioned ( 理想破滅的) andfrustrated at having met only charlatans (騙子) and hoaxes (騙局) so far.
When the coffee housemen try to boosther spirits, she gradually begins to suspectsomething very different about them asthey go about trying to conceal the silliestuse of psychic power imaginable.
GIVEAWAY
Go Find A Psychic (《GO ! 尋找攣羹人》)is now giving away 10 tickets to Ming Paoreaders, simply send your name andaddress to: Go Find A Psychicgiveaway, English Page, 15/F,Block A, Ming Pao IndustrialCentre, 18 Ka Yip Street,Chai Wan.
When an affable ( 和藹可親的) andstarry-eyed television AD, Yone Sakurai(Masami Nagasawa, 長澤正美), is senton a mission to find some "real" psychics fora popular variety show, she arrives at thecafe disillusioned ( 理想破滅的) andfrustrated at having met only charlatans (騙子) and hoaxes (騙局) so far.
When the coffee housemen try to boosther spirits, she gradually begins to suspectsomething very different about them asthey go about trying to conceal the silliestuse of psychic power imaginable.
GIVEAWAY
Go Find A Psychic (《GO ! 尋找攣羹人》)is now giving away 10 tickets to Ming Paoreaders, simply send your name andaddress to: Go Find A Psychicgiveaway, English Page, 15/F,Block A, Ming Pao IndustrialCentre, 18 Ka Yip Street,Chai Wan.
You must be STRONG
Every morning when you wakeup, do you pause and think how youcan make your life better? Or howyou can make our planet a betterplace? Recently, there are more andmore natural disasters happeningon our planet. Is it our doing? TheXichuan earthquake happened in2008 but it still feels like yesterday.Coincidentally, 2008 also marks oneof the lowest points in my life. Butinstead of asking why, I channelledmy sadness and frustration intomusic. I decided to write a song forthose who are in need.
I wrote a song called You MustBe Strong. Big thanks to my friendJohnny Yim and ChessmanProduction, who made this songfor me free of charge. Weuploaded the music video onYouTube to share with theearthquake victims and also thosewho're going through hard times.
Recently, Qinghai has also gonethrough something similar. Over 400artists united and presented a charityshow "Artists 414 Fund Raising forQinghai Earthquake" (演藝界情繫玉樹關愛行動) for earthquake relief,asking everyone to give love andsupport to the victims over there.May God bless you all-youmust be strong!
I wrote a song called You MustBe Strong. Big thanks to my friendJohnny Yim and ChessmanProduction, who made this songfor me free of charge. Weuploaded the music video onYouTube to share with theearthquake victims and also thosewho're going through hard times.
Recently, Qinghai has also gonethrough something similar. Over 400artists united and presented a charityshow "Artists 414 Fund Raising forQinghai Earthquake" (演藝界情繫玉樹關愛行動) for earthquake relief,asking everyone to give love andsupport to the victims over there.May God bless you all-youmust be strong!
Case of great significance
FOUR parents of babies that have fallen victimto tainted Sanlu formula have taken theirclaims against Fonterra Brands (China), theHong Kong branch of Fonterra, a New Zealandcompany, to the Small Claims Tribunal in Hong Kong.
Babies that have fallen victim to Sanlu formula arefound throughout China. Many parents have sought tosue the company. However, the courts have passivelydealt with their applications or even thrown them out.No sooner had the scandal broken out than theauthorities of Hebei, where Sanlu was based,assembled lawyers from all parts of the province todissuade them from taking up Sanlu victims' cases.More than a hundred lawyers of twenty-two provinces,municipalities and prefectures have offered Sanluvictims legal assistance through the Open ConstitutionInitiative. Repeatedly suppressed by the authorities,the organisation is now defunct. Xu Zhiyong, a lawyerwho was its legal person representative, was oncetaken into custody.
Zhao Lianhai, a parent who has worked vigorouslytogether with other parents in fighting for their rightsand has founded the Home of the Kidney StoneBabies, is in an even sorrier plight. He was arrestedlast November. Last March, he was charged with"provoking a serious disturbance" and brought to trialin Beijing. The court has yet to rule on the case. If he isfound guilty, he may be jailed for a term not exceedingthree years. The day he appeared in court, his wifewas barred from the courtroom, and his five-year-oldson, all in tears, loudly cried, "Papa! Papa!" The scenewas very sad indeed. By describing the difficultiesparents of kidney stone babies have encountered insafeguarding their rights, we intend only to point outthat, if they continue to fight for their cause on themainland, what has happened to Zhao Lianhai willhappen to others. The four parents sought a new pathwhen they decided to bring their claims to the SmallClaims Tribunal in Hong Kong.
They have sued Fonterra's subsidiary in the SARfor damages because the company had a 43% stake inSanlu. Helen Clark, who was Prime Minister of NewZealand, revealed that Fonterra became aware inAugust 2008 that Sanlu formula was tainted but thelocal authorities had blocked a plan to recall theproduct. The scandal did not come to light until Clarklearned of the problem and directly contacted thecentral government of China in early September. Notuntil 11 September 2008 did the mainland authoritiesannounce a recall. It is on these grounds that the fourparents have put forward claims for HK$12,000 toHK$33,000 from Fonterra.
The Tribunal has yet to rule on the case. Theirsuccess would be of immense significance.
First, the precedent would allow all other parentsof babies that have fallen victim to Sanlu formula tomake their claims here. Second, parents of victimshave suffered repression on the mainland in assertingtheir rights. If Hong Kong's legal system gives themjustice, mainlanders will have a way of taking legalaction to protect their rights in Chinese territory.
Many state-owned and private mainlandbusinesses are listed in Hong Kong. Many of themhave Hong Kong subsidiaries. If the Tribunal finds forthe parents, victims or relatives of victims of anaccident (for example, a mining accident) involvingsuch a company may sue its subsidiary here fordamages. Will this be the case? This is why theparents' case is important and worth attention.
Mainlanders try to protect their rights, while themainland authorities are bent on maintaining stability.On the mainland, the need to maintain stabilityoverrides that to protect civil rights because laws arenot justly enforced and the law serves political needs.Under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has anindependent system of law and justice. This is itsadvantage. It is what Hong Kong relies on to maintainits prosperity and stability. The fact that the parentshave come all the way to Hong Kong to sue Fonterrafor damages underscores the appeal of Hong Kong'srule of law. If the mainlanders succeed in assertingtheir rights, Hong Kong's system of law and justice willradiate influence to the mainland. This was probablybeyond Deng Xiaoping when he conceived the idea of"one country, two systems". One may say this wouldbe evidence of the vitality of "one country, twosystems".
明報社評 2010.05.05
三鹿毒奶索償案 香港成為內地人維權新途徑
4 名三鹿毒奶粉案受害嬰幼兒家長，入稟本港小額錢債審裁處，向三鹿集團第2 大股東、新西蘭恆天然集團在香港的分公司索償。
三鹿毒奶粉受害嬰幼兒遍佈全國，先後有不少家長在各地入稟法院，控告三鹿集團，但是法院都消極處理或不予受理。事件揭發之初，三鹿集團所在地的河北省當局第一時間召集全省律師開會，阻止當地律師代理受害者訴訟。全國22 個省市區逾百名律師，透過「公共利益同盟」給毒奶粉受害者提供法律幫助。現在組織幾經當局打壓，已經解散，其法人代表許志永律師一度被拘押。
至於受害嬰幼兒家長之一的趙連海，積極聯繫其他家長維權，組成「結石寶寶之家」，他的處境就更慘了。趙連海去年11 月被拘押，今年3 月底以「尋釁滋事」罪名在北京受審，迄今未宣判；若罪成，最高可判囚3年。當日趙連海受審，他的妻子不能到法庭旁聽，5 歲兒子在法庭外哭叫爸爸的情狀，使人動容。我們詳述毒奶粉受害家長維權行動之艱辛，只是要指出，他們若在內地繼續抗爭，趙連海的遭遇將不是孤例。所以，他們這次來港入稟審裁處索償，是另闢蹊徑。
家長入稟控告新西蘭恆天然集團在香港的分公司，要求賠償，主要是恆天然擁有三鹿43%股權，而新西蘭總理克拉克曾透露2008 年8 月初恆天然集團得知三鹿奶粉有問題，但是地方當局阻撓回收，克拉克9 月初得知事態，直接與北京中央政府接觸，事件才揭發。到9 月11日，內地才宣布回收三鹿奶粉。4 名家長基於這種情况，入稟向恆天然集團索取1.2 萬至3.3 萬元賠償。
此案尚待審裁官判決，家長若申索成功，意義重大。首先是三鹿毒奶粉其他受害者，都可以援引來港申索。另外，受害者家長在內地維權處處碰壁，遭到打壓；如果香港的法制可以給他們得到公道，對於內地人士而言，不啻在中國領土範圍內，找到一條可循法律手段維權的途徑。
現在內地許多國企和民企來港上市集資，他們在本港都有港人代表和業務，三鹿受害者家長在港若勝訴，這些國企和民企的業務若在內地出事（例如煤礦事故等），理論上，遇事者或其家屬就可以來港循民事程序，向出事國企或民企在港的公司索償。事態會否如此演變，正是此案重要和值得關注之處。
內地人士設法維權，官方致力維穩，維權不敵維穩，主要是執法不公，法律為政治服務；香港實行「一國兩制」，獨立公正的法律和司法體制是香港的優勢，也是香港維持繁榮穩定之所賴。三鹿毒奶粉案受害者家長不辭跋涉來港申索，突顯了香港法治制度的吸引力，如果內地人士維權創下成功先例，則香港的法制、法治輻射內地，這大概超逾了當年鄧小平構思「一國兩制」時的想像，可以理解為「一國兩制」具有生命力的事例。
Glossary
override /??ʊv ?'raId/be more important than.
underscore /??nd ?'sk ɔ:(r)/show (something) to be true.
beyond
If something is beyond a person, it isimpossible for the person to imagine,understand or do it.
Babies that have fallen victim to Sanlu formula arefound throughout China. Many parents have sought tosue the company. However, the courts have passivelydealt with their applications or even thrown them out.No sooner had the scandal broken out than theauthorities of Hebei, where Sanlu was based,assembled lawyers from all parts of the province todissuade them from taking up Sanlu victims' cases.More than a hundred lawyers of twenty-two provinces,municipalities and prefectures have offered Sanluvictims legal assistance through the Open ConstitutionInitiative. Repeatedly suppressed by the authorities,the organisation is now defunct. Xu Zhiyong, a lawyerwho was its legal person representative, was oncetaken into custody.
Zhao Lianhai, a parent who has worked vigorouslytogether with other parents in fighting for their rightsand has founded the Home of the Kidney StoneBabies, is in an even sorrier plight. He was arrestedlast November. Last March, he was charged with"provoking a serious disturbance" and brought to trialin Beijing. The court has yet to rule on the case. If he isfound guilty, he may be jailed for a term not exceedingthree years. The day he appeared in court, his wifewas barred from the courtroom, and his five-year-oldson, all in tears, loudly cried, "Papa! Papa!" The scenewas very sad indeed. By describing the difficultiesparents of kidney stone babies have encountered insafeguarding their rights, we intend only to point outthat, if they continue to fight for their cause on themainland, what has happened to Zhao Lianhai willhappen to others. The four parents sought a new pathwhen they decided to bring their claims to the SmallClaims Tribunal in Hong Kong.
They have sued Fonterra's subsidiary in the SARfor damages because the company had a 43% stake inSanlu. Helen Clark, who was Prime Minister of NewZealand, revealed that Fonterra became aware inAugust 2008 that Sanlu formula was tainted but thelocal authorities had blocked a plan to recall theproduct. The scandal did not come to light until Clarklearned of the problem and directly contacted thecentral government of China in early September. Notuntil 11 September 2008 did the mainland authoritiesannounce a recall. It is on these grounds that the fourparents have put forward claims for HK$12,000 toHK$33,000 from Fonterra.
