Learning Cantonese: Lesley Mak on Wonton Noodles

Please do you best to put up with the disco soundtrack: the pain inflicted by the music is a small price to pay for the clear speech, special vocabulary (and English subtitles) you will encounter in episode No.90 of the Kong Stories series.

Lesley Mak, or 麥心睿 Mahk6 Sām1 Yeuih6 in Cantonese, runs the Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop in Jordan. Her specialty is wonton noodles, and one of the delights of this video is her use of the word 細蓉 sai3 yúng2, an insider’s term.《香港粵語大詞典》defines it as: 飲食行業術語 (“a trade term used in the hospitality industry”). You might get special treatment if you use it next time your order these prawn dumplings with 麵 noodles in clear soup. Actually, 蓉 is indispensable in another, horticultural context: it forms part of the compound 芙蓉 fùh4 yúng2 = 1. hibiscus 2. lotus.

In this episode, Mak makes several references to nostalgia or 懷舊 wàaih4 gauh6. This links with her use of the expression 難以忘懷 nàahn4 yíh5 mòhng4 wàaih4 = “hard to get out of one’s mind” and the noun 情懷chìhng4 wàaih4 = “feelings; thoughts & feelings” (observe how the character 懷 crops up again here). I sense that 情懷 doesn’t have to refer to specifically nostalgic feelings, but that it often does so.

Also of interest are the expressions 街頭街尾 gāai1 tàuh4 gāai1 méih5 = from one end of the street to the other; 後巷 hauh6 hóng6*2 = back alley; 早排 jóu2 pàaih4/páai4*2 = a while ago; a few days ago (cf. 呢排，近排 and 最排); and 心血 sām1 hyut3 = painstaking care/effort.

By the way, the character 睿 yeuih6 in Lesley Mak’s name has the meaning of “farsighted”. It’s not a very common character, but you do see it occasionally, particularly in the compound 睿智 yeuih6 ji3 = “wise and farsighted”.

Finally, I am guessing that 綠寳橙汁 luhk6 bóu2 cháang2 jāp1 is the beverage Martin Booth mentions in the following passage from his novel The Iron Tree:

‘Please,’ he went on. ‘Sit down. Take the weight off.’ That is a phrase he picked up as he did mart. ‘You wan’ a beer, soft drink? San Mig? Green Spot orange?’ Then he looked up and recognized me.

You can view the video here, but scroll down if you want the Cantonese transcript, notes and translation. Since it is on YouTube, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

You might also like to make use the Ekho Text to Speech Converter if you have trouble matching any part of the transcribed Chinese text to the spoken version. Just make sure you select “Cantonese” under the language menu before you paste cut and text into the relevant box.

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Caption: 麥文記 | Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop

麥心睿：我鍾意懷舊 | 黑白相、聽舊歌、細蓉、飲綠寳橙汁 | 種種懷舊嘅事物都令我好難以忘懷

● 懷舊 wàaih4 gauh6 = to remember old times or past acquaintances (usu. with kindly thoughts) | ● 細蓉 sai3 yúng2 = another word meaning “wonton noodles” | ● 綠寳橙汁 luhk6 bóu2 cháang2 jāp1 = Green Spot orange | ● 難以忘懷 nàahn4 yíh5 mòhng4 wàaih4 = cf. 忘懷 to forget; to dismiss from one’s mind

Lesley Mak: I like remembering the past. Black and white photos, listening to old songs, wonton noodles, drinking Green Spot orange. All these various nostalgic things, I find it hard to get them out of my head.

舊時擔挑托麵嘅年代 | 一個仙可以食到一碗雲吞麵 | 而家已經再冇呢支歌仔唱喇

● 擔挑托麵 dāam1 tīu1 tok3 mihn6 = ? | ● 仙 sīn1 = cent

Note: 1. I am not sure about the exact meaning of 仙 sīn1 and whether it is still used to refer to money in Hong Kong. The implication here is that it was a fairly small sum to pay. 2. 已經再冇呢支歌仔唱喇 (if I have got it right) appears to be an idiom meaning “those days are over” or “gone are the days”.

[In] the old days, at the time when hawkers carried around their noodles on shoulder poles [擔挑托麵], you could buy a bowl of wonton noodles for one cent [一個仙], but this little song [歌仔] is no longer sung.

爸爸媽媽喺四十年代中期走難嚟到香港 | 然後，喺後巷賣雲吞麵維生 | 我4歲開始已經喺鋪頭幫手包雲吞 | 食雲吞麵由細食到大到而家都未厭 【1:00】

● 走難 jáu2 naahn6 = (?) to flee from a dangerous situation | ● 後巷 hauh6 hóng6*2 = back alley | ● 維生 wàih4 sāng1 = to subsist; to eke out a living; to keep body and soul together | ● 未厭 meih6 yim3 = have not yet got sick/tired of cf.  厭 = be fed up with; be bored with; be tired of

Note: When the character 難 (usu. nàahn4) is pronounced in the low-level tone as naahn6, it means “a calamity; a disaster; an adversity” or the verb “to take to task; to blame”.

My mother and father fled to Hong Kong in the middle of the 1940s. Later, they made a living selling wonton noodles in a back alley. I was already helping in the shop making wontons [包雲吞] when I was four. I have been eating wonton noodles all my life and am not yet tired of them.

