Saturday, August 05, 2006

Watch this space

前政務司司長陳方安生早前在一個報業頒獎禮上,被問到來年會否參選特首時,她回答:
"It's been five years since I retired. I am a private citizen. And I do not feel that, as a private citizen, it is necessary to disclose things that I am not willing to disclose at this stage. So just watch this space," she said.
電視台與中文報紙沒有把最後一句watch this space 翻譯及報導,但這三個字卻隱藏玄機,只有兩張英文報紙報導。
問了幾個英文比自己好的人,不都不明這三個字的意思。向一個在外國長大的人查詢及在互聯網搜尋後,終於得到答案。
根據The Free Dictionary by Farlex,這三個字的意思是「something that you say which means that you think there will soon be exciting changes in a situation」。
例句:I will make things better. Watch this space.
朋友解釋說,要期待事情的發生,才會Watch。
我想可以把它譯成「拭目以待」吧。
我在想,是否地道外國人才明天它的意思。而我們要否如中學生般,把書報上讀到的英文生字寫在筆記本,然後作句。(2006-May-27)

1 comment:

minstrel said...

謝謝,很有幫助。光是直譯實在看不懂這三個字的意思。