The Tribunal has yet to rule on the case. Theirsuccess would be of immense significance.
First, the precedent would allow all other parentsof babies that have fallen victim to Sanlu formula tomake their claims here. Second, parents of victimshave suffered repression on the mainland in assertingtheir rights. If Hong Kong's legal system gives themjustice, mainlanders will have a way of taking legalaction to protect their rights in Chinese territory.
Many state-owned and private mainlandbusinesses are listed in Hong Kong. Many of themhave Hong Kong subsidiaries. If the Tribunal finds forthe parents, victims or relatives of victims of anaccident (for example, a mining accident) involvingsuch a company may sue its subsidiary here fordamages. Will this be the case? This is why theparents' case is important and worth attention.
Mainlanders try to protect their rights, while themainland authorities are bent on maintaining stability.On the mainland, the need to maintain stabilityoverrides that to protect civil rights because laws arenot justly enforced and the law serves political needs.Under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has anindependent system of law and justice. This is itsadvantage. It is what Hong Kong relies on to maintainits prosperity and stability. The fact that the parentshave come all the way to Hong Kong to sue Fonterrafor damages underscores the appeal of Hong Kong'srule of law. If the mainlanders succeed in assertingtheir rights, Hong Kong's system of law and justice willradiate influence to the mainland. This was probablybeyond Deng Xiaoping when he conceived the idea of"one country, two systems". One may say this wouldbe evidence of the vitality of "one country, twosystems".
明報社評 2010.05.05
三鹿毒奶索償案 香港成為內地人維權新途徑
4 名三鹿毒奶粉案受害嬰幼兒家長，入稟本港小額錢債審裁處，向三鹿集團第2 大股東、新西蘭恆天然集團在香港的分公司索償。
三鹿毒奶粉受害嬰幼兒遍佈全國，先後有不少家長在各地入稟法院，控告三鹿集團，但是法院都消極處理或不予受理。事件揭發之初，三鹿集團所在地的河北省當局第一時間召集全省律師開會，阻止當地律師代理受害者訴訟。全國22 個省市區逾百名律師，透過「公共利益同盟」給毒奶粉受害者提供法律幫助。現在組織幾經當局打壓，已經解散，其法人代表許志永律師一度被拘押。
至於受害嬰幼兒家長之一的趙連海，積極聯繫其他家長維權，組成「結石寶寶之家」，他的處境就更慘了。趙連海去年11 月被拘押，今年3 月底以「尋釁滋事」罪名在北京受審，迄今未宣判；若罪成，最高可判囚3年。當日趙連海受審，他的妻子不能到法庭旁聽，5 歲兒子在法庭外哭叫爸爸的情狀，使人動容。我們詳述毒奶粉受害家長維權行動之艱辛，只是要指出，他們若在內地繼續抗爭，趙連海的遭遇將不是孤例。所以，他們這次來港入稟審裁處索償，是另闢蹊徑。
家長入稟控告新西蘭恆天然集團在香港的分公司，要求賠償，主要是恆天然擁有三鹿43%股權，而新西蘭總理克拉克曾透露2008 年8 月初恆天然集團得知三鹿奶粉有問題，但是地方當局阻撓回收，克拉克9 月初得知事態，直接與北京中央政府接觸，事件才揭發。到9 月11日，內地才宣布回收三鹿奶粉。4 名家長基於這種情况，入稟向恆天然集團索取1.2 萬至3.3 萬元賠償。
此案尚待審裁官判決，家長若申索成功，意義重大。首先是三鹿毒奶粉其他受害者，都可以援引來港申索。另外，受害者家長在內地維權處處碰壁，遭到打壓；如果香港的法制可以給他們得到公道，對於內地人士而言，不啻在中國領土範圍內，找到一條可循法律手段維權的途徑。
現在內地許多國企和民企來港上市集資，他們在本港都有港人代表和業務，三鹿受害者家長在港若勝訴，這些國企和民企的業務若在內地出事（例如煤礦事故等），理論上，遇事者或其家屬就可以來港循民事程序，向出事國企或民企在港的公司索償。事態會否如此演變，正是此案重要和值得關注之處。
內地人士設法維權，官方致力維穩，維權不敵維穩，主要是執法不公，法律為政治服務；香港實行「一國兩制」，獨立公正的法律和司法體制是香港的優勢，也是香港維持繁榮穩定之所賴。三鹿毒奶粉案受害者家長不辭跋涉來港申索，突顯了香港法治制度的吸引力，如果內地人士維權創下成功先例，則香港的法制、法治輻射內地，這大概超逾了當年鄧小平構思「一國兩制」時的想像，可以理解為「一國兩制」具有生命力的事例。
Glossary
override /??ʊv ?'raId/be more important than.
underscore /??nd ?'sk ɔ:(r)/show (something) to be true.
beyond
If something is beyond a person, it isimpossible for the person to imagine,understand or do it.
2010年5月5日星期三
China should win respect with Expo
OVER the years, as its economy has boomed,China has quickly become much morepowerful. Now it has greater and greater sayin international affairs. However, generally speaking,China is just like a nouveau riche in many foreigneyes. It has yet to earn the respect it deserves. Thereare many reasons. For example, its political system isnot democratic, and it has very different values. Suchfactors are often rehearsed. We are not going todiscuss these big issues. It is clear from the chaos thathas been seen at World Expo 2010 since its trial runbegan that management is poor in China andmainlanders are of low quality. One may feel ashamedof it. China and Chinese people are still far from worthyof respect.
The aspect of World Expo 2010 that has givenpeople the deepest impression since it opened threedays ago is the scene of visitors rushing into the parkat 9 am. Large numbers of them dash into it. They thenpush at volunteers who hand out passes to the Chinapavilion. To get those passes, visitors, male or female,young or old, push and shove and hurl abuse at oneanother with stupefying ferocity. This is the waycitizens of the rising China behave. Foreign reportersand their Hong Kong counterparts have covered suchscenes for three days. Some Hong Kong reportershave noticed foreign reporters would smile at thechaos in sight. We may say their reports of mainlandvisitors fighting one another for passes would certainlydamage the Chinese nation's image.
Shanghai is a leading mainland city. Those whorun the Expo are no doubt the cream of mainlandofficialdom. Why have they no idea that tickets shouldbe queued for? Why have they allowed visitors to fightfor passes in uproar? That is very baffling indeed. Theorganisers must try to improve the situation as soon aspossible lest "ugly Chinese" should continue todisgrace themselves in front of the world.
Mainlanders would jump the queue or flout socialethics in other ways. Many have experienced theirrudeness. Mainland Expo visitors' behaviour, whichreporters have seen over the past few days, wouldimprove neither their own image nor the nation's. Forexample, many spots in the park have become theirresting places. Our reporters have seen them sit on theground as they please or just take off their shoes andlie on the ground using Expo maps as their mats. Theyjust do as they please regardless of what others maythink. Their behaviour is so unsightly and so impolitethat one hardly know how to begin to describe it.
This is the first time China has hosted a worldexpo. It is not possible to improve mainlanders'behaviour instantly so that they would be polite Expovisitors, nor is it realistic to try to do so. However, theorganisers should have regarded it as a challenge todeal with such visitors. They now have a goodopportunity to render the nation meritorious service.They must know very well how civil mainland peopleare and how things stand on the mainland. If theymake such satisfactory arrangements that visitors willsubconsciously behave themselves, Chinese people'snew mentality will present itself to the world. WorldExpo 2010 will last 180 more days. It is hoped that theorganisers will try hard with the public's support so thatthe Chinese people can by means of World Expo 2020change the world's established conceptions of themand win the respect they have longed for.
借世博會贏取尊重上海當局尚待努力
這些年隨著經濟騰飛，中國綜合國力迅速提升，在國際間話語權與日俱增，但是總的而言，中國在不少外國人眼中只是一個暴發戶，未能得到應有的尊重。個中原因很多，政治體制不夠民主、價值觀迥異等耳熟能詳，我們今日不探討這些大道理，只是由上海世博會試運行到正式開園所見種種亂象，中國的管理水平和國民質素之低落，使人感到「與有恥焉」。中國離值得尊重的大國、中國人離值得尊重之路，還很遙遠。
上海世博會開園3 日以來，最使人印象深刻者，是每日上午9 時遊人進場時的場面，但見大批遊人同時間狂奔，然後圍著派發中國館入場票的工作人員哄搶門票；遊人不分男女老嫩、相互叱罵、推撞、搶奪大混戰，戰況之激烈，使人看得目瞪口呆。這就是正在崛起的中國國民的表現。許多外國記者和香港記者一起採訪這一幕，由於昨日已經是第3 日混戰了，有香港記者注意到外國記者對眼前戰況 「咪咪嘴」訕笑。我們可以這樣說，透過外國記者報道搶門票這一幕，肯定挫損了中國和中國人的形象。
上海是內地的先進城市，管理世博的肯定是精英一族，他們怎麼連排隊派門票的概念也沒有，偏要製造哄搶場面，實在使人百思不得其解。管理當局必須儘快改善情況，不要讓「丑陋的中國人」繼續在世人面前丟架。
內地民衆插隊爭先，缺乏公德心等劣行，許多人都領教過，連日來記者在世博園區所見，民衆的行徑肯定未能為自己和中國的形象加分。例如，園區內許多空間都成為遊人的休憩處，記者所見，他們不管三七二十一，隨意席地而坐、鋪開園區地圖脫去鞋子就睡覺，不管觀瞻，不理儀態，一副我行我素的所為，使人不知道從何說起。
中國首次辦世博，要中國民衆一下子提升質素，做到「文明觀博」，不切實際也不可能，但是這樣的遊人質素，對於管理當局來說是挑戰、也是立功的大好機會。因為中國民衆的質素和「國情」，當局應該知之甚詳，以妥善的安排引導遊人，讓遊人不知不覺中守秩序、守規矩，果能如此，則中國和中國人的新精神面貌，就會呈現在世人面前。世博展期還有180 日，希望在管理當局努力、民衆配合下，中國和中國人透過世博扭轉世人的既定認知，贏得大家所渴求的尊重。
Glossary
nouveau riche /nu:v ʊ 'ri:ʃ/a person who has recently acquired wealth.abuse
insulting language.stupefy /'stju:pI faI/stun with astonishment.
The aspect of World Expo 2010 that has givenpeople the deepest impression since it opened threedays ago is the scene of visitors rushing into the parkat 9 am. Large numbers of them dash into it. They thenpush at volunteers who hand out passes to the Chinapavilion. To get those passes, visitors, male or female,young or old, push and shove and hurl abuse at oneanother with stupefying ferocity. This is the waycitizens of the rising China behave. Foreign reportersand their Hong Kong counterparts have covered suchscenes for three days. Some Hong Kong reportershave noticed foreign reporters would smile at thechaos in sight. We may say their reports of mainlandvisitors fighting one another for passes would certainlydamage the Chinese nation's image.
Shanghai is a leading mainland city. Those whorun the Expo are no doubt the cream of mainlandofficialdom. Why have they no idea that tickets shouldbe queued for? Why have they allowed visitors to fightfor passes in uproar? That is very baffling indeed. Theorganisers must try to improve the situation as soon aspossible lest "ugly Chinese" should continue todisgrace themselves in front of the world.
Mainlanders would jump the queue or flout socialethics in other ways. Many have experienced theirrudeness. Mainland Expo visitors' behaviour, whichreporters have seen over the past few days, wouldimprove neither their own image nor the nation's. Forexample, many spots in the park have become theirresting places. Our reporters have seen them sit on theground as they please or just take off their shoes andlie on the ground using Expo maps as their mats. Theyjust do as they please regardless of what others maythink. Their behaviour is so unsightly and so impolitethat one hardly know how to begin to describe it.