舊時嘅佐敦街頭街尾都佈滿咗霓虹燈招牌，但係因爲種種嘅原因 | 早排啲霓虹燈招牌仿佛就結束咗一個歷史任務 | 告別佐敦

● 街頭街尾 gāai1 tàuh4 gāai1 méih5 = from one end of the street to the other (lit. “street head street tail”) | ● 佈滿 bou3 múhn5 = (?) to be covered all over with | ● 霓虹燈招牌 ngàih4 hùhng4 dāng1 jīu1 pàaih4 = neon sign | ● 早排 jóu2 pàaih4/páai4*2 = a while ago; a few days ago; perhaps here “previously” | ● 仿佛 fóng2 fāt1 = seem; as if | ● 告別 gou3 biht6 = to leave; to part from

Back in the old days, Jordan Road was covered in neon signs from one end to the other but, for various reasons, the neon signs of previous times seemed to have completed an historical mission and have left Jordan.

我期望以後麥文記可以做到等於雲吞麵嘅代表 | 代表香港歷史嘅一部分 | 見證香港情懷 | 等爸爸媽媽嘅心血長流 | 令香港人嘅故事傳留

● 見證 gin3 jing3 = (?) to witness; to bear witness | ● 情懷 chìhng4 wàaih4 = feelings; thoughts & feelings | ● 心血長流 sām1 hyut3 chèuhng4 làuh4 = (?) long continue to be effective (with regard to the painstaking efforts of people who have gone before) cf. 心血 = painstaking care/effort | ● 傳留 chyùhn4 làuh4 = (?) to be handed down/passed on (to later generations)

Note: Here, in the phrase 等爸爸媽媽嘅心血長流, 等 dáng2 is used with the sense of “to let; to allow; to make”, a colloquial equivalent of the written or formal 讓 yeuhng6. On the other hand, 等於 means “to be equivalent to”.

It is my hope that the Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop might become [可以做到] an emblem [代表] of wonton noodles, of a part of Hong Kong’s history, bearing witness to [certain] Hong Kong feelings, and enabling the painstaking efforts of my mother and father to go on bearing fruit [心血長流], so that the story of the Hong Kong people is handed on [to future generations].

我叫麥心睿，香港土生土長，七百萬個故仔成就一個香 . . . 港故仔

My name is Lesley Mak, born and bred in Hong Kong. Seven million stories go to make up [成就] one [of the] Hong . . . Kong Stories.

《新心界》: 第六章 : 「内部光輝」

•  「心界」| Soundtrack

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新界對於陳之一嚟講就好似磁石咁，絶對冇法抗拒，但佢又冇法向其他人解釋呢種力量嘅所在。儘管呢個問題佢都諗咗好耐，只能得出唯一但仍然模糊嘅結論：「内部光輝」。

離開聯和墟後，佢就一直往粉嶺東邊麻笏河行過去。經過安全街嘅時候，佢出於好奇心，不自覺停下腳步，睇睇一架好大好長嘅貨車，向某間公司嘅入口慢慢倒車入去，而為咗幫助司機順利倒車，司機嘅友人用一條鐵通用力敲打路旁嘅欄杆，透過打擊嘅節奏、聲音傳達相當有用嘅信息俾司機，令佢能夠順利泊好貨車。不過，呢種洪亮嘅金屬撞擊嘈音，就一直停留喺陳之一嘅雙耳中，嗡嗡作響。

好可惜，麻笏河早被香港嘅城市規劃師「規劃」了，牢牢困於大量石屎之中，樣貌同明渠差唔多，同樣係雨後會流動著混濁嘅污水，已經喪失河流應有嘅活力同埋自發性。為此，外國人低聲毒罵上古治水嘅大禹，因爲由大禹開始，華夏文明就特別重視治水嘅技巧，去到二十世紀下半葉，隨著現代科技嘅昌明，「蕞爾小島」之居民對於淹沒嘅憂慮得到充分嘅表現。想必過去香港人係飽受水浸帶嚟痛苦，因此而家嘅防洪熱情，真係做得太過火，所謂嘅建設，其實正正糟蹋、蹂躪緊大自然啦！不過，諗到呢度一點，陳之一見到兩隻小白鷺，非常悠閑咁飛過嚟，其後喺有垃圾但冇青草嘅假「河畔」上，充滿氣質又優雅地尋覓食物。

麻笏河另一邊係粉嶺，過河後就踏入龍躍頭一帶，市區由此驟然退去，跟住可以察覺到新界原有嘅田園風情。喺崇謙堂附近，外國男人不慌不忙咁行過一大笪荒廢嘅土地，因為早就冇人耕種，所以已經被各種雜草徹底侵佔，包括假向日葵、黃色野菊、同埋馨氣撲鼻嘅薑花。另外偶爾又可以見到一簇一簇生長出嚟但一啲都唔搶眼嘅矮細野草，譬如狸尾豆、黃毛苦草、梵天花同埋史氏千里光等等。呢一片雜草王國對途人展現出，自然界連最微不足道嘅地方都有充裕嚟創造力：縱然其外貌顯得十分混亂，表面上缺乏秩序，但其中仍然存著一種强烈嘅美感，令到陳之一暫時忘記鄰近市鎮入面嘅高樓大廈，同時忍唔住思考一下，點解人爲嘅紊亂難以保存嗰種内在美？注意到四月份薄弱嘅陽光投射到植物嘅葉面上時，陳之一特別欣賞嗰類彌漫活力嗰嬌嫩光芒。

