又中又英｜A ring of truth

Some Taipei friends joked about tourists in Hong Kong and Taiwan. They said Putonghua is heard more than Cantonese nowadays in areas such as Central. But Cantonese is heard more than Mandarin in many Taipei tourist areas. There is a ring of truth in this. When I was recently in Hong Kong, I heard mostly Putonghua in Central and the Kennedy Town harbour-front, which is popular with mainlanders. I am now in Taipei and can attest I heard a lot of Cantonese in popular tourist spots such as night markets during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have become the most popular tourist destinations for Hong Kong people.

If something has a ring of truth, it means it seems to be true. If you can attest to something, it means you can prove it is true or it exists. I often see Japanese, South Koreans, and Westerners when I explore Taipei's streets. It makes me wonder why I didn't see such tourists when I was in Hong Kong. Friends tell me Hong Kong has lost its lustre (luster in American English). If a place has lost its lustre, it means it has lost its appeal. Government officials pooh-pooh criticism that Hong Kong has lost its lustre.

To pooh-pooh something means to reject it as nonsense. They insist Hong Kong remains an attractive tourist destination. It seems the city is only attractive to mainland day-trippers who spend very little money. Hong Kong has many attractions, but it has priced itself out of the tourist market. To price itself out of something means to charge too much for it to be affordable.

一些台北的朋友们拿香港和台湾的游客说笑。他们说，今时今日，在诸如中环这些地区，听到普通话多于广东话，但在许多台北的游客区，就听到广东话多过国语了。这个听上去很真实（a ring of truth）。我早前在香港时，在中环和坚尼地城海旁这些受内地人欢迎的地区，就主要听到普通话；我现在身处台北则可以做证（attest），于圣诞和新年假期期间，在一些受欢迎的游客热点例如夜市，确实听到许多广东话。日本、台湾和南韩都已成为香港人最热门的旅游目的地。

若某事has a ring of truth，意即它听起来是真的。若你可以attest to something，那即是你可以证实它是真的，或者它是确实存在的。我探索台北大街小巷时，就不时见到日本人、南韩人和西方人，这令我好奇，为何我之前在香港的时候，总见不着这类游客呢。朋友们告诉我，香港已经lost its lustre（美式英语是luster）——若一个地方 has lost its lustre，那意味着它已失去光彩、不再吸引。政府官员对于「香港已失去光泽」（lost its lustre）此等批评不屑一顾（pooh-pooh）。

To pooh-pooh something意即对某事物嗤之以鼻，轻视其为胡说八道的。他们坚持，香港仍然是具吸引力的旅游目的地。看来这城市只是对那些花很少旅费、即日来回的内地客有吸引力。香港有许多旅游胜地，但它开天杀价，将自己挤出了（priced itself out of）旅游市场。To price itself out of something是指叫价过高，令人难以负担得起。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