This is the first time China has hosted a worldexpo. It is not possible to improve mainlanders'behaviour instantly so that they would be polite Expovisitors, nor is it realistic to try to do so. However, theorganisers should have regarded it as a challenge todeal with such visitors. They now have a goodopportunity to render the nation meritorious service.They must know very well how civil mainland peopleare and how things stand on the mainland. If theymake such satisfactory arrangements that visitors willsubconsciously behave themselves, Chinese people'snew mentality will present itself to the world. WorldExpo 2010 will last 180 more days. It is hoped that theorganisers will try hard with the public's support so thatthe Chinese people can by means of World Expo 2020change the world's established conceptions of themand win the respect they have longed for.
借世博會贏取尊重上海當局尚待努力
這些年隨著經濟騰飛，中國綜合國力迅速提升，在國際間話語權與日俱增，但是總的而言，中國在不少外國人眼中只是一個暴發戶，未能得到應有的尊重。個中原因很多，政治體制不夠民主、價值觀迥異等耳熟能詳，我們今日不探討這些大道理，只是由上海世博會試運行到正式開園所見種種亂象，中國的管理水平和國民質素之低落，使人感到「與有恥焉」。中國離值得尊重的大國、中國人離值得尊重之路，還很遙遠。
上海世博會開園3 日以來，最使人印象深刻者，是每日上午9 時遊人進場時的場面，但見大批遊人同時間狂奔，然後圍著派發中國館入場票的工作人員哄搶門票；遊人不分男女老嫩、相互叱罵、推撞、搶奪大混戰，戰況之激烈，使人看得目瞪口呆。這就是正在崛起的中國國民的表現。許多外國記者和香港記者一起採訪這一幕，由於昨日已經是第3 日混戰了，有香港記者注意到外國記者對眼前戰況 「咪咪嘴」訕笑。我們可以這樣說，透過外國記者報道搶門票這一幕，肯定挫損了中國和中國人的形象。
上海是內地的先進城市，管理世博的肯定是精英一族，他們怎麼連排隊派門票的概念也沒有，偏要製造哄搶場面，實在使人百思不得其解。管理當局必須儘快改善情況，不要讓「丑陋的中國人」繼續在世人面前丟架。
內地民衆插隊爭先，缺乏公德心等劣行，許多人都領教過，連日來記者在世博園區所見，民衆的行徑肯定未能為自己和中國的形象加分。例如，園區內許多空間都成為遊人的休憩處，記者所見，他們不管三七二十一，隨意席地而坐、鋪開園區地圖脫去鞋子就睡覺，不管觀瞻，不理儀態，一副我行我素的所為，使人不知道從何說起。
中國首次辦世博，要中國民衆一下子提升質素，做到「文明觀博」，不切實際也不可能，但是這樣的遊人質素，對於管理當局來說是挑戰、也是立功的大好機會。因為中國民衆的質素和「國情」，當局應該知之甚詳，以妥善的安排引導遊人，讓遊人不知不覺中守秩序、守規矩，果能如此，則中國和中國人的新精神面貌，就會呈現在世人面前。世博展期還有180 日，希望在管理當局努力、民衆配合下，中國和中國人透過世博扭轉世人的既定認知，贏得大家所渴求的尊重。
Glossary
nouveau riche /nu:v ʊ 'ri:ʃ/a person who has recently acquired wealth.abuse
insulting language.stupefy /'stju:pI faI/stun with astonishment.
2010年5月3日星期一
Should government prise votes from democrats?
ON November 18 last year, the governmentreleased a consultation document onconstitutional reform. A survey conducted bythe Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of theChinese University of Hong Kong showed 50.8% ofpeople thought Legco should adopt the government'sproposal. The proposal received much lower supportthan the 2005 package (60% ). Some academicspointed out then support for it would dwindle unless thegovernment put forward proposals to improve thepackage in the consultation period.
The government has now proposed a package.The findings of a survey carried out by the PublicOpinion Programme (POP) at the University of HongKong (which appear in this issue of Ming Pao)corroborate those academics' conjecture.In the current debate on constitutional reform,attention is mainly focused on whether the functionalconstituencies (FCs) will be abolished and whetherthere will be a roadmap for introducing universalsuffrage. The government's package is not entirelysatisfactory, but should the Legislative Council (Legco)adopt it or reject it? In the POP survey, two differentquestions led to different results.
(1) Of the respondents who were told that thegovernment's package was silent about such aroadmap, the abolition of appointed District Councilseats and the abolition of the FCs, 41% said Legcoshould throw it out, and 37% said it should adopt it.
(2) Of those who were told that it was silent aboutsuch a road map and the abolition of the FCs, but itsadoption would prevent the constitutional system fromremaining unchanged, 46% said Legco should adopt it,and 32% said it should reject it.
The percentage of people who think the 2012package should go through is not high, nor is that ofthose who believe it should be thrown out. Neitherexceeds 50% . In 2005, the government called onpro-democracy legislators to support its package when60% of people supported it. It will now be even lesseffective for it to use public opinion to compellegislators to vote for the new package. Public opinionis divided about whether the new package should gothrough. As it has not found overwhelming support,legislators in the pan-democratic camp are underslightly smaller pressure.
It is open to the government to prise votes frompan-democratic legislators. The new package will gothrough if four of them turn their coats. Nevertheless,as the public is divided, those who intend to switch tosupporting the package must consider how to justifythemselves to the pan-democratic camp and theirsupporters, for their about-turns may entail highpolitical prices.
Furthermore, as fewer than 50% of people supportthe 2012 package, even if the government pushes itthrough by "prising votes", it may remain unacceptableto many. However, such manoeuvring would not onlysplit the pan-democratic camp but also divide society.It would not make it easier to run the SAR forantagonism to grow between the government and thepan-democratic camp or for political contradictions tointensify.
We therefore do not think it advisable for thegovernment to push the package through by prisingvotes. It should strive to do such things thatpan-democratic legislators will happily and willinglysupport it. It is right and proper for pan-democraticdoves to demand that the government again pledge tointroduce genuine universal suffrage, and the SARgovernment should regard it as a goal it must do itsbest to achieve. As we pointed out a long time ago, theFCs are an obstacle to Hong Kong's democratisation.
The central government and the SAR governmentought to do what would make Hong Kong peoplebelieve that the FCs will certainly disappear before2020 and that genuine universal suffrage will beintroduced. The central government and the SARgovernment should see to it that the FCs will fade outin favour of Hong Kong's democratisation. If it is clearthat Hong Kong people will eventually exercisegenuine universal suffrage, many more citizens willsupport the 2012 package, and it will not be hard topersuade two thirds of the Legco members to vote forit.
Because fewer than 50% of people support the2012 package, the SAR government will sow theseeds of antagonism if it pushes it through by prisingvotes. However, it can prevent internal strife if it seizesthe opportunity to work with the doves and deal withHong Kong's constitutional arrangements once and forall. It is self-evident which of the two options is better.We believe all hinges on the central government'sdecision. All depends just on central governmentleaders' wisdom, courage and boldness.
明報社評 2010.04.30
2012方案支持率下跌 政府不宜撬票硬闖
去年11 月18 日，政府公布政改諮詢文件之後，例如中大亞太研究中心的調查，顯示有50.8%受訪者支持議員通過方案，較之2005 年方案出台即有六成受訪者表示接受已明顯不如。有學者早已點出，若政府在諮詢期內未能提出優化方案的建議，支持率會拾級而下。
政府正式提出方案後，明報今天刊出的港大民意研究計劃調查結果，正好印證了學者的估計。
這次政改討論，功能組別存廢和普選路線圖備受關注，即使方案未盡人意，議員應該通過或否決方案呢？港大民意研究計劃以兩種提問方式訪問受訪者，得出不同結果：
（1）如果問題點出方案「並無交代功能組別存廢、區議會受制委任議員存廢與普選路線圖」，認為應該否決的受訪者有41%，應該通過的為37%；
（2）如果問題把方案「以免政制原地踏步和並無普選路線圖及功能組別存廢」並列，認為應該通過的有46%，應該否決的有32%。
就2012 方案應該通過或否決，整體支持和反對的比率不高，沒有一個數字超過五成。05 年時，政府挾六成民意支持，呼籲民主派議員通過方案，這次政府以民意迫使民主派議員，力度更不如前。對於民主派議員，民意既對通過和否決意見分歧，認為應該通過的並不顯著，壓力也因而稍減。
至於政府，仍然可以向民主派議員「撬票」，只要取得4 票倒戈，方案就可以通過。不過，民意既然並不顯著，縱使有議員投向政府之意，如何向泛民陣營和支持者交代，相信是「轉軚議員」要考慮的問題，因為轉軚在政治上可能要付出沉重代價。
此外，由於支持2012 方案的民意未及一半，就算政府「撬票」通過了方案，其認受性仍然較低，而操作的結果，不但撕裂了泛民陣營，也使社會更呈分化。政府與民主派對立更形尖銳，政治生態激化，絕對不利於特區的管治。
因此，我們認為政府不宜「撬票」強行通過方案，應該盡量尋求民主派議員在心甘情願下支持方案。泛民陣營中的鴿派要求進一步承諾真普選的訴求，合情合理，特區政府應以此為盡力的目標。我們早已指出，功能組別是香港民主化的絆腳石，中央和特區政府，必須讓市民看到功能組別到2020 年必然會全面退出立法會，實現真正普選的民主化，讓市民看到中央和特區政府真的處理功能組別漸退，使香港的民主進程漸進，大家就會相信真普選終有實現之日。這樣的話，支持2012 方案的市民定必大增，要得到立法會三分之二議員通過方案，也是輕而易舉的事。
2012 方案支持率不過半，政府是撬票硬闖，為日後管治埋下尖銳對立的種子；抑或是因勢利導，真正尋求與鴿派合作，徹底解決香港的政制安排，減少內耗。這兩個選擇，箇中良窳不言自明，我們相信問題只在中央一念之間，就看領導人的智慧、勇氣和魄力而已。
Glossary
turn one's coat
leave one group to join one that has verydifferent views.
about-turncomplete change of attitude or opinion.
entail /In'teIl/involve unavoidably.
The government has now proposed a package.The findings of a survey carried out by the PublicOpinion Programme (POP) at the University of HongKong (which appear in this issue of Ming Pao)corroborate those academics' conjecture.In the current debate on constitutional reform,attention is mainly focused on whether the functionalconstituencies (FCs) will be abolished and whetherthere will be a roadmap for introducing universalsuffrage. The government's package is not entirelysatisfactory, but should the Legislative Council (Legco)adopt it or reject it? In the POP survey, two differentquestions led to different results.
(1) Of the respondents who were told that thegovernment's package was silent about such aroadmap, the abolition of appointed District Councilseats and the abolition of the FCs, 41% said Legcoshould throw it out, and 37% said it should adopt it.
(2) Of those who were told that it was silent aboutsuch a road map and the abolition of the FCs, but itsadoption would prevent the constitutional system fromremaining unchanged, 46% said Legco should adopt it,and 32% said it should reject it.
The percentage of people who think the 2012package should go through is not high, nor is that ofthose who believe it should be thrown out. Neitherexceeds 50% . In 2005, the government called onpro-democracy legislators to support its package when60% of people supported it. It will now be even lesseffective for it to use public opinion to compellegislators to vote for the new package. Public opinionis divided about whether the new package should gothrough. As it has not found overwhelming support,legislators in the pan-democratic camp are underslightly smaller pressure.
It is open to the government to prise votes frompan-democratic legislators. The new package will gothrough if four of them turn their coats. Nevertheless,as the public is divided, those who intend to switch tosupporting the package must consider how to justifythemselves to the pan-democratic camp and theirsupporters, for their about-turns may entail highpolitical prices.
Furthermore, as fewer than 50% of people supportthe 2012 package, even if the government pushes itthrough by "prising votes", it may remain unacceptableto many. However, such manoeuvring would not onlysplit the pan-democratic camp but also divide society.It would not make it easier to run the SAR forantagonism to grow between the government and thepan-democratic camp or for political contradictions tointensify.
