又中又英｜Floated the idea

When former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah floated the idea of food trucks in 2015 as a tourist attraction, I knew the plan would flop. The food trucks started operating in 2017. After initial public interest, the food truck business began to limp. The government ended the scheme in June last year. Only six of the 15 food trucks now remain after the West Kowloon Cultural District invited them to operate there. To float an idea means to propose an idea to see if people are interested. If a plan flops it means it fails.

To limp means to walk with difficulty because of an injured leg. But to limp also means to develop slowly and with difficulty. Hong Kong\'s economy is now limping. It\'s good of the WKCD to rescue the remaining food trucks but it’s uncertain how long they can survive. Hong Kong has too many restaurants. The government has now floated the idea of night bazaars to revive the economy. During my six months in Taipei, I visited several night markets with many different types of street food. They are very popular with locals and tourists. Some streets are closed to traffic in the evenings for night markets to operate.

Will Hong Kong do that? Some officials have suggested that shopping malls remain open late to promote a night economy. But shopping malls are not bazaars. They lack the atmosphere of night markets. Prolonging opening hours is costly. If the government is serious about night bazaars, it should allow tai pai dongs, hawkers, and restaurant stalls on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Visitors can enjoy food with a beautiful evening harbour view.

前财政司司长曾俊华在二零一五年提出美食车作为旅游景点的想法（floated the idea），当时我就知道那个计划会失败（flop）。美食车于二零一七年开始营运。除了起初吸引到公众兴趣外，美食车其后便开始举步维艰（limp）。政府于上年六月结束整个计划。西九文化区邀请了十五辆美食车于该处经营，现时只馀六辆还在。To float an idea是指去提出一个想法，看看人们会否感兴趣。若一个计划 flops，那即是它失败了。

To limp意即因为一边脚受伤了，走路一瘸一拐的；但to limp也解作进展缓慢、举步维艰。香港的经济现在亦是举步维艰（limping）。西九文化区去挽救那尚馀的美食车是好的，但也不能确定它们到底可以生存多久。香港有太多餐厅了。现在，政府又提出想法（floated the idea），举行夜市以复苏经济。我在台北逗留的六个月期间，拜访了好些夜市，当中有许多不同种类的街头小食。它们非常受当地人和游客欢迎。有些街道会在晚上不予行车，让夜市经营。

香港会那样做吗？有些政府官员建议，购物商场延长开门时间，以促进夜经济。然而，购物商场不是市场，它们缺乏夜市的氛围。延长营业时间，成本不菲。如果政府想认真搞夜市，它应该容让大牌档、小贩和饮食摊位在尖沙嘴海旁营运。客人可以一边品尝美食，一边欣赏美丽的海港景致。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