Was sagst du? 樣樣都德

On my round-the-world work trip last year, I managed to spend a couple of days in Singapore (15th and 16th July). My last visit to Singapore was in 2005, and since my flight ticket allowed I thought it would be a good idea for a return visit. I’m thankful that my good friend’s parents offered to put me up and show me around. They took me out not long after landing in early morning on the 15th and settling at their place. 去年七月 環球公幹 時，因機票容許，又因對上一次到訪已是2005年的事，所以便順道在新加坡停留兩天（7月15至16日）。這次多得好友的父母招待，我15日清早一下機，到其家安頓後不久，他們便帶我四處遊覽了。  Marina Bay is a well-known tourist spot with the Merlion and the theatres as its most famous landmarks. But after a 7-year absence I could hardly recognise the place! The most eye-catching new building was a hotel with a roof-top swimming pool which looks as if its water will meet the sky, as I’ve seen from a Hong Kong TV programme. Across the water from the hotel were a new spectator stand and a floating stage (Marina Bay Seating Gallery and The Float @ Mari...

2012年香港接二連三爆出高官僭建（違例建築）和貪污醜聞，觸發民憤，尤其是現任行政長官靠針對選舉對手的僭建而贏得寶座，但上台後回應自家住宅的僭建時卻閃爍其詞，引來陣陣要求其下台的呼聲。反對者對行政長官和現政府最不滿的其中一點，是香港的「核心價值」正不斷受侵蝕，例如司法獨立和高度自治正受外力越來越大的干擾，高官的廉潔奉公形象被一連串醜聞沾污。 但此乃政治上的「核心價值」，其實這些醜聞也是香港真正的「核心價值」的照妖鏡。 元旦日其中一場反行政長官的大型遊行，主辦單位不肯接受學術界較客觀且有學術基礎的方法統計人數。遊行人數多寡，是政治能量的一種反映，「報大數」當然對主辦單位有好處，過往也每每出現主辦單位公佈的遊行人數遠超警方和學者的估計，學者制定一套幾經推敲而更有說服力和公信力的估計方法，採用了本來更可取信於民，但主辦單位不採納，學者也無可奈何，報章說：「他稱泛民（反對現行政治制度的一眾政黨）常以『誠信』二字批評政府，他也『愛之深、責之切』，望民陣（元旦遊行的主辦者）能處理問題。」（ 原文在此 ） 學者客氣沒直言不韙，但他大概還有如此結論：祇許遊行主辦人要求別人有誠信，不准他人向遊行主辦人談誠信。 行政長官對僭建問題的辯解，令人覺得其堆砌言詞以蒙混過關，試圖以文字遊戲（或現今流行說的「語言偽術」）掩飾己過，不是要為他開脫，在外國民主社會的高官如此行徑也屢見不鮮，卻也為民眾所不屑，香港市民不滿行政長官反應實屬正常。但香港是怎樣的社會，大家心知肚明，香港真正的「核心價值」，實際上包括「走精面」（看風頭）、「搵著數」（圖點便宜）、「唔肯蝕底」（不會吃虧）和「唔衰得」（不認低威），行政長官用語言帶大家遊花園，試問港人在工作場所和待人接物，誰沒有使出過這招數？就算你想獨善其身，想實話實說，對方也不一定受落。一個回流香港的醫生撰文，說他憑良心道德告訴病人和家屬對病情背後的原因不完全知曉，會令他們不信任其能力，他道出其感受：「剛毅木訥近仁，但香港人不buy這一套，巧言令色，虛偽浮誇，才能在商業社會站得住腳。」（ 原文在此 ） 香港人普遍誠信高嗎？我入世尚淺（亦久沒在港長期生活），但相信不少人都因受別人擺弄、欺騙或誤信他人而吃過苦頭。也有評論人說，勾心鬥角的電視劇在香港普遍受追捧的其中一個原因，是香港人事和環境複雜，劇中爾虞我詐的情節很易引起其鳴。我們要求為政者光明磊落...

In mid-October I went to Munich for 2 weeks to attend a conference and do some laboratory work. The weather put on a good show in this short period of time, as gorgeous autumn sceneries suddenly gave way to an early and abrupt arrival of a snow-covered landscape! 十月中到慕尼黑開會議和做實驗兩星期，在短短的時間內感受到秋天最美的一面和突如其來、提早來臨的冬天！ As I was on board the train from Frankfurt Airport to Munich upon arrival on 15th October, I already noticed that this autumn has started later than usual as the forests en route were still displaying a mix of green, amber and yellow and very few trees had all the leaves shed. And upon arrival in Munich, I was delighted to see the neighbourhood near my research institute and the streets in the city were all in lively autumn colours. Under the blue skies and mild autumn sunshine, the red and golden leaves looked especially brilliant and gave the world an extra warm and cosy feeling. 我10月15日在法蘭克福下飛機，再轉乘火車往慕尼黑，沿途樹林橙色、黃色如綠色斑駁，仍未有廣泛落葉的跡象，心想這個秋天可能比平時遲來吧。到了慕尼黑，不論在研究所周圍，或是會議場地附近，甚至...