We therefore do not think it advisable for thegovernment to push the package through by prisingvotes. It should strive to do such things thatpan-democratic legislators will happily and willinglysupport it. It is right and proper for pan-democraticdoves to demand that the government again pledge tointroduce genuine universal suffrage, and the SARgovernment should regard it as a goal it must do itsbest to achieve. As we pointed out a long time ago, theFCs are an obstacle to Hong Kong's democratisation.
The central government and the SAR governmentought to do what would make Hong Kong peoplebelieve that the FCs will certainly disappear before2020 and that genuine universal suffrage will beintroduced. The central government and the SARgovernment should see to it that the FCs will fade outin favour of Hong Kong's democratisation. If it is clearthat Hong Kong people will eventually exercisegenuine universal suffrage, many more citizens willsupport the 2012 package, and it will not be hard topersuade two thirds of the Legco members to vote forit.
Because fewer than 50% of people support the2012 package, the SAR government will sow theseeds of antagonism if it pushes it through by prisingvotes. However, it can prevent internal strife if it seizesthe opportunity to work with the doves and deal withHong Kong's constitutional arrangements once and forall. It is self-evident which of the two options is better.We believe all hinges on the central government'sdecision. All depends just on central governmentleaders' wisdom, courage and boldness.
明報社評 2010.04.30
2012方案支持率下跌 政府不宜撬票硬闖
去年11 月18 日，政府公布政改諮詢文件之後，例如中大亞太研究中心的調查，顯示有50.8%受訪者支持議員通過方案，較之2005 年方案出台即有六成受訪者表示接受已明顯不如。有學者早已點出，若政府在諮詢期內未能提出優化方案的建議，支持率會拾級而下。
政府正式提出方案後，明報今天刊出的港大民意研究計劃調查結果，正好印證了學者的估計。
這次政改討論，功能組別存廢和普選路線圖備受關注，即使方案未盡人意，議員應該通過或否決方案呢？港大民意研究計劃以兩種提問方式訪問受訪者，得出不同結果：
（1）如果問題點出方案「並無交代功能組別存廢、區議會受制委任議員存廢與普選路線圖」，認為應該否決的受訪者有41%，應該通過的為37%；
（2）如果問題把方案「以免政制原地踏步和並無普選路線圖及功能組別存廢」並列，認為應該通過的有46%，應該否決的有32%。
就2012 方案應該通過或否決，整體支持和反對的比率不高，沒有一個數字超過五成。05 年時，政府挾六成民意支持，呼籲民主派議員通過方案，這次政府以民意迫使民主派議員，力度更不如前。對於民主派議員，民意既對通過和否決意見分歧，認為應該通過的並不顯著，壓力也因而稍減。
至於政府，仍然可以向民主派議員「撬票」，只要取得4 票倒戈，方案就可以通過。不過，民意既然並不顯著，縱使有議員投向政府之意，如何向泛民陣營和支持者交代，相信是「轉軚議員」要考慮的問題，因為轉軚在政治上可能要付出沉重代價。
此外，由於支持2012 方案的民意未及一半，就算政府「撬票」通過了方案，其認受性仍然較低，而操作的結果，不但撕裂了泛民陣營，也使社會更呈分化。政府與民主派對立更形尖銳，政治生態激化，絕對不利於特區的管治。
因此，我們認為政府不宜「撬票」強行通過方案，應該盡量尋求民主派議員在心甘情願下支持方案。泛民陣營中的鴿派要求進一步承諾真普選的訴求，合情合理，特區政府應以此為盡力的目標。我們早已指出，功能組別是香港民主化的絆腳石，中央和特區政府，必須讓市民看到功能組別到2020 年必然會全面退出立法會，實現真正普選的民主化，讓市民看到中央和特區政府真的處理功能組別漸退，使香港的民主進程漸進，大家就會相信真普選終有實現之日。這樣的話，支持2012 方案的市民定必大增，要得到立法會三分之二議員通過方案，也是輕而易舉的事。
2012 方案支持率不過半，政府是撬票硬闖，為日後管治埋下尖銳對立的種子；抑或是因勢利導，真正尋求與鴿派合作，徹底解決香港的政制安排，減少內耗。這兩個選擇，箇中良窳不言自明，我們相信問題只在中央一念之間，就看領導人的智慧、勇氣和魄力而已。
Glossary
turn one's coat
leave one group to join one that has verydifferent views.
about-turncomplete change of attitude or opinion.
entail /In'teIl/involve unavoidably.
2010年5月2日星期日
2010年4月28日星期三
HK's competitiveness
THE Chinese Academy of Social Sciences hasunveiled its 2010 Blue Book on Urban Competitiveness. According to the survey of294 Chinese cities above the prefectural level, HongKong still ranks first in overall competitiveness.However, its advantages are becoming less and lessdistinct, and it is losing its lead over such cities asShenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing.
Thanks to its own characteristics, Hong Kong willlag behind some mainland cities sooner or later. HongKong is so much smaller and less populous thanShanghai and Beijing. If the mainland economy keepsgrowing, it will not be surprising for the two cities tooutstrip the SAR in economic scale.
The question is whether Hong Kong will do its bestin the areas within its control to keep itscompetitiveness up. Will the SAR's overallcompetitiveness still rank first in China in a few years ifit continues to live off its past gains instead of strivingto make progress? That is a concern.
The Blue Book says Hong Kong is faced withthree major challenges. First, it lacks technologicalinnovation, and its brain drain is serious. Second, it isfaced with competition from cities on the mainland andin other parts of the world. Third, Hong Kong'scompetitiveness is diminishing because industrialupgrading is slower here than in other parts of theworld. One may say the report hits the nail on the head.Since its reversion to Chinese sovereignty, HongKong has lacked new economic growth areas, andsome of its industries have become less competitive.Take its logistics industry, on which its status as aninternational shipping centre depends. Before thehandover, Hong Kong ranked first in the world incontainer throughput. In the wake of the handover,some principal officials of the SAR government tried inmany ways to block cross-boarder infrastructureprojects and, as a result, Hong Kong failed to beginopportunely to integrate economically with Guangdongand, in particular, with the Pearl River Delta.Meanwhile, Guangzhou and Shenzhen tried hard tocatch up with Hong Kong by developing their containerport facilities. Now, the top five container ports in theworld, ranked in descending order, are Singapore,Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Judging by the momentum with which Shenzhen andGuangzhou are developing, it is only a matter of timebefore they surpass Hong Kong.
Technological innovation depends on scientificresearch, in which Hong Kong clearly lags behind.Hong Kong's funding for scientific research amountsonly to 0.6% of its GDP. This percentage is muchsmaller than Israel's (4.5%), America's (2.7%) and themainland's (1.4% ). The SAR government hastransferred $18 billion to the University GrantCommittee, which has set up a Research EndowmentFund to provide local universities with researchfunding. Though the amount is not exactly enormous,good results can be achieved if research projects arewell planned. Nevertheless, there is no sign that thegovernment regards it as one of its top priorities tofoster technological innovation.
In 2007, when Chief Executive Donald Tsangrestructured the administration, the Commerce,Industry and Technology Bureau was renamed theCommerce and Economic Development Bureau.
People in the industrial sector then said, "Hong Kongtechnology has disappeared." The government hassuggested that Hong Kong should strive to develop sixindustries, including "innovation and technology".However, it has yet to take measures to foster"government-academia-business" cooperation to helpdevelop technological applications.
Hong Kong's financial market has long been itspride. However, as it has long offered few vehiclesother than shares, it cannot be put on a par with NewYork's or London's. In those markets, all kinds offinancial products are traded. Nylonkong, which isoften on Hong Kong officials' lips, is only an illusivephrase for self-hypnotisation.
It is thirteen years since Hong Kong reverted toChinese sovereignty. Hong Kong still has advantagesover mainland cities, but it must not just live off its pastgains. In short, it is anything but heartening thatHong Kong is still more competitive than any otherChinese city, for globalisation has brought about suchfierce competition that a city will either forge ahead orfall behind. Mainland cities are rapidly emerging, andSingapore casts menacing eyes on Hong Kong.
Unless Hong Kong makes progress, it will beovertaken by mainland cities as the hare is by thetortoise in the fable.
香港吃老本內外夾攻競爭力響警號
中國社會科學院發表的《2010 年中國城市競爭力藍皮書：中國城市競爭力報告》（下稱報告），在全國294個地級以上城市進行總體研究發現，香港的綜合競爭力仍然排行第一；不過，報告指出，香港的優勢愈來愈不明顯，與深圳、上海、北京等城市的差距，愈來愈小。香港與內地城市比較，基於一些主觀條件，香港遲早都會落後。香港的土地與人口相差太遠了，只要內地經濟持續發展，上海和北京在經濟規模超越香港並不為奇。
問題是，在一些可以控制的因素，香港是否已經做得夠好，以保持競爭力於不墜？如果香港繼續吃老本，依然不思進取，則數年之後，香港綜合競爭力能否續居全國首位，值得關注。
報告提到香港面臨3 大挑戰，（1）技術創新不足、人才嚴重流失；（2）面臨內地和國際城市競爭；（3）全球產業升級較快，香港產業升級相對緩慢，競爭優勢下降。這3 大挑戰，可謂一語中的。
回歸以來，香港經濟缺乏新增長點，一些產業逐漸失去優勢，以支撐香港作為國際航運中心的物流業為例，回歸前香港的貨櫃箱吞吐量高踞世界第一；回歸後，特區政府個別主要官員諸多阻撓香港與內地的基建，使香港在與廣東省，特別是與珠三角在經濟的整合上，失去先機。深圳、廣州的貨櫃港口設施急起直追，現在全球貨櫃運輸排名前5 名，依次是新加坡、上海、香港、深圳和廣州。而以深圳、廣州的發展勢頭，超過香港已經是早晚的事。
此外，技術創新所倚賴科技研究，香港明顯落後。香港在科研所投入資源，只佔國民生產總值的0.6%，遠遠落後於以色列的4.5%、美國的2.7%、中國大陸的1.4%等，但是特區政府撥出180 億元給教資會，成立科研基金，協助各家大學的科研工作，縱使資源不算多，只要有良好領導規劃，理應可以做出一點成績。只是看不到政府把創新科技視為重點之一。
2007 年行政長官曾蔭權調整部門架構時，把原來的工商及科技局改名為商務及經濟發展局，被業界形容為「香港科技失蹤了」。政府提出來的所謂六大優勢產業，其中有創新科技，但是迄今未見有配套措施推動「政府、學界、商界」結合，以協助科技應用的發展。至於被視為「鎮港之寶」的金融業，長期以來獨沽一味以股票為主，與紐約、倫敦金融市場品種的多樣化、多元化，根本不可同日而語，掛在港官嘴邊的「紐倫港」，只是自我催眠的虛幻想像而已。
回歸13 年來，香港相對於內地城市仍然有優勢，但是不能只靠吃老本。總之，香港在中國城市競爭力比較中仍然獨佔鰲頭，一點也不值得欣喜，因為在全球一體化的競爭環境中，不進則退。內地城市正在急速冒起，新加坡也在虎視眈眈，香港如果再停滯不前，龜兔賽跑寓言的結局，就會在內地城市與香港之間上演。
每周一音標
《明報英語網》逢星期二推出「每周一音標」，以視像短片模式教授國際音標，真人發音，歡迎瀏覽網址：english.mingpao.com
Glossary
hit the nail on the headbe exactly right.
anything butdefinitely not.
hearteninggiving somebody encouragement andhappiness.
Thanks to its own characteristics, Hong Kong willlag behind some mainland cities sooner or later. HongKong is so much smaller and less populous thanShanghai and Beijing. If the mainland economy keepsgrowing, it will not be surprising for the two cities tooutstrip the SAR in economic scale.