到達麻笏圍鄉村，佢又一次中途停低，目的係睇吓十八世紀興建嘅門樓同埋門楣上嘅紅砂岩石匾。呢嚿石額刻有「欝葱」二字，照指示牌為遊客提供嘅簡略解釋，「欝（同『鬱』）葱」即係寓意草木茂盛之地。陳之一特別鍾意呢塊紅砂岩嘅顔色，唔係紅色，又唔算係淺啡色，而係一種落日般嘅橙黃色，呢隻顔色將石頭嘅光輝同光亮擁有嘅石質融爲一體，效果真係非常之優美、溫柔。

其後，陳之一就繼續前往老圍（「門高迎紫氣，圍老得淳風」）隔離嘅龍躍頭天后宮，接近廟宇嗰一刻，就聽到近處有人攞著掃把，好從容咁掃地嘅聲音：一次又一次喺鋪滿瀝青嘅前院上面掃過去，就好似南丫島東澳灣嘅海浪，不停向平滑嘅沙灘上拍打過嚟，沙沙作響，產生一種類似催眠曲嘅效果，好容易讓人掃回一啲童年時代嘅回憶。到埗寺廟嘅時候，佢就發現掃地嘅係一個年輕女人，而其揮舞嘅大掃把同人差唔多一樣高！同女清潔工人寒暄幾句之後，陳之一就心懷期望邁過天后宮嘅門檻。

此刻，廟門内嗰種獨特嘅寧靜係可以觸摸得到嘅，依外國人睇，呢一種充滿和諧嘅謐靜唔單止係所謂聲學上嘅現象，而更加係可以用肉體感覺到嘅一種感受。因此，雖然前院掃地刷刷嘅摩擦聲一路尾隨進入廟中，但係呢類輕微嘅嘈音根本無法破壞廟内嘅强烈謐靜。呢間廟宇屋頂設有天井，所以裏面嘅光缐都比較明亮。不過當陳之一行到廟堂深處嘅時候，亮度就變得較為幽暗，令到祭壇上紅色電燈泡發射出嘅光芒就更加耀眼。燈泡側邊擺放著幾個豐滿甜橙作為祭品，佢哋就好似落山嘅太陽咁略略發出幾綫暗光。陳之一抬頭望望嗰一刻，就見到上面掛著一個個螺旋式向下垂嘅塔型盤香，好像一排排由煙霧鑄成嘅無聲鬼鐘般，若隱若現，在濃厚煙霧之間，半透明咁左右搖曳。

不過，今次吸引陳之一目光嘅唔係天后元君，而係左邊嘅嗰幅青磚墻。佢讀書時得知，香港常見嘅青磚頭係同稻田有奇妙關連：厡來稻田中慢慢淤積嘅青色黏土，就係製造青磚嘅基本原料，用呢種咁有生命力嘅泥土嚟興建寺廟、寓所等建築物，真係係一種順天而行嘅行為﹗另外，因爲呢間廟宇左側屋頂鑿有天井，所以天晴有陽光嘅時間，廟内呢一幅青磚墻就間唔中被太陽曬到。奇怪嘅係，廟内真係有一種植物能夠喺青磚墻上繁盛咁生長出嚟，品種好似屬於蕨類，而且生長得尤其茂盛，彷如過去稻田肥沃嘅淤泥，到而家都仲保留本有嘅養份，完全概括「欝葱」嘅意義。除咗陳之一外，佢就係天后宮中唯一賦有活力嘅生物。呢一個事實令到當時沉醉於遐想嘅葉公，面容上露出一絲笑意。

挨晚行返麻笏河嗰一刻，外國人路過一座供奉土地公嘅神壇，座神壇恰好都係用磚頭砌成嘅，後面又種植唔少樹木，話唔定係麻笏圍過去擁有一片風水林嘅殘跡。雖然外貌極爲樸素，但係祭壇上面擺放著一個做得零舍精緻嘅土地公雕塑。經過歲月嘅流逝，土地公身穿嘅紅色長袍已經褪色，但頂帽條邊就保存部分原有嘅天藍色，不過土地公面上嘅臉色一啲都冇變，表情非常之安詳，凡人都會覺得土地公相當平易近人。

太陽經已落山，樹林隨之不斷傳嚟幽幽嘅蜥蟀鳴叫聲，同陳之一略微憂傷嘅心情完全相符，而西邊嘅晚霞將祭壇中每一塊磚頭隱藏嘅火焰都充分釋放出嚟，致使陳之一眼前都係一片濃艷嘅粉紅色，亮刺刺嘅光令到男人根本睜不開雙眼。

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阿綠順利去到大埔嘉福裱畫公司，喺出面嘅櫃檯前等老細匡囗全由後面嘅工作間行出嚟。櫃枱非常配合周圍環境嘅裝修，又現代又開揚，照明亦非常光亮，將雪白墻上嘅幾幅畫照得特別耀眼。阿綠不能不注意到匡老闆使用嘅畫框都係超級豪華，但係被鑲嵌嘅「藝術品」就極度平庸。當佢諗到呢一點之際，左邊嘅側門突然打開，隨後匡囗全同綠頭髮嘅發暗家一面揮手，一面打招呼。阿綠即刻尾隨老細進入後邊嘅工作間，一步入工作間，光缐即刻暗淡下去，整體氣氛亦好似由當代回到過去，工作間嘅環境又亂又雜又殘舊，空氣裏面充滿著膠水同木屑嘅氣味，令到阿綠霎時無法適應。

