The host city for the 2016 Olympic Games has been announced. Chicago bowed out after the first round of voting for the host city as it received the fewest votes. One of Hong Kong’s news broadcasts reported that the sudden appearance of the US president Obama at the IOC meeting was expected to lift Chicago’s chances, but the defeat showed that the US would not have its way all the time on the foreign affairs scene. Not only would this weaken Obama’s reputation on the world stage, it would also undermine his standing in domestic politics.
I couldn’t understand how people could make such an exaggeration on Obama’s effect on the voting and on the consequences of the defeat. I tended to think it was just another of those conspiracies against Obama by his political enemies.
2016年奧運主辦城市已經揭盅，申辦城市之一的城市芝加哥在第一輪投票輪選時已出局，無線新聞報導時說，有人事前預言美國總統奧巴馬臨時決定現身拉票會有助芝加哥勝出，但這次落敗也顯示奧巴馬在外交上並非有絕對影響力，事事不一定順境，還可能影響其在美國國內的管治威信云云。
我聽罷也覺可笑，事前把奧巴馬說成是神一樣，事敗後也把其後果無限放大，真不曉得是不是奧巴馬政敵的陰謀論也。
The same news broadcast also reported that Rome was interested in running for the 2020 Olympic Games.
My mum reckoned that the thieves and pickpockets of Rome couldn’t have asked for any better news, and they might start forming a union and organise lots of training courses in anticipation of their ‘labour market demand’!
當日新聞還報導，羅馬有意申辦2020年的奧運會。
家母打趣說，羅馬的小偷盜賊一定最開心，說不定他們還會趕快組成聯盟，搞些再培訓課程，多訓練「人材」，以應付屆時的人手需求！
The upcoming Commonwealth Games (participated by countries formerly belonging to the British Empire, now members of the British Commonwealth) will be held next year in New Delhi in India. Rumours had it that Melbourne, the last host city in 2006, might have to run it one more time as the construction progress in New Delhi was much behind schedule – although it had been denied by the Indian government.
Although many like to compare India with China, frankly there is no comparison when it comes to infrastructural progress. Is it because of chronic neglect, a lack of funds or low efficiency on construction projects on India's part?
下屆英聯邦運動會，將於來年在印度新德里舉行（相信回歸以後，港人都不會再關心這個運動會了），有傳聞說，因建築進度仍未達標，上屆主辦的墨爾本可能要「冧莊」再辦一屆——雖然印度當局已否認了。
單是這件事，足以說明在硬實力上，印度跟祖國還有一大段距離。究竟是印度辦事效率差，還是印度政府一向對基建較為忽視，又或有心搞但無錢實現？
The selection of Rio de Janeiro as the host for the next Olympic Games is, in a way, an endorsement of Brazil’s power on the world stage. It’s one of the four fastest growing developing economies abbreviated as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and already among the 10 largest economies around the world. Much like Beijing a year ago, the Olympic Games in 7 years’ time would be a perfect opportunity for Brazil to strut its stuff in front of the whole world.
這次巴西獲得奧運主辦權，也算是對其國力的肯定。巴西乃金磚西國之一（四個最大的發展中經濟），也躋身世界十大經濟體之列，不知七年後在里約熱內盧，也不會像一年前的北京，上演懾人心魄的「大國崛起」的一幕？
I couldn’t understand how people could make such an exaggeration on Obama’s effect on the voting and on the consequences of the defeat. I tended to think it was just another of those conspiracies against Obama by his political enemies.
2016年奧運主辦城市已經揭盅，申辦城市之一的城市芝加哥在第一輪投票輪選時已出局，無線新聞報導時說，有人事前預言美國總統奧巴馬臨時決定現身拉票會有助芝加哥勝出，但這次落敗也顯示奧巴馬在外交上並非有絕對影響力，事事不一定順境，還可能影響其在美國國內的管治威信云云。
我聽罷也覺可笑，事前把奧巴馬說成是神一樣，事敗後也把其後果無限放大，真不曉得是不是奧巴馬政敵的陰謀論也。
* * *
The same news broadcast also reported that Rome was interested in running for the 2020 Olympic Games.
My mum reckoned that the thieves and pickpockets of Rome couldn’t have asked for any better news, and they might start forming a union and organise lots of training courses in anticipation of their ‘labour market demand’!
當日新聞還報導，羅馬有意申辦2020年的奧運會。
家母打趣說，羅馬的小偷盜賊一定最開心，說不定他們還會趕快組成聯盟，搞些再培訓課程，多訓練「人材」，以應付屆時的人手需求！
* * *
The upcoming Commonwealth Games (participated by countries formerly belonging to the British Empire, now members of the British Commonwealth) will be held next year in New Delhi in India. Rumours had it that Melbourne, the last host city in 2006, might have to run it one more time as the construction progress in New Delhi was much behind schedule – although it had been denied by the Indian government.
Although many like to compare India with China, frankly there is no comparison when it comes to infrastructural progress. Is it because of chronic neglect, a lack of funds or low efficiency on construction projects on India's part?
下屆英聯邦運動會，將於來年在印度新德里舉行（相信回歸以後，港人都不會再關心這個運動會了），有傳聞說，因建築進度仍未達標，上屆主辦的墨爾本可能要「冧莊」再辦一屆——雖然印度當局已否認了。
單是這件事，足以說明在硬實力上，印度跟祖國還有一大段距離。究竟是印度辦事效率差，還是印度政府一向對基建較為忽視，又或有心搞但無錢實現？
* * *
The selection of Rio de Janeiro as the host for the next Olympic Games is, in a way, an endorsement of Brazil’s power on the world stage. It’s one of the four fastest growing developing economies abbreviated as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and already among the 10 largest economies around the world. Much like Beijing a year ago, the Olympic Games in 7 years’ time would be a perfect opportunity for Brazil to strut its stuff in front of the whole world.
這次巴西獲得奧運主辦權，也算是對其國力的肯定。巴西乃金磚西國之一（四個最大的發展中經濟），也躋身世界十大經濟體之列，不知七年後在里約熱內盧，也不會像一年前的北京，上演懾人心魄的「大國崛起」的一幕？
Comments
睇番你先前遊羅馬嗰篇，嘩，比着我，開口要酬金？不如同我行一轉警局先啦。我喺米蘭就見過有人差啲俾人圍埋割荷包，好彩我哋喝住咋。
嗰次喺羅馬，驚魂甫定就當然不防有虞，我哋都係幾個鐘後事後檢討先會諗起成件事根本係個局，20歐元，當破財擋災囉。
我舊年喺巴塞羅那，都試過俾十來廿個細路圍埋屈「捐錢」，好彩有個中年人過嚟喝佢哋幾句，仲嚇佢哋話有警察（又的確有警車半分鐘後巡到嗰度），全班人即刻散水，總算可以甩身！