The question is whether Hong Kong will do its bestin the areas within its control to keep itscompetitiveness up. Will the SAR's overallcompetitiveness still rank first in China in a few years ifit continues to live off its past gains instead of strivingto make progress? That is a concern.
The Blue Book says Hong Kong is faced withthree major challenges. First, it lacks technologicalinnovation, and its brain drain is serious. Second, it isfaced with competition from cities on the mainland andin other parts of the world. Third, Hong Kong'scompetitiveness is diminishing because industrialupgrading is slower here than in other parts of theworld. One may say the report hits the nail on the head.Since its reversion to Chinese sovereignty, HongKong has lacked new economic growth areas, andsome of its industries have become less competitive.Take its logistics industry, on which its status as aninternational shipping centre depends. Before thehandover, Hong Kong ranked first in the world incontainer throughput. In the wake of the handover,some principal officials of the SAR government tried inmany ways to block cross-boarder infrastructureprojects and, as a result, Hong Kong failed to beginopportunely to integrate economically with Guangdongand, in particular, with the Pearl River Delta.Meanwhile, Guangzhou and Shenzhen tried hard tocatch up with Hong Kong by developing their containerport facilities. Now, the top five container ports in theworld, ranked in descending order, are Singapore,Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Judging by the momentum with which Shenzhen andGuangzhou are developing, it is only a matter of timebefore they surpass Hong Kong.
Technological innovation depends on scientificresearch, in which Hong Kong clearly lags behind.Hong Kong's funding for scientific research amountsonly to 0.6% of its GDP. This percentage is muchsmaller than Israel's (4.5%), America's (2.7%) and themainland's (1.4% ). The SAR government hastransferred $18 billion to the University GrantCommittee, which has set up a Research EndowmentFund to provide local universities with researchfunding. Though the amount is not exactly enormous,good results can be achieved if research projects arewell planned. Nevertheless, there is no sign that thegovernment regards it as one of its top priorities tofoster technological innovation.
In 2007, when Chief Executive Donald Tsangrestructured the administration, the Commerce,Industry and Technology Bureau was renamed theCommerce and Economic Development Bureau.
People in the industrial sector then said, "Hong Kongtechnology has disappeared." The government hassuggested that Hong Kong should strive to develop sixindustries, including "innovation and technology".However, it has yet to take measures to foster"government-academia-business" cooperation to helpdevelop technological applications.
Hong Kong's financial market has long been itspride. However, as it has long offered few vehiclesother than shares, it cannot be put on a par with NewYork's or London's. In those markets, all kinds offinancial products are traded. Nylonkong, which isoften on Hong Kong officials' lips, is only an illusivephrase for self-hypnotisation.
It is thirteen years since Hong Kong reverted toChinese sovereignty. Hong Kong still has advantagesover mainland cities, but it must not just live off its pastgains. In short, it is anything but heartening thatHong Kong is still more competitive than any otherChinese city, for globalisation has brought about suchfierce competition that a city will either forge ahead orfall behind. Mainland cities are rapidly emerging, andSingapore casts menacing eyes on Hong Kong.
Unless Hong Kong makes progress, it will beovertaken by mainland cities as the hare is by thetortoise in the fable.
香港吃老本內外夾攻競爭力響警號
中國社會科學院發表的《2010 年中國城市競爭力藍皮書：中國城市競爭力報告》（下稱報告），在全國294個地級以上城市進行總體研究發現，香港的綜合競爭力仍然排行第一；不過，報告指出，香港的優勢愈來愈不明顯，與深圳、上海、北京等城市的差距，愈來愈小。香港與內地城市比較，基於一些主觀條件，香港遲早都會落後。香港的土地與人口相差太遠了，只要內地經濟持續發展，上海和北京在經濟規模超越香港並不為奇。
問題是，在一些可以控制的因素，香港是否已經做得夠好，以保持競爭力於不墜？如果香港繼續吃老本，依然不思進取，則數年之後，香港綜合競爭力能否續居全國首位，值得關注。
報告提到香港面臨3 大挑戰，（1）技術創新不足、人才嚴重流失；（2）面臨內地和國際城市競爭；（3）全球產業升級較快，香港產業升級相對緩慢，競爭優勢下降。這3 大挑戰，可謂一語中的。
回歸以來，香港經濟缺乏新增長點，一些產業逐漸失去優勢，以支撐香港作為國際航運中心的物流業為例，回歸前香港的貨櫃箱吞吐量高踞世界第一；回歸後，特區政府個別主要官員諸多阻撓香港與內地的基建，使香港在與廣東省，特別是與珠三角在經濟的整合上，失去先機。深圳、廣州的貨櫃港口設施急起直追，現在全球貨櫃運輸排名前5 名，依次是新加坡、上海、香港、深圳和廣州。而以深圳、廣州的發展勢頭，超過香港已經是早晚的事。
此外，技術創新所倚賴科技研究，香港明顯落後。香港在科研所投入資源，只佔國民生產總值的0.6%，遠遠落後於以色列的4.5%、美國的2.7%、中國大陸的1.4%等，但是特區政府撥出180 億元給教資會，成立科研基金，協助各家大學的科研工作，縱使資源不算多，只要有良好領導規劃，理應可以做出一點成績。只是看不到政府把創新科技視為重點之一。
2007 年行政長官曾蔭權調整部門架構時，把原來的工商及科技局改名為商務及經濟發展局，被業界形容為「香港科技失蹤了」。政府提出來的所謂六大優勢產業，其中有創新科技，但是迄今未見有配套措施推動「政府、學界、商界」結合，以協助科技應用的發展。至於被視為「鎮港之寶」的金融業，長期以來獨沽一味以股票為主，與紐約、倫敦金融市場品種的多樣化、多元化，根本不可同日而語，掛在港官嘴邊的「紐倫港」，只是自我催眠的虛幻想像而已。
回歸13 年來，香港相對於內地城市仍然有優勢，但是不能只靠吃老本。總之，香港在中國城市競爭力比較中仍然獨佔鰲頭，一點也不值得欣喜，因為在全球一體化的競爭環境中，不進則退。內地城市正在急速冒起，新加坡也在虎視眈眈，香港如果再停滯不前，龜兔賽跑寓言的結局，就會在內地城市與香港之間上演。
每周一音標
《明報英語網》逢星期二推出「每周一音標」，以視像短片模式教授國際音標，真人發音，歡迎瀏覽網址：english.mingpao.com
Glossary
hit the nail on the headbe exactly right.
anything butdefinitely not.
hearteninggiving somebody encouragement andhappiness.
2010年4月27日星期二
A LESSON in life
This week we will discuss how you can tie your worktogether using the "bookend" technique. Our tutor isBritish Council teacher Simon Overton.
S tudent's C ontribution
My eyes gleamed ( 閃爍) when I saw ayouthful and bright smile from an aged and dullphoto. This is my grandmother's enchanting (迷人的) smile.
She was 75 years old when she restedin peace. I was 15. During those 15years, Grandma's appearanceadded vivid colours to my life. Yet, Ibrought her disquiet ( 憂慮) andcountless troubles.
I was brought up by Grandma. As Iremember, whenever the weatherchanged, she would tirelessly tellme to put on more clothes;whenever there was a bowl ofsoup, she would urge me todrink it. But however caringGrandma was, she waslong-winded to me. Beforelong, I became a teenager. Ithought I was oldenough to have freerein. Consequently, Ibecame impatient withGrandma-a wordy elderly.
Sometimes, I evenheld a grudge against her for herheartfelt advice and goodintentions. "Shut up, please!" I usedto wish. Despite my willfulness ( 任性、固執), Grandma was still willingto devote so much to me.
Two years ago, Grandma left mefor her last resting place and I wasnot able to see her ever again. Iwish to see her, but her eyes wereclose; I feel like listening to herwords of wisdom, but her lips couldnot move; I long to hug her, but herbody had been cremated. Indeed, Iam filled with great sorrow andremorse because I was never a filial( 孝順的) granddaughter. My heartbleeds for my innocence-I tookeverything in life for granted. Muchto my regret, I have to admit that Idid not treasure the moments thatGrandma shared with me.
This is the last thing I learnt fromGrandma-to seize everyopportunity to cherish your lovedones when they are still around, foronce we lose them, they willnever come back. To avoidtrapping into a plight of pastredemption, we ought to treatour family and friends well!The charming smile is stillshining in the yellowishphoto. In there I see avaluable lesson about life.
by Lee Mei Sin, S7The YWCA Hioe TjoYoeng College
C omment: Be consistent with tenses
This is a heartfelt piece of writing, Mei Sin.You use a good range of really evocativewords and expressions!
Your adjectives are expressive, but use acomma instead of an and to keep your writingflowing, i.e. her bright, youthful smile. Also,watch out for the proper usage ofsynonyms-long-winded and wordy bothmean "using many words", but I don't thinkthey express your grandmother's true nature!How about "However caring grandma was, sheused to pester me [...]-an old fusspot" ?
Similarly, rest in peace means "to be dead",not "to die", so here pass away is better, i.e."She was 75 years old when she passedaway."
"My heart bleeds for" is usually followed by aperson, not a thing, and certainly not yourself!How about "I mourn my innocence" ? Also,"trapping into a plight of past redemption"sounds beautiful, but the meaning isn't clearand it needs a passive voice. How about"being trapped in regret" ?
Lastly, be consistent with tenses, e.g. "Iwish to see her, but her eyes are closed" or"I wished to see her, but her eyes wereclosed"-the second one is probablybetter, and the same goes for feel and hug.
W riting A dvice: Learn the meaning
Mei Sin uses a range of words and expressionsto describe her feelings and memories. You canfind synonyms of words you already know indictionaries, and many translators give lists ofsynonyms too. This is a great way of expandingyour vocabulary, but remember to learn themeaning and usage of the word, not just thesynonym or translation. Otherwise they maysound slightly strange in their context.
Mei Sin also makes very good use of her titlein this piece of writing. We read the title first,so we know it will be about "a lesson in life",but we only find out at the very end exactlywhat this lesson is. This keeps us interestedand motivated to keep reading. Give yourreaders a reason to read-a surprise ending,a puzzle, a hint at the beginning-and rewardthem at the end.
Finally, Mei Sin "bookends" her piece withthe image of a photograph. This is anexcellent technique because it provides asatisfying conclusion to the piece and thephotograph becomes an expression of that"lesson in life" she introduced to us. Usebookends to tie your work together visuallyand expressively. by Simon Overton
Enter & win
HMV coupon!
British Council is offering MingPao readers a $100 HMV/Cinema coupon! To be in with achance of winning simply visitwww.britishcouncil.org.hk/englishquiz and answer a simplequestion.
My Say!
Have it your way in MY SAY! The place isreserved for you to express your feelings. Shareyour experiences or give your opinions in any formyou like. Teachers of English are also encouragedto send in their students' work. Send your writing(not more than 400 words) by email toenglish@mingpao.com or by mail to 15/F, Block A,Ming Pao Industrial Centre, 18 Ka Yip Street, ChaiWan. Please give your name and form together withyour work.
S tudent's C ontribution
My eyes gleamed ( 閃爍) when I saw ayouthful and bright smile from an aged and dullphoto. This is my grandmother's enchanting (迷人的) smile.
She was 75 years old when she restedin peace. I was 15. During those 15years, Grandma's appearanceadded vivid colours to my life. Yet, Ibrought her disquiet ( 憂慮) andcountless troubles.
I was brought up by Grandma. As Iremember, whenever the weatherchanged, she would tirelessly tellme to put on more clothes;whenever there was a bowl ofsoup, she would urge me todrink it. But however caringGrandma was, she waslong-winded to me. Beforelong, I became a teenager. Ithought I was oldenough to have freerein. Consequently, Ibecame impatient withGrandma-a wordy elderly.
Sometimes, I evenheld a grudge against her for herheartfelt advice and goodintentions. "Shut up, please!" I usedto wish. Despite my willfulness ( 任性、固執), Grandma was still willingto devote so much to me.