行到一大張工作枱前，匡老闆就順手撳埋開關，頭上嘅大燈就立刻投下光缐，將枱面嘅物件照亮：左邊放著原有嘅舊畫框，顯得零舍赤裸，一絲不掛咁；而右邊脫框嘅自畫像背面，一眼望落去就好唔舒服。畫背面貼有一大塊經已發黃嘅報紙，上面貼滿膠紙，貼得非常之實，而報紙中間擳出嚟嘅部分十分凸出，紙下面好似收藏咗啲嘢，好明顯有人曾經將一樣嘢蓄意插入去。

去到呢個時候，匡老闆就向阿綠解釋佢工作上嘅困難：「你睇，呢邊嘅廢紙已經同你幅畫融成一體，如果用刀鎅開，就有可能會破壞幅畫。不過，假如唔鎅開，幅畫將來就容易變形。你考慮一下啦？」

面對兩難，阿綠真係猶豫不決，佢冇法即刻回答匡師傅。佢諗下唸下，呆呆咁望住嗰塊倒轉嘅舊報紙，莫名其妙咁發白日夢。

突然間，女人大聲講出一聲「甴甴！」。

「咩話，你？」嘉福裱畫公司嘅老細唔知點反應，只能擘大個口。

「呢度呀！你睇吓先，老闆！」阿綠向報紙上指一指，喺兩行黑麻麻嘅字體之間，果真有人用鉛筆寫低兩個暗淡嘅“甴”字，如果唔留心睇，都冇法睇出嚟。等匡老細望到之後，阿綠就向佢進一步解釋：「呢啲字係我阿媽親手寫嘅！我細細個唔知點解成日會將“曱甴”講成“甴甴”，屋企人於是照樣叫我做“甴甴”，不過外人唔會咁樣叫我。另外，為咗鼓勵我認字讀書，我媽咪鍾意由報紙、雜誌撕下一啲文章，叫我用紅筆喺自己學識嘅字上畫個圈，佢就會用鉛筆寫低一啲笑話。佢想透過呢種方法增加我讀書嘅樂趣。我阿媽咁樣做一定有目的：報紙下面一定收埋咗佢想留俾我嘅嘢。匡師傅，你一定要鎅開呢幅畫上面嘅報紙。」

聽到阿綠咁堅定嘅語氣，匡囗全便去攞一把特用嘅刀，刀刃又細長又尖銳， 同醫生使用嘅解剖刀十分相似。匡老闆警告阿綠要企後啲，俾多啲空間佢執行重要任務。於是，佢極爲小心咁開始喺隆起嘅地方下刀。喺成個過程當中，阿綠都好心急，一直忍住啖氣。雖然呢次「手術」並未涉及到任何人體部位，但係阿綠個心為早就離世嘅母親，悄悄一滴一滴咁流緊鮮血。媽！

鎅好之後，匡老闆盯住阿綠幾秒鐘，就用兩隻手指慢慢捏出入面嘅藏物。又係一堆紙！不過，呢次嘅紙係平滑嘅，上面亦都印有一啲彩色圖片。匡師傅頗爲隆重咁將呢堆紙遞俾甚為緊張嘅阿綠，匡師傅好似懷有期望咁，好想睇一睇佢點將第二個謎團解開。

接到手上嗰一刻，阿綠心裏隱隱產生幻覺，感覺自己嘅一生轉瞬間停止，然後就置身於一段冇時間嘅時間當中，知覺就全部集中喺手指同光滑紙張之間嘅接觸感。對於母親留俾佢嘅遺物，佢好懷疑自己有冇足夠嘅心理準備去面對？經過一番猶疑之後，佢就手喐人唔喐咁將外層嗰堆紙慢慢拆開。居然係一個小包裹，而小包裹係由一條綠色嘅絲帶捆埋一齊，個纈打得特別實。初睄一眼，阿綠就留意到最上面係一信封，信封上面寫著「水黽公主收」五個字，下面放著兩本筆記簿，大小唔同，厚薄又有唔同。阿綠就試圖解開個纈，但係打得太死，加上佢心情太過緊張，解極都解唔開。匡師傅見狀就十分靈巧咁用手上把刀將絲帶割斷，絲帶隨即跌在工作枱上面。喺呢種毫無時間嘅時間下，阿綠以慢鏡頭嘅速度將手上嘅物品擺放枱側邊，然後再伸手拿起信封。好奇怪，信封冇被封死，信封頭只不過被攝入信封内，唔使一秒鐘，就可以將信封裏面嘅嘢抽出嚟。

去到呢個時刻，阿綠面前出現咗一張黑白相，相入面嘅人就係年輕時代嘅母親葛艷芊，隔離又有一個後生男人，用右手親暱咁搭喺母親嘅膊頭上面，兩人嘅表情睇嚟係非常和諧、自在。阿綠深深咁倒吸一啖氣。好明顯，嗰個男人並唔係自己嘅爸爸。此時，匡囗全注意到阿綠對手開始發抖，與此同時，臉色亦變得蒼白。因此，老闆忽然用一種果斷嘅語氣，勸阿綠唔好喺度再睇私人嘢，勸佢返自己屋企，心情冷靜啲先至繼續睇。阿綠彷如一個聽話嘅細路女，即刻將張相、封信同埋其他嘢執好，在思維混亂嘅情況下離開嘉福裱畫公司。

Learning Cantonese: On Meditation

The Hong Kong Buddhist monk 常霖法師 Master Changlin (or Sèuhng4 Làhm4 in Cantonese) has made numerous videos in Cantonese, many of them in an interview format. He trained as a designer before he found Zen, and this shows in the quality of his productions. I have chosen this one partly for its colloquial unscripted tone, partly for its brevity, and partly because it uses a verb that I had never heard before, 寒背 hòhn4 bui3. There is a definition of it in 《香港粵語大詞典》, where it is explained as 輕微的駝背 = to be slightly hunchbacked; to hunch one’s back slightly. There is also an instance of another (rare) verb in 𩓥高頭 ngohk6 gōu1 tàuh4 = to lift up one’s head.

