又中又英｜That’ll be the day!

Readers who regularly follow this column will know I have taken many swipes at Hong Kong’s taxi drivers. To take a swipe at someone used this way means to criticize that person. Many taxi drivers are rude, and their taxis are not clean. The Hong Kong Taxi Council has started a courtesy campaign with representatives at busy taxi stands to urge drivers to be polite. It believes this can improve the taxi trade’s image. That’ll be the day! The expression “that’ll be the day!” is used when you think something is unlikely to happen.

I think it’s very hard to convince taxi drivers to improve because you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This expression means it is difficult to make people change their habits or character. Government figures prove this. They show a sharp rise last year in complaints against taxi drivers. Complaints against overcharging more than doubled to 340 last year compared with 2022. Complaints against drivers refusing to pick up passengers rose over 74 percent to 361 cases. Complaints against drivers taking an indirect route rose 45 percent to 177 cases. There were almost 4600 accidents involving taxis, a jump of over 26 percent compared with 2022.

The government plans to issue new permits for taxi fleets to improve services. Drivers in the fleet must have apps for online bookings and e-payments. I hope the taxi fleets will have cleaner vehicles and polite drivers. The taxi trade, which wants the government to ban Uber, hopes the new taxi fleets will outperform Uber. I can’t see that happening. Most Hong Kong people prefer Uber. The government should listen to the people.

恒常读这专栏的读者们，都会知道我已经多次批评过（taken many swipes at）香港的的士司机。To take a swipe at someone在这里是指去批评某人。许多的士司机都是粗鲁无礼，他们的的士也不乾净。香港的士业议会开始了一个礼貌运动，派礼貌大使在繁忙的的士站，力劝司机们要有礼貌。他们相信这能改善的士业界的形象。That’ll be the day! 习语「that’ll be the day!」的意思是「哪有这样的事！」，是当你认为某事不大可能发生时用的。

我认为，要说服的士司机们改善是很难的，因为you can’t teach an old dog new tricks——这个习语直译是「老狗是学不会新把戏的」，意即人本性难移，要改变一个人的习惯或性格是很难的。政府的数据也能证实这点。数据显示，上年就的士司机的投诉急剧上升。就滥收车资的投诉上年增至340宗，比2022年增加多于一倍；就的士司机拒载的投诉，升逾百分之74至361宗；投诉的士司机兜路升了百分之45，至177宗。上年有接近4600宗涉及的士的交通意外，对比2022年跳升超过百分之26。

政府计划发行新的的士车队牌照，以改善服务。的士车队的司机们必须有网约程式和电子支付。我则希望的士车队可以有更洁净的车辆及有礼的司机。要求政府禁止Uber的的士业界，希望新车队的表现将会胜过Uber。我就看不到会这样发生了。大部分香港人都情愿搭Uber。政府好应聆听市民的心声。

 
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