Two years ago, Grandma left mefor her last resting place and I wasnot able to see her ever again. Iwish to see her, but her eyes wereclose; I feel like listening to herwords of wisdom, but her lips couldnot move; I long to hug her, but herbody had been cremated. Indeed, Iam filled with great sorrow andremorse because I was never a filial( 孝順的) granddaughter. My heartbleeds for my innocence-I tookeverything in life for granted. Muchto my regret, I have to admit that Idid not treasure the moments thatGrandma shared with me.
This is the last thing I learnt fromGrandma-to seize everyopportunity to cherish your lovedones when they are still around, foronce we lose them, they willnever come back. To avoidtrapping into a plight of pastredemption, we ought to treatour family and friends well!The charming smile is stillshining in the yellowishphoto. In there I see avaluable lesson about life.
by Lee Mei Sin, S7The YWCA Hioe TjoYoeng College
C omment: Be consistent with tenses
This is a heartfelt piece of writing, Mei Sin.You use a good range of really evocativewords and expressions!
Your adjectives are expressive, but use acomma instead of an and to keep your writingflowing, i.e. her bright, youthful smile. Also,watch out for the proper usage ofsynonyms-long-winded and wordy bothmean "using many words", but I don't thinkthey express your grandmother's true nature!How about "However caring grandma was, sheused to pester me [...]-an old fusspot" ?
Similarly, rest in peace means "to be dead",not "to die", so here pass away is better, i.e."She was 75 years old when she passedaway."
"My heart bleeds for" is usually followed by aperson, not a thing, and certainly not yourself!How about "I mourn my innocence" ? Also,"trapping into a plight of past redemption"sounds beautiful, but the meaning isn't clearand it needs a passive voice. How about"being trapped in regret" ?
Lastly, be consistent with tenses, e.g. "Iwish to see her, but her eyes are closed" or"I wished to see her, but her eyes wereclosed"-the second one is probablybetter, and the same goes for feel and hug.
W riting A dvice: Learn the meaning
Mei Sin uses a range of words and expressionsto describe her feelings and memories. You canfind synonyms of words you already know indictionaries, and many translators give lists ofsynonyms too. This is a great way of expandingyour vocabulary, but remember to learn themeaning and usage of the word, not just thesynonym or translation. Otherwise they maysound slightly strange in their context.
Mei Sin also makes very good use of her titlein this piece of writing. We read the title first,so we know it will be about "a lesson in life",but we only find out at the very end exactlywhat this lesson is. This keeps us interestedand motivated to keep reading. Give yourreaders a reason to read-a surprise ending,a puzzle, a hint at the beginning-and rewardthem at the end.
Finally, Mei Sin "bookends" her piece withthe image of a photograph. This is anexcellent technique because it provides asatisfying conclusion to the piece and thephotograph becomes an expression of that"lesson in life" she introduced to us. Usebookends to tie your work together visuallyand expressively. by Simon Overton
Enter & win
HMV coupon!
British Council is offering MingPao readers a $100 HMV/Cinema coupon! To be in with achance of winning simply visitwww.britishcouncil.org.hk/englishquiz and answer a simplequestion.
My Say!
Have it your way in MY SAY! The place isreserved for you to express your feelings. Shareyour experiences or give your opinions in any formyou like. Teachers of English are also encouragedto send in their students' work. Send your writing(not more than 400 words) by email toenglish@mingpao.com or by mail to 15/F, Block A,Ming Pao Industrial Centre, 18 Ka Yip Street, ChaiWan. Please give your name and form together withyour work.
Governance of subvented arts groups
IN the latest Audit Report, which came out lastweek, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO)is criticised for its poor management. Forexample, its managers upgraded their travel andaccommodation arrangements when the orchestra wason tour; some of its musicians have worked fewerhours than they ought to have under their contracts;and part of its box office income has actually comefrom its own purse because it has bought tickets,which it has given away.
An HKCO musician should work at least 703hours a year. The Audit Commission examined therecords of twenty of its musicians. It found that onaverage they each worked only 533 hours a year (or24% fewer than required). Chan Wing-wah, a memberof the HKCO Council, has offered an explanation.
According to him, contractually, an HKCO musician'sworking hours include only those in which he performsor rehearses with all other HKCO musicians. However,he must spend more than a dozen or several dozenhours in self-practice or small group rehearsals everyweek and, if those hours are included, one may say hemeets the working hours requirement.
True, whether an orchestra is successful is notnecessarily to do with its musicians' working hours.However, as an HKCO musician's contract says hisworking hours include only those in which he performsor rehearses with all other HKCO musicians, he fails tomeet the requirement if he does not meet it. Whyshould the hours he spends practising on his owncount as his working hours?
There are clear guidelines about which grade ofHKCO people may have what class of services.
Clearly, an HKCO manager will breach thoseguidelines if he upgrades the services he may receivewhen he is on tour with the orchestra. Nevertheless,vice chairman of the HKCO Council Edmund K HLeung has committed wrong on wrong. When hereplied to press enquiries, he offered a desperatedefence - that comforts are needed when theorchestra is on tour because its musicians must stay intop form. The fact that its people breach guidelines asif they did not exist amply shows the HKCO is poorlymanaged.
Being a government subvented arts organisation,HKCO must abide by rules. If working hours need notbe kept, expenses need not be vouchered and the costof its complimentary tickets counts as its box officeincome, HKCO will eventually become a financialblack hole. If this is the case, how can taxpayersjudge whether public money has been squandered?
The West Kowloon Cultural District project is tobegin very soon. A major task the government is tocarry out is to develop local arts groups, which have animportant mission - to advance cultural development inHong Kong. The Audit Commission has discoveredthat some local arts organisations are at sixes andsevens. What has emerged may well be the tip of theiceberg. How Hong Kong's many other governmentsubvented arts organisations are run is therefore aconcern. All other government subvented artsorganisations should draw a lesson from what hashappened to HKCO. They must review theirgovernance and improve it as soon as possible lestthey should have to face censure when the AuditCommission reveal their blunders.
明報社評2010.04.26
演藝團體公帑資助講藝術也要講管理
審計署上周公布的最新一份審計報告，批評香港中樂團管理混亂，包括私下提升管理層外訪時機位及住宿規格待遇、樂師平均工作時數不達標、部分門票收入原來是樂團自費購入作免費派發之用等等。
報告指出，中樂團規定樂師每年最少工作703 小時，審計署抽查其中20 名樂師，發現他們每年平均工作時數只有533 小時（即比規定少了24%）。香港中樂團理事陳永華解釋，合約上的工時只計算樂團演出、整個樂團一起綵排的時間，但樂師必須付出10 多至數十小時作個人或小組練習，若計算在內，樂師每周工時已達標。一個樂團成功與否，的確與樂師的工作時數沒有必然關係，但問題是，既然合約已列明樂團演出及整個樂團一起綵排的時間才算「工作時間」，樂師不達標就是不達標，怎能把私下練習的時間也計算在內？
樂團哪一階層的人員可以享受哪一級別的待遇，早有清晰指引，樂團私下提高出訪的規格待遇，明顯地違反指引，錯上加錯的是，被審計署揭發後樂團副理事長梁廣灝回應查詢，還「死撐」是要在外訪演出時保持最佳狀態，因此有需要較舒適的安排云云，視規定如無物，充分說明樂團管理混亂。
藝團接受公帑資助，就必須接受一定的規範，如果工作時數毋須計算，申報費用毋須單據，外訪又可任意提升規格待遇，免費派票又可變成門票收入，長久下去，樂團的開支就會變成無底洞，納稅人又如何衡量公帑有否被濫用？
西九文娛藝術區即將上馬，香港的演藝團體發展是未來重點，肩負着推動香港文化發展的重要使命，這次審計署發現藝團的內部運作原來甚為混亂，問題可能只是冰山一角，香港其餘大大小小接受公帑資助的藝團，其管理水平如何，值得關注。各接受公帑資助的藝團應借鑑這次香港中樂團的教訓，盡快自我檢討，完善內部管理，否則將來被審計署揭發時，勢將面對嚴厲責難。
G lossary
black holeIf an organisation is a financial black hole, itspends a lot of money without producing realresults.
at sixes and sevensin confusion, not well organised.censure /'sen ʃ (r)/strong criticism.
An HKCO musician should work at least 703hours a year. The Audit Commission examined therecords of twenty of its musicians. It found that onaverage they each worked only 533 hours a year (or24% fewer than required). Chan Wing-wah, a memberof the HKCO Council, has offered an explanation.
According to him, contractually, an HKCO musician'sworking hours include only those in which he performsor rehearses with all other HKCO musicians. However,he must spend more than a dozen or several dozenhours in self-practice or small group rehearsals everyweek and, if those hours are included, one may say hemeets the working hours requirement.
True, whether an orchestra is successful is notnecessarily to do with its musicians' working hours.However, as an HKCO musician's contract says hisworking hours include only those in which he performsor rehearses with all other HKCO musicians, he fails tomeet the requirement if he does not meet it. Whyshould the hours he spends practising on his owncount as his working hours?
There are clear guidelines about which grade ofHKCO people may have what class of services.
Clearly, an HKCO manager will breach thoseguidelines if he upgrades the services he may receivewhen he is on tour with the orchestra. Nevertheless,vice chairman of the HKCO Council Edmund K HLeung has committed wrong on wrong. When hereplied to press enquiries, he offered a desperatedefence - that comforts are needed when theorchestra is on tour because its musicians must stay intop form. The fact that its people breach guidelines asif they did not exist amply shows the HKCO is poorlymanaged.
Being a government subvented arts organisation,HKCO must abide by rules. If working hours need notbe kept, expenses need not be vouchered and the costof its complimentary tickets counts as its box officeincome, HKCO will eventually become a financialblack hole. If this is the case, how can taxpayersjudge whether public money has been squandered?
The West Kowloon Cultural District project is tobegin very soon. A major task the government is tocarry out is to develop local arts groups, which have animportant mission - to advance cultural development inHong Kong. The Audit Commission has discoveredthat some local arts organisations are at sixes andsevens. What has emerged may well be the tip of theiceberg. How Hong Kong's many other governmentsubvented arts organisations are run is therefore aconcern. All other government subvented artsorganisations should draw a lesson from what hashappened to HKCO. They must review theirgovernance and improve it as soon as possible lestthey should have to face censure when the AuditCommission reveal their blunders.
明報社評2010.04.26
演藝團體公帑資助講藝術也要講管理
審計署上周公布的最新一份審計報告，批評香港中樂團管理混亂，包括私下提升管理層外訪時機位及住宿規格待遇、樂師平均工作時數不達標、部分門票收入原來是樂團自費購入作免費派發之用等等。
報告指出，中樂團規定樂師每年最少工作703 小時，審計署抽查其中20 名樂師，發現他們每年平均工作時數只有533 小時（即比規定少了24%）。香港中樂團理事陳永華解釋，合約上的工時只計算樂團演出、整個樂團一起綵排的時間，但樂師必須付出10 多至數十小時作個人或小組練習，若計算在內，樂師每周工時已達標。一個樂團成功與否，的確與樂師的工作時數沒有必然關係，但問題是，既然合約已列明樂團演出及整個樂團一起綵排的時間才算「工作時間」，樂師不達標就是不達標，怎能把私下練習的時間也計算在內？
樂團哪一階層的人員可以享受哪一級別的待遇，早有清晰指引，樂團私下提高出訪的規格待遇，明顯地違反指引，錯上加錯的是，被審計署揭發後樂團副理事長梁廣灝回應查詢，還「死撐」是要在外訪演出時保持最佳狀態，因此有需要較舒適的安排云云，視規定如無物，充分說明樂團管理混亂。
藝團接受公帑資助，就必須接受一定的規範，如果工作時數毋須計算，申報費用毋須單據，外訪又可任意提升規格待遇，免費派票又可變成門票收入，長久下去，樂團的開支就會變成無底洞，納稅人又如何衡量公帑有否被濫用？
西九文娛藝術區即將上馬，香港的演藝團體發展是未來重點，肩負着推動香港文化發展的重要使命，這次審計署發現藝團的內部運作原來甚為混亂，問題可能只是冰山一角，香港其餘大大小小接受公帑資助的藝團，其管理水平如何，值得關注。各接受公帑資助的藝團應借鑑這次香港中樂團的教訓，盡快自我檢討，完善內部管理，否則將來被審計署揭發時，勢將面對嚴厲責難。
G lossary
black holeIf an organisation is a financial black hole, itspends a lot of money without producing realresults.
at sixes and sevensin confusion, not well organised.censure /'sen ʃ (r)/strong criticism.