You can view the video here. Since it is on YouTube, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

You might also like to make use the Ekho Text to Speech Converter if you have trouble matching any part of the transcribed Chinese text to the spoken version. Just make sure you select “Cantonese” under the language menu before you paste cut and text into the relevant box.

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千人禪修 | 安心 ● 心安 Zen Practice for All: Pacify the Mind & the Mind Will Be Peaceful

常霖法師：啊，靜坐呢，就唔係一定要喺禪堂裏邊嘅 | 喺日常生活裏邊 | 應該隨時隨地都可以做得到 | 譬如話喺我哋而家一張咁嘅梳化 | 噉，呃，可以盤腿坐 | 亦都可以放腳坐 | 重點呢，| 就係話身體要首先要平衡同埋放鬆 | 呃，坐喺度嘅時候要平衡嘅關係呢 | 所以我哋要坐得直 | 坐得直呢，但係就唔係話等於要好用力咁樣撐住自己，唔係嘅 | 呃，就咁樣輕輕鬆鬆坐直就 *a 得㗎喇 | 噉有陣時，有啲人係習慣咗佢有少少寒背咁啦 | 其實 *kei’a 咁樣呢，就會令到你個頸呀、呃腰呀，嗰啲地方呢，都會有個壓力喺度嘅 | 噉所以呢，點樣先至叫做直呢？| 噉其實有一個方法 | 就係話我哋兩隻*a 手放喺個膝頭嗰度 | 然後個身【1:00】輕輕向前 | 跟住慢慢坐返起

● 禪堂 sìhm4 tòhng4 = (?) Zen meditation hall | + 隨時隨地 chèuih4 sìh4 chèuih4 deih6 = at any time, in any place | + 盤腿坐 pùhn4 téui2 chóh5 = to sit cross-legged | + 撐住自己 chāang1 jyuh6 jih6 géi2 = (?) to prop oneself up | + 寒背 hòhn4 bui3 = (?) to hunch the back [slightly]

Note: There is a tone change in 梳化: sō1 fáa3*2

Master Seung Lam: Ah, meditation, is not [something that is] necessarily [done] in a meditation hall. In daily life, [Caption: At any time and in any place] one should be able to do it at any time and in any place. For example, on such a sofa [as this], we can cross out legs or put them flat on the floor [放腳坐]. The important thing [Caption: 常霖法師Master Changlin] is that the body must be first of all balanced [平衡] and relaxed [Caption: Balanced & Relaxed] . When sitting, [because] of the need for balance [要平衡], we have to sit up straight [Caption: Sit up Straight without Strain]. Sitting up straight, however, does not mean [唔係話等於] propping yourself up with a great deal of effort, no.  Sit up straight in a relaxed, easy manner [輕輕鬆鬆] and that will do the trick [就得㗎喇]. Sometimes, there are people who have got into the habit of hunching their backs a little. Actually, [doing it] this way puts pressure on places such as your neck and your lower back [腰]. So, what does it take for it to be called “straight”? Well, actually there is a technique: we place our two hands on our knees, then we incline ourselves [個身輕輕向前] [Caption: Push the Body Forward then Sit up Straight] forward a little, then we sit up again.

噉你去到一個位嘅時候， 你一放鬆呢，其實就係最平衡嘅位置嚟㗎喇 | 噉啊要注意一樣嘢就係個頭呢 | 感覺上你嗰條頸好似掂到衣領咁 | 嗱，好多人呢，就係話，你，感覺掂衣領，你就會𩓥高頭㗎喇喎 | 噉又唔平衡喇 | 所以呢，我哋係掂到衣領，但然後個下巴收返 | 咁呃啱啱好喇 | 跟住落嚟呢，我哋個眼呢 | 就係話正前下方四十五度 | 噉你可以瞌埋 | 亦都可以微微張開都得 | 噉至於對手呢 | 就係一般情況你就咁樣放喺 | 嗰個膝頭嗰度 | 呃或者大腿其實 *kei’a 都 OK 嘅 | 噉啊如果係盤膝打坐嘅話呢 | 就最好將兩隻 *a手係放喺腹部嘅前邊 | 噉我哋就可以開始㗎喇

 ● 衣領 yī1 léhng5 = a collar (on an item of clothing) | + 𩓥高頭 ngohk6 gōu1 tàuh4 = to lift up one’s head | + 瞌埋眼 or 䁯埋眼 hāp1 màih4 ngáahn5 = to close the eyes | + 微微張開 = to open slightly | + 腹部 fūk1 bouh6 = midriff; abdomen

Note: In the case of the verb 打坐 = “to meditate”, 坐 is pronounced joh6 rather than the usual chóh5.

