又中又英｜Spring to mind

Spring to mind

Cities that are popular with tourists have many attractions that make tourists go back multiple times. Paris has the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and scenic river cruises along the Seine. Japan has many cities, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, and Kyoto, that attract tourists with ski resorts, Mount Fuji, and Japanese cuisine. New York has Times Square, Broadway shows, and the Fifth Avenue shopping area. London has Buckingham Palace, West End shows, and museums. Does Hong Kong have attractions that make tourists visit multiple times? Victoria Harbour, The Peak, the many restaurants with different cuisines, and the Rugby Sevens spring to mind.

Truth be told, Hong Kong’s attractions are fraying at the seams. Ocean Park is no longer as popular. Disneyland Park is still struggling to make a profit. The jury is still out on whether the West Kowloon Cultural District can attract tourists from around the world. The expression “spring to mind” means to come quickly into your mind. The expression “truth be told” means to give your honest opinion. If something is fraying at the seams or edges, it means it is becoming less successful or effective. The expression “the jury is still out” means a decision has not been made about an issue.

Bangkok is famous for its street food and night life. Taipei’s night markets are popular with international visitors. Street vendors can add colour and soul to a city, but Hong Kong is phasing out its remaining hawkers. Global tourism is rising now that the coronavirus pandemic has eased. Hong Kong needs new ideas if it wants to compete with other cities.
 

受遊客歡迎的城市，都有許多景點吸引遊客多遍重遊。巴黎有羅浮宮、聖母院、艾菲爾鐵塔，以及欣賞塞納河畔秀麗風光的遊船。日本亦有許多城市，例如東京、大阪、北海道和京都，以滑雪勝地、富士山和日式美食吸引遊客。紐約有時代廣場、百老滙劇目以及第五大道的購物區。倫敦則有白金漢宮、西區劇目以及眾多博物館。香港可有甚麼旅遊景點，可令遊客一遊再遊？腦海中便立即浮現（spring to mind）了維多利亞港、山頂、眾多餐廳的各國美食，以及國際七人欖球賽。

老實說（truth be told），香港的旅遊景點正在失色（fraying at the seams）。海洋公園已經不再受歡迎了。迪士尼樂園仍在艱苦獲利。西九文化區是否能吸引全球各地的遊客，尚不明確（the jury is still out）。習語“spring to mind”即某事情快速躍入腦海，讓你突然想起。習語“truth be told”即實話實說，給予最誠實的意見。若某事 is fraying at the seams或edges，那就是說它愈來愈不成功或失效，就如衣服因磨損而破洞、披口一般。習語“the jury is still out”即某事情懸而未決，尚未達成結論。

曼谷以街頭食物和夜生活聞名。台北夜市亦廣受國際遊客歡迎。街邊攤販可以為一個城市增添色彩與靈魂，可惜香港正在逐步淘汰它僅餘的小販。現在新冠肺炎疫情已緩解，全球旅遊業全面復甦。若香港想跟其他城市競爭，就需要新點子。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