2010年4月26日星期一
Philanthropy
YESTERDAY in Shanghai Yu Panglinannounced he would donate his entirefortune, worth nearly HK$10 billion, to charity.He began to donate money to charity thirty years ago.His decision to use his fortune to do society goodinstead of leaving his children any money bestrepresents his care for people's hardships. It is mostcommendable that Mr Yu has made necessaryarrangements to ensure that his charitable efforts willsurvive him. There is no lack of Hong Kong tycoonswho are enthusiastic about philanthropic work. If they,like Mr Yu, try to make sure that their charitable effortswill continue after they have passed away, the worldwill become much better.
Mr Yu would leave his children nothing because ofhis peculiar point of view. He once said, "Why should Ileave any of my sons any money if they have morestrengths than I or if they have more weaknesses thanI? If they are resourceful, they will do better than I. Ifthey don't compare with me, they may indulge indissipation - gambling, whoring and even doing drugs.Then it would harm them to leave them any money."Mr Yu said he had appointed HSBC as the trusteeof his fortune and stipulated that no part of it might beinherited, sold or invested and all of it should be usedfor charitable purposes. He has made thisarrangement and openly announced it because hewants to make sure that resources will be available sothat his charitable work can be continued after hisdeparture from this world. That shows how determinedhe is to devote his fortune to charity.
Yu Panglin, who got smuggled into Hong Kong inthe 1950s, has worked hard all his life. He once didodd jobs and worked as a rickshaw man. He owes hisaccomplishments to his own efforts. Now it seemsclear that it is his dream to do philanthropic work. Manycherish dreams. It is common knowledge how HenryFok, who worked hard to become rich, requited hisnative town and the nation. A dream he cherished inhis later years was to turn Nansha, a swamp, into ascientific research centre. However, he made noappropriate financial arrangements for realising thatdream. His children are so concerned about returnsthat peanuts still grow on the site for the HKUST FokYing Tung Graduate School, whose completion wasscheduled for the end of 2008.
Furthermore, Nina Wang stated in her 2002 willthat the whole of her $100-billion estate should betransferred to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation,which she and Teddy Wang, her husband, hadfounded. Nina Wang had a dream. However, becauseshe failed to make concrete arrangements when shewas alive, Tony Chan contended for her legacy assoon as she died. God knows whether her wish will becarried out.
Tycoons may have dreams of benefiting societyby devoting their wealth to charitable purposes.However, if they fail to make concrete arrangements,none can be certain that their dreams will come true.Yu Panglin's fortune is perhaps peanuts to what manya tycoon has. However, because he has madenecessary arrangements, his dream is very likely tocome true. This is what tycoons who intend to benefitsociety with their wealth would do well to pay heed to.
余彭年盡捐百億家財無私善行仁義可風
余彭年昨日在上海宣布，把接近100 億港元家財，全部用於慈善事業。余彭年捐款行善已30 年，他選擇把龐大家財造福社會，而非留給子孫，這是民胞物與、痌瘝在抱精神和情懷的最高體現。最可貴者是余先生已經作好安排，確保就算有朝一日百年歸老了，他的善行仍然可以延續下去。本港熱中慈善事業的富豪大不乏人，如果他們能與余彭年一樣，做好善行可持續下去的安排，則這個世界會更美好。
余彭年不留家財給後輩，有一套觀點，他認為「兒子強與我，留錢做什麼；兒子弱與我，留錢做什麼；兒子如果有辦法，他比我做得更好，兒子不如我，他們每天花天酒地，甚至於黃賭毒都有，這樣反而害了他」。余彭年表示他的所有財產全部委託香港匯豐銀行託管、監管，並明確定下所有財產不繼承、不變賣、不投資，全部用於慈善事業。余彭年這個安排和公開宣示，是為確保一旦乘鶴西去之後，他所致力的慈善事業仍然有資源繼續推行下去，顯示他要把財產做善事的決心之大和堅定。
余彭年畢生奮鬥，1950 年代偷渡來港，做過雜工，拉過黃包車，憑努力成就一番事業，現在看來，做善事是他的夢想。許多人都有夢想，已故的霍英東先生也是奮鬥致富，他回饋國家、鄉梓的事，街知巷聞，他晚年的夢想是把一片沼澤荒地的南沙發展成為科研中心，只是霍老有生之年，並未就這個夢想在財務上作更適當安排，而他的後人關注回報問題，使得原本2008 年底完工的「香港科技大學霍英東研究院」，現在仍是種花生的田野。
還有，龔如心的千億元遺產，她2002 年的遺囑，把全部財產撥歸她與王德輝共同創立的華懋慈善基金。龔如心空有夢想，生前並無具體落實安排，使她死後隨即掀起陳振聰的爭產官司。她的遺囑能否實現，只有天曉得。
富豪縱有做善事回饋社會人民之夢，若無具體落實安排，則無人可以保證其夢想可以延續和實現。與許多富豪相比，余彭年的家財可能只及零頭，但是余老先生已經做了必要安排，夢想能夠實現的可能性很高，這一點，值得有意以家財濟世的富豪參考。
Glossary
philanthropy /fI'lan r pI/the practice of helping the poor and those inneed, especially by giving money.
survive
exist or live longer than (somebody).dissipation /dIsI'peI ʃ()n/behaviour which is enjoyable but is harmful.
Mr Yu would leave his children nothing because ofhis peculiar point of view. He once said, "Why should Ileave any of my sons any money if they have morestrengths than I or if they have more weaknesses thanI? If they are resourceful, they will do better than I. Ifthey don't compare with me, they may indulge indissipation - gambling, whoring and even doing drugs.Then it would harm them to leave them any money."Mr Yu said he had appointed HSBC as the trusteeof his fortune and stipulated that no part of it might beinherited, sold or invested and all of it should be usedfor charitable purposes. He has made thisarrangement and openly announced it because hewants to make sure that resources will be available sothat his charitable work can be continued after hisdeparture from this world. That shows how determinedhe is to devote his fortune to charity.
Yu Panglin, who got smuggled into Hong Kong inthe 1950s, has worked hard all his life. He once didodd jobs and worked as a rickshaw man. He owes hisaccomplishments to his own efforts. Now it seemsclear that it is his dream to do philanthropic work. Manycherish dreams. It is common knowledge how HenryFok, who worked hard to become rich, requited hisnative town and the nation. A dream he cherished inhis later years was to turn Nansha, a swamp, into ascientific research centre. However, he made noappropriate financial arrangements for realising thatdream. His children are so concerned about returnsthat peanuts still grow on the site for the HKUST FokYing Tung Graduate School, whose completion wasscheduled for the end of 2008.
Furthermore, Nina Wang stated in her 2002 willthat the whole of her $100-billion estate should betransferred to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation,which she and Teddy Wang, her husband, hadfounded. Nina Wang had a dream. However, becauseshe failed to make concrete arrangements when shewas alive, Tony Chan contended for her legacy assoon as she died. God knows whether her wish will becarried out.
Tycoons may have dreams of benefiting societyby devoting their wealth to charitable purposes.However, if they fail to make concrete arrangements,none can be certain that their dreams will come true.Yu Panglin's fortune is perhaps peanuts to what manya tycoon has. However, because he has madenecessary arrangements, his dream is very likely tocome true. This is what tycoons who intend to benefitsociety with their wealth would do well to pay heed to.
余彭年盡捐百億家財無私善行仁義可風
余彭年昨日在上海宣布，把接近100 億港元家財，全部用於慈善事業。余彭年捐款行善已30 年，他選擇把龐大家財造福社會，而非留給子孫，這是民胞物與、痌瘝在抱精神和情懷的最高體現。最可貴者是余先生已經作好安排，確保就算有朝一日百年歸老了，他的善行仍然可以延續下去。本港熱中慈善事業的富豪大不乏人，如果他們能與余彭年一樣，做好善行可持續下去的安排，則這個世界會更美好。
余彭年不留家財給後輩，有一套觀點，他認為「兒子強與我，留錢做什麼；兒子弱與我，留錢做什麼；兒子如果有辦法，他比我做得更好，兒子不如我，他們每天花天酒地，甚至於黃賭毒都有，這樣反而害了他」。余彭年表示他的所有財產全部委託香港匯豐銀行託管、監管，並明確定下所有財產不繼承、不變賣、不投資，全部用於慈善事業。余彭年這個安排和公開宣示，是為確保一旦乘鶴西去之後，他所致力的慈善事業仍然有資源繼續推行下去，顯示他要把財產做善事的決心之大和堅定。
余彭年畢生奮鬥，1950 年代偷渡來港，做過雜工，拉過黃包車，憑努力成就一番事業，現在看來，做善事是他的夢想。許多人都有夢想，已故的霍英東先生也是奮鬥致富，他回饋國家、鄉梓的事，街知巷聞，他晚年的夢想是把一片沼澤荒地的南沙發展成為科研中心，只是霍老有生之年，並未就這個夢想在財務上作更適當安排，而他的後人關注回報問題，使得原本2008 年底完工的「香港科技大學霍英東研究院」，現在仍是種花生的田野。
還有，龔如心的千億元遺產，她2002 年的遺囑，把全部財產撥歸她與王德輝共同創立的華懋慈善基金。龔如心空有夢想，生前並無具體落實安排，使她死後隨即掀起陳振聰的爭產官司。她的遺囑能否實現，只有天曉得。
富豪縱有做善事回饋社會人民之夢，若無具體落實安排，則無人可以保證其夢想可以延續和實現。與許多富豪相比，余彭年的家財可能只及零頭，但是余老先生已經做了必要安排，夢想能夠實現的可能性很高，這一點，值得有意以家財濟世的富豪參考。
Glossary
philanthropy /fI'lan r pI/the practice of helping the poor and those inneed, especially by giving money.
survive
exist or live longer than (somebody).dissipation /dIsI'peI ʃ()n/behaviour which is enjoyable but is harmful.
2010年4月22日星期四
SEC-Goldman case
IN the US, the Securities and ExchangeCommission (SEC) has charged Goldman SachsGroup Inc and Fabrice Tourre (one of its vicepresidents) with fraud in a civil lawsuit. The USlaw-enforcement agency has taken action against thebiggest investment bank in the world. The outcome ofthe litigation would very much matter to both. Since thefinancial tsunami devastated the world, governmentshave tended to try harder to regulate financialinstitutions. The outcome of the case would haveprofound repercussions in the financial world. Nospectacle like the SEC-Goldman case has happenedhere. However, it should inspire Hong Kong to improveits financial infrastructure by having more effectiveregulation.
Goldman is the biggest investment bank in theworld. Would it rashly come to heel? The litigation willculminate in a trial of the century. The investmentbank will certainly fight for all it is worth to safeguardits reputation. The SEC-Goldman chess game has yetto unfold. However, the Pandora's box having beenopened, the case may affect other investment banks.
Goldman may just be a point at which BarackObama and his administration intend to make abreakthrough in stepping up regulation and bringinginvestment banks (each of which may control as muchwealth as a government does) under control. The SECintends to consecrate its colours with Goldman'sblood. It does not matter whether the SEC has tried tosuit its actions to the Obama administration's schedule.