When you reach a spot and relax straight away, then this is the most balanced position. One thing to pay attention to is the head. It should feel [感覺上] [Caption: The Neck Touches Lightly against the Collar] as if your neck is pressing against [掂到] your collar. Now, many people think this means [就係話，你，感覺掂衣領] lifting your head up high, but this is not balanced. And so, we keep [our necks] in contact with the collar, but then we draw our chin back in [個下巴收返]. Then everything is just right. Next of all, on the subject of our eyes, [Caption: Eyes Look down Slightly] we look straight ahead and down at an angle of 45 degrees. You can close them or you can keep them slightly open if you want. As for your hands, in most situations you place them [放] like this, there on the knee. Or it’s OK actually to put them on the thighs, too. If you meditate with your legs crossed, then it’s best to put your hands in front of you lower belly. Now we can make a start.

首先呢，開始嘅時候 | 你要感受一下自己嘅身體 【2:00】| 有冇係完全放鬆呢 | 如果你係覺得，咦，嗰啲頸呀、膊頭呀，呢啲位係比較緊嘅話 | 其實你係可以用力縮起 | 再放返 | 嗱，咁樣你就會覺得係成個人，啊，鬆咗喇咁 | 噉於是呢，我哋就開始 | 靜靜哋 | 注意自己嘅呼吸喇

● 感受 gám2 sauh6 = 1. to be affected by 2. to experience; to feel | + 膊頭 bok3 tàuh4 = shoulder | + 縮起 sūk1 héi2 = perhaps “to hunch” or “to lift by drawing in”; the usual meaning of 縮 is “to contract; to shrink” | + 靜靜哋 jihng6 jíng6*2 déi6*2 = quietly

First of all, when starting, you must experience your own body for a moment or two. Is it completely relaxed? If you think [to yourself], Huh? There’s quite a bit of tightness [緊] in places like my neck, in my shoulders, then you use a bit of effort and lift your shoulders, then put them back [down]. That way you will feel that the whole of you is relaxed. And then, we make a start, quietly observing our own breath [Caption: Observe the Breath].

嗱，喺個過程裏邊呢 |我建議大家呢，就係 *jai 用鼻嚟呼吸 | 因爲如果用口呼吸嘅話 | 好容易就會口乾呀，就會唔舒服 | 噉所以呢，用鼻呼吸嘅意思呢，就係話 | 感受一下個空氣由個鼻孔入到去 | 落到肺部，再落到腹部 | 然後再呼返出嚟 | 嗱，喺個過程裏邊呢，我哋係自然哋做嘅 | 係唔需要話好刻意哋 | 吸深啲呀、吸長啲時間呀咁 | 係唔需要嘅 【3:00】| 我哋只係好自然哋吸 | 吸到落腹部再呼返出嚟 | 依一種呢，喺中國人嚟講呢，就叫做丹田呼吸 | 噉啊所以喺個過程裏邊呢，我哋只係注意自己嘅呼吸嘅啫 | 但係 *dai 當然好多時我哋會好多念頭走出嚟 | 噉啊念頭出嚟嘅時候呢，你千祈唔好話，啊，唔准諗，唔好諗咁 | 因爲呢，當你一俾呢啲壓力個念頭嘅時候，個念頭就會干擾你好多 | 我哋只要做嘅只不過係話，我哋只係一路注意自己嘅呼吸 | 但係呢，有念頭出嚟我哋唔理佢 | 旁邊有啲雜音我哋唔好理佢 | 我哋只係返返去同一個動作 | 就係話一路感受自己嘅呼吸嘅啫 | 嗱，呢一種呢，個目的呢，其實就係話，要提升我哋嘅覺察能力 | 噉所以呢，又唔好瞌眼瞓喎 | 啊，依一樣嘢，如果大家係持續咁樣練習【4:00】呢，係對大家一定會有幫助嘅 | 噉我哋而家一齊試吓 | 開始啦喎

● 鼻孔 beih6 húng2 = nostril | + 刻意 = hāk1 yi3 = usually “painstaking”; the implication is that a lot of effort is exerted | + 丹田 dāan1 tìhn4 = the pubic region; a specialist term used in tai chi & chi gung, often written as dan tian | + 走出嚟 = jáu2 chēut1 làih4 = to come out; to emerge | + 雜音 jaahp6 yām1 = noise | + 阻止 jó2 jí2 = to prevent; to stop; to hold back | + 干擾 gōn1 yíu2 = to disturb; to interfere; to obstruct | + 覺察力 gok3 chaat3 lihk6 = (?) awareness; perceptiveness | + 瞌眼瞓 hāp1 ngáahn5 fan3 = to doze off

Note: 1. The frequent use of 係 haih6 in this video in places where there is already a main verb is really conspicuous:

啊，靜坐呢，就唔係一定要喺禪堂裏邊嘅
噉有陣時，有啲人係習慣咗佢有少少寒背咁啦
噉啊如果係盤膝打坐嘅話呢 | 就最好將兩隻手係放喺腹部嘅前邊
如果你係覺得，咦，嗰啲頸呀、膊頭呀，呢啲位係比較緊嘅話
如果大家係持續咁樣練習呢，係對大家一定會有幫助嘅

What strikes me is that 係 tends to be used in places where either a kind of general statement is being made (“some people have the habit of hunching their backs a bit”) or it is used in hypothetical situations, especially with 如果if-clauses. In both cases, the implied verb-tense does not really express present time, and there is certainly no hint of on-going action. So perhaps 係 haih6 (possibly under the influence of English in Hong Kong) can be used to mark this kind of timeless present, as a kind of counterpart to 緊 -gán2 for present actions in the process of occurring. That said, the use of 係 together with 嘅 may also be done to indicate special emphasis: 就唔係一定要喺禪堂裏邊嘅 = meditation is not necessarily done in a meditation hall (that is, it may be done in other places as well). 2. Something interesting is going on with the various uses of 落到 and 到落 in this passage. In Cantonese, both 到 dou3 and 落 lohk6, apart from being verbs in their own right, are used to connect a verb to its final location, with 落 having the more specialized meaning of downward movement. In phrases such as 落到肺部, 落 serves as the main verb “to fall”, while 到 dou3 adds the connection to the location 肺部 = lungs. However, in 吸到落腹部, 吸 kap1 is the main verb (to breathe in), while both 到 dou3 and 落 lohk6 are used to introduce the location. There is a similar example in Unit 3 of the textbook About Hong Kong: 半山區有自動電梯駁到落中環，日曬雨淋都唔怕 = “Escalators connect Mid-Levels to Central and people don’t need to worry about too much sunshine or getting caught in the rain”. Perhaps 到落 conveys both (extended) connection and downward motion (?).

In the process [Caption: Breathe through Your Nose], I suggest that everyone breathe through their nose, because if you breathe through your mouth, it will easily become dry and uncomfortable. And so for that reason, by breathing through one’s nose I mean fear the air entering through your nostrils, falling to the lungs, then again to the lower belly, then [flowing] back out. In the process, we do things naturally, [Caption: Natural Breathing] we don’t push ourselves [刻意] to breathe more deeply or for a longer amount of time, no that’s unnecessary. All we have to do is breathe in quite naturally, breathing in [right] down to the lower abdomen, then out again. To the Chinese, this way is called “dan tian breathing” [Caption: Dan Tian Breathing]. And so, in the process, the only thing we have to do is observe our own breathing. However, of course, much of the time, many mental events [念頭] emerge [走出嚟] in our [minds]. When such mental events occur, whatever you do, don’t say [to yourself]: Thinking isn’t allowed. I mustn’t think! [Caption: Do Not Try and Stop Mental Events]. Because as soon as you put pressure on the mental event, it will really disturb you. All we need to do is just observe the breath the whole time [一路], nothing more. But if something crops up in the mind [有念頭出嚟], we pay no attention to it. If there is noise somewhere nearby [旁邊], don’t pay any attention to it. We just do the same movement over and over, that is, we just experience our own breathing. Now by this means, what it really boils down to in fact [其實就係話], is wanting to raise [要提升] our perceptiveness. And so, don’t doze off. If you can persevere in your practice of this [Caption: Sustained Practising], it will definitely be of help to you. Let’s have a try now, everyone together. Let’s make a start.

Learning Cantonese: Giving Paradise back to the Butterflies

鳳園 Fung Yuen is a butterfly oasis only a short bus journey from Tai Po, in the New Territories in Hong Kong. Despite the new buildings that have, incredibly, been allowed to go up there in recent years, the place remains an ecological miracle.

This 5-minute video is largely scripted, and so the language is fairly formal. There are, however, two more colloquial sections featuring the founder of the Reserve, 邱榮光 Dr Yau Wing Kwong and the government minister 邱騰華 Edward Yau Tang-wah, then head of the 環保局 Environmental Protection Bureau, and now by some terrible irony of politics, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

Needless to say, you’ll find plenty of useful vocabulary here on ecology-related areas such as 生態多樣性 sāang1 taai3 dō1 yeuhng6 sing3 = biodiversity; 品種 bán2 júng2 = a species; and 繁殖 fàahn4 jihk6 = to breed; to reproduce. You’ll also get to hear 親身嘅參與 chān1 sān1 ge3 chāam3 yuh6 = “hands-on experience” and the related idiomatic expression 落手落腳 lohk6 sáu2 lohk6 geuk3 = to get one’s hands dirty.

You can view the video here. Since it is a YouTube video, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

You might also like to make use the Ekho Text to Speech Converter if you have trouble matching any part of the transcribed Chinese text to the spoken version. Just make sure you select “Cantonese” under the language menu before you paste cut and text into the relevant box.

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Caption： 鳳園蝴蝶保育區 | Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve

位於大埔嘅鳳園蝴蝶保育區 | 鄰近大埔工業邨 | 離大埔虛巴士站及小巴站 | 大約十五分鐘車程

● 鄰近 lèuhn4 gahn6 = (?) to be in the vicinity of | ● 車程 chē1 chìhng4 = transport journey

The Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve located in Tai Po is adjacent to [鄰近] the Tai Po Industrial Estate, roughly a 15-minute journey from the bus and minibus station at Tai Po Market.

鳳園村溪流充足 | 濕度較高，有利耕種 | 原居民種植嘅植物入便 | 有唔少都適合蝴蝶生長

● 溪流 kāi1 làuh4 = brook; stream | ● 充足 chūng1 jūk1 = adequate; enough; sufficient | ● 有利 yáuh5 leih6 = advantageous; favourable | ● 耕種 gāang1 jung3 = to plough and sow; to cultivate; to farm | ● 原居民 yùhn4 gēui1 màhn4 = 1. aborigine cf. 原住民 2. Indigenous inhabitants: residents in the New Territories of Hong Kong | ● 種植 jung3 jihk6 = to plant; to grow

Fung Yuen Village has many streams, making it a fairly moist [place], favourable to cultivation. Among the plants planted by the original inhabitants, not a few are suited to the growth [生長] of butterflies.

喺1980年，政府將鳳園村北面 | 大約42公頃嘅山谷地區列爲 | 鳳園谷特殊科學價值地點，簡稱 SSSI | 直到2005年 | 大埔環保會喺村内 | 成立「鳳園蝴蝶保育區」| 保育同埋推廣鳳園谷嘅生態多樣性 | 及圍村嘅文化特色【1:00】

● 公頃 gūng1 kíng2 = hectare | ● 列爲 liht6 wàih4 = to be classified as | ● 簡稱 gáan2 chīng1 = abbreviation; for short| ● 大埔環保會 Daaih6 Bou3 Wàahn4 Bóu2 Wúi6*2= Tai Po Environmental Association | ● 鳳園蝴蝶保育區 Fuhng6 Yùhn4 Wùh4 Dihp6/Díp6*2 Bóu2 Yuhk6 Kēui1= Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve | ● 生態多樣性 sāang1 taai3 dō1 yeuhng6 sing3 = biodiversity

In 1980, the government classified approximately 42 hectares of mountain valley north of Fung Yuen Village as the “Fung Yuen Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest [價值]” or “SSSI” for short. In 2005, the Tai Po Environmental Association founded the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve to protect and promote the biodiversity of the Fung Yuen Valley, as well as the special cultural characteristics of the walled village.

大埔環保會喺1997年 | 由邱榮光博士創立 | 係一個非牟利慈善團體 | 大埔環保會自創立以嚟 | 積極投入舉辦各類型嘅環保活動 | 致力推廣及提倡 | 環境保育嘅教育同埋認知 | 定期舉行嘉年華同埋展覽攤位 | 鼓勵市民關注環境問題

● 邱榮光 = Yāu1 Wìhng4 Gwōng1 = Yau Wing Kwong | ● 創立 chong3 laahp6 = to establish; to found; to set up | ● 非牟利慈善團體 fēi1 màuh4 leih6 chìh4 sihn6 tyùhn4 tái2 = a non-profit charitable organization | ● 自 . . . 以嚟 jih6 . . . yíh5 làih4 = ever since; from . . . up to the present | ● 致力 ji3 lihk6 = to devote oneself to; to work for | ● 提倡 tàih4 chēung1 = to advocate; to promote | ● 認知 yihng6 jī1 = (?) to be cognisant of; to be aware of | ● 嘉年華 gāa1 nìhn4 wàah4 = carnival | ● 展覽攤位 jín2 láahm5 tāan1 wái6*2 = (?) an exhibition stand/stall/space

The Tai Po Environmental Association was set up by Dr Yau Wing Kwong in 1997. It is a non-profit charitable organization. Since its inception, it has been active in running various kinds of environmental protection activities and has devoted itself to the popularization and promotion of both environmental protection education and awareness [認知]. At regular intervals [定期] it runs carnivals and exhibition sites to encourage ordinary citizens to become concerned about environmental issues.

另外，大埔環保會 | 喺三門仔成立大埔地質教育中心 | 係一個融合自然景觀 | 同埋人文景觀嘅獨特區域 | 能夠將保育地貌同埋岩石嘅信息推廣開去 | 為市民提供地質觀賞及環保資訊之餘 | 亦肩負起教育同埋推廣嘅責任

● 景觀 gíng2 gūn1 = a landscape | + 獨特區域 duhk6 dahk6 kēui1 wihk6 = a special region | + 地貌 daih6 maauh6 = the general configuration of the earth’s surface; landforms | + 岩石 ngàahm4 sehk6 = rock | + 觀賞 gūn1 séung2 = to view & admire; to enjoy the sight of | + 資訊 jī1 seun3 = information | + 肩負 gīn1 fuh6 = to take on; to undertake; to shoulder

Note: Often in Cantonese, a fuller verb form is required when the 將 jēung1 structure is used, perhaps to maintain a balanced sentence rhythm with the removal of the direct object to its pre-verbal position, hence: 能夠將保育地貌同埋岩石嘅信息推廣開去. As you can see, a directional complement such as 開去 hōi1 heui3 can be used for this purpose. Other kinds of complements such as those expressing location are also used.

In addition, the Tai Po Environmental Association established the Tai Po Geoheritage Centre at Sam Mun Tsai. It is a special district that brings together appreciation of both natural and human-cultural landscapes [景觀], [something] that can popularize both the conservation of landforms and information about rocks. And apart from providing enjoyment of the geology and information about environmental protection, the Geoheritage Centre also shoulders the responsibility of education and popularization.

邱榮光： 大家好 | 大埔環保會喺1997年成立到而家 | 主要係希望透過教育啦，同埋親身嘅參與 | / / 得到自然保育同埋啲環保嘅活動 | 鳳園有超過二百種嘅蝴蝶 | 啊，我哋發覺咁好嘅地方 | 我哋應該介紹多啲俾香港人知道 【2:00】| 所以我哋喺度 | 做教育啦 | 做一啲親手 | 等義工去落手落腳 | 一齊 / / 種植 | 做返個樂園俾啲蝴蝶嚟到享用 | 亦都俾我哋可以一齊嚟認識呢個大自然 | 同埋一齊欣賞呢啲咁靚嘅蝴蝶 