No sooner had it taken action against the investmentbank than Obama and the Democrats seize theopportunity to call for passing financial reform laws forregulating financial derivatives. Therefore, Goldmanwill fight the legal battle to save not only its reputationbut also investment banks' future.
It remains to be seen whether the SEC orGoldman will win and whether Obama, who haspushed the health insurance law through, will winanother battle. Obama is aware that he has to dealwith the problem of inadequate regulation the financialtsunami exposed. If financial regulation remains as it isdespite the disaster, another disaster will lie in store.That is why there is a growing trend towards closersupervision of financial markets. Hong Kong has nopower to influence the rest of the world. However, it isnecessary for the SAR government to do everything inits power to make regulation more effective.
In recent years, there have been cases of issuersfalsifying financial reports. Most such cases involveaccountants. In Hong Kong, accountants policethemselves. The Hong Kong Institute of CertifiedPublic Accountants (HKICPA) has always been slow ininvestigating such cases. People therefore suspect it istoo partial towards its members to supervise themeffectively. About seven years ago, the governmentproposed that a statutory body replace it as thewatchdog of accountants. The proposal was shelvedamid strong opposition. Recently, the government hasagain suggested that there should be an independentwatchdog of the profession. The HKICPA has raisedobjections as it did.
In all leading financial markets in the world,independent bodies supervise professionalaccountants. The mainland, Japan, Singapore andMalaysia are pursing reform in this direction. HongKong now lacks an independent regulator that canreach mutual recognition agreements with its overseascounterparts. That does not conduce to our financialmarket's development. Mutual recognition agreementsmay bring down listed companies' accounting costs, fora company that will be listed in two places will onlyhave to prepare one financial report if there is a mutualrecognition agreement between them. There is now atrend towards simultaneous initial public offerings.More overseas companies may consider getting listedhere if Hong Kong has mutual recognition agreementswith other places.
If an independent body regulates the accountingprofession, Hong Kong will have sounder financialinfrastructure, and more companies will get listed in theterritory. That would benefit the accounting profession.In our view, the accounting profession should go alongwith the trend towards stricter regulation of all facets ofthe financial sector, say goodbye to "self-policing" andsubject itself to an independent body's regulation sothat the international financial centre will have astronger "constitution".
明報英語網「雙語社評」
english.mingpao.com/critic.htm
明報社評 2010.04.21
美國證交會拿高盛祭旗香港會計界應接受監管
美國證券交易委員會（簡稱證交會）起訴高盛集團（Goldman Sachs Group Inc.） 及其副總裁之一圖爾（Fabrice Tourre）民事欺詐，這場官司，是美國執法部門對付全球最大的投資銀行，輸贏對雙方都至關重要；另外，金融海嘯之後，全球傾向加強監管金融機構聲中，這宗官司的結果對金融世界有深遠影響。香港沒有類如證交會控告高盛的大場面，但是在加強監管以健全金融基建方面，從中應該可以得到啟迪。
高盛是全球最大的投資銀行，哪會輕易屈服，這宗官司將會是世紀大審訊，高盛肯定傾力抗辯，為商譽而戰。此案尚待證交會和高盛博弈，但是已經打開了「潘朶拉的盒子」，可能波及其他投資銀行。
由此看來，證交會對付高盛，掀起全面翻舊帳的風暴，高盛可能只是奧巴馬和美國政府加強監管、制服富可敵國投資銀行的突破口。事實上，無論美國證交會有否配合奧巴馬的時間表，總之，證交會拿高盛祭旗的同時，奧巴馬與民主黨人以此為借口，要求通過金融改革法例，加強監管金融衍生產品。因此，高盛此番司法之戰，不但捍衛商譽，還是為了投資銀行日後的營運而戰。
證交會與高盛誰勝誰負，奧巴馬能否繼醫保法例之後，再下一城，且看後續發展，不過，金融海嘯所暴露監管不足問題，奧巴馬知道一定要處理，若經此大禍之後，金融監管依然故我，另一個災難就在前面等着。所以，加強監管金融市場是大勢所趨，香港雖然沒有牽動世界之力，但是在力所能及範圍內，尋求更有效監管，還是有必要的。
這些年來，本港一些新股上市涉及「造假」之事，多與會計師有關。會計業實行「自我監管」制度，過去遇到事故，會計師公會的調查工作一向緩慢，被外界質疑偏幫自己人，未能有效監管會計師。約7 年前，政府原擬由獨立法定機構，取代香港會計師公會監管會計界，但是因為遭到激烈反對，未能成事。近期政府重提建議，要會計界朝獨立監管模式發展，正如過往一樣，會計師公會已經表明反對。
目前世界各個主要先進金融市場，都是由獨立機構監管會計專業，中國大陸、日本、新加坡及馬來西亞，也正朝着這個方向改革；若本港沒有獨立監管單位，將難與海外監管機構互認，不利於本港金融市場的發展。互認審計制度可減低上市公司的審計成本，若公司在兩地上市，也只需準備一份財務報表，環球企業到世界各國多邊上市已成趨勢，本港若能與其他地區互認，有助吸引海外企業來港上市。
由獨立機構監管會計界，可加強金融基建和吸引更多企業來港上市，會計界本身也可以從中得益，所以，我們認為會計界應該服膺加強監管各個金融環節的大趨勢，告別「自我監管」，接受由獨立機構監管，以更強化國際金融中心的體質。
每周一音標
《明報英語網》逢星期二推出「每周一音標」，以視像短片模式教授國際音標，真人發音，歡迎瀏覽網址：english.mingpao.com
G lossary
culminate /'k .lmIneIt/end (with a particular result).
for all it is worth
with great energy, effort and determination.
colours
a flag, badge etc that represents a team or acountry.
Goldman is the biggest investment bank in theworld. Would it rashly come to heel? The litigation willculminate in a trial of the century. The investmentbank will certainly fight for all it is worth to safeguardits reputation. The SEC-Goldman chess game has yetto unfold. However, the Pandora's box having beenopened, the case may affect other investment banks.
Goldman may just be a point at which BarackObama and his administration intend to make abreakthrough in stepping up regulation and bringinginvestment banks (each of which may control as muchwealth as a government does) under control. The SECintends to consecrate its colours with Goldman'sblood. It does not matter whether the SEC has tried tosuit its actions to the Obama administration's schedule.
No sooner had it taken action against the investmentbank than Obama and the Democrats seize theopportunity to call for passing financial reform laws forregulating financial derivatives. Therefore, Goldmanwill fight the legal battle to save not only its reputationbut also investment banks' future.
It remains to be seen whether the SEC orGoldman will win and whether Obama, who haspushed the health insurance law through, will winanother battle. Obama is aware that he has to dealwith the problem of inadequate regulation the financialtsunami exposed. If financial regulation remains as it isdespite the disaster, another disaster will lie in store.That is why there is a growing trend towards closersupervision of financial markets. Hong Kong has nopower to influence the rest of the world. However, it isnecessary for the SAR government to do everything inits power to make regulation more effective.
In recent years, there have been cases of issuersfalsifying financial reports. Most such cases involveaccountants. In Hong Kong, accountants policethemselves. The Hong Kong Institute of CertifiedPublic Accountants (HKICPA) has always been slow ininvestigating such cases. People therefore suspect it istoo partial towards its members to supervise themeffectively. About seven years ago, the governmentproposed that a statutory body replace it as thewatchdog of accountants. The proposal was shelvedamid strong opposition. Recently, the government hasagain suggested that there should be an independentwatchdog of the profession. The HKICPA has raisedobjections as it did.
In all leading financial markets in the world,independent bodies supervise professionalaccountants. The mainland, Japan, Singapore andMalaysia are pursing reform in this direction. HongKong now lacks an independent regulator that canreach mutual recognition agreements with its overseascounterparts. That does not conduce to our financialmarket's development. Mutual recognition agreementsmay bring down listed companies' accounting costs, fora company that will be listed in two places will onlyhave to prepare one financial report if there is a mutualrecognition agreement between them. There is now atrend towards simultaneous initial public offerings.More overseas companies may consider getting listedhere if Hong Kong has mutual recognition agreementswith other places.
If an independent body regulates the accountingprofession, Hong Kong will have sounder financialinfrastructure, and more companies will get listed in theterritory. That would benefit the accounting profession.In our view, the accounting profession should go alongwith the trend towards stricter regulation of all facets ofthe financial sector, say goodbye to "self-policing" andsubject itself to an independent body's regulation sothat the international financial centre will have astronger "constitution".
明報英語網「雙語社評」
english.mingpao.com/critic.htm
明報社評 2010.04.21
美國證交會拿高盛祭旗香港會計界應接受監管
美國證券交易委員會（簡稱證交會）起訴高盛集團（Goldman Sachs Group Inc.） 及其副總裁之一圖爾（Fabrice Tourre）民事欺詐，這場官司，是美國執法部門對付全球最大的投資銀行，輸贏對雙方都至關重要；另外，金融海嘯之後，全球傾向加強監管金融機構聲中，這宗官司的結果對金融世界有深遠影響。香港沒有類如證交會控告高盛的大場面，但是在加強監管以健全金融基建方面，從中應該可以得到啟迪。
高盛是全球最大的投資銀行，哪會輕易屈服，這宗官司將會是世紀大審訊，高盛肯定傾力抗辯，為商譽而戰。此案尚待證交會和高盛博弈，但是已經打開了「潘朶拉的盒子」，可能波及其他投資銀行。
由此看來，證交會對付高盛，掀起全面翻舊帳的風暴，高盛可能只是奧巴馬和美國政府加強監管、制服富可敵國投資銀行的突破口。事實上，無論美國證交會有否配合奧巴馬的時間表，總之，證交會拿高盛祭旗的同時，奧巴馬與民主黨人以此為借口，要求通過金融改革法例，加強監管金融衍生產品。因此，高盛此番司法之戰，不但捍衛商譽，還是為了投資銀行日後的營運而戰。
證交會與高盛誰勝誰負，奧巴馬能否繼醫保法例之後，再下一城，且看後續發展，不過，金融海嘯所暴露監管不足問題，奧巴馬知道一定要處理，若經此大禍之後，金融監管依然故我，另一個災難就在前面等着。所以，加強監管金融市場是大勢所趨，香港雖然沒有牽動世界之力，但是在力所能及範圍內，尋求更有效監管，還是有必要的。
這些年來，本港一些新股上市涉及「造假」之事，多與會計師有關。會計業實行「自我監管」制度，過去遇到事故，會計師公會的調查工作一向緩慢，被外界質疑偏幫自己人，未能有效監管會計師。約7 年前，政府原擬由獨立法定機構，取代香港會計師公會監管會計界，但是因為遭到激烈反對，未能成事。近期政府重提建議，要會計界朝獨立監管模式發展，正如過往一樣，會計師公會已經表明反對。
目前世界各個主要先進金融市場，都是由獨立機構監管會計專業，中國大陸、日本、新加坡及馬來西亞，也正朝着這個方向改革；若本港沒有獨立監管單位，將難與海外監管機構互認，不利於本港金融市場的發展。互認審計制度可減低上市公司的審計成本，若公司在兩地上市，也只需準備一份財務報表，環球企業到世界各國多邊上市已成趨勢，本港若能與其他地區互認，有助吸引海外企業來港上市。
由獨立機構監管會計界，可加強金融基建和吸引更多企業來港上市，會計界本身也可以從中得益，所以，我們認為會計界應該服膺加強監管各個金融環節的大趨勢，告別「自我監管」，接受由獨立機構監管，以更強化國際金融中心的體質。
每周一音標
《明報英語網》逢星期二推出「每周一音標」，以視像短片模式教授國際音標，真人發音，歡迎瀏覽網址：english.mingpao.com
G lossary
culminate /'k .lmIneIt/end (with a particular result).
for all it is worth
with great energy, effort and determination.
colours
a flag, badge etc that represents a team or acountry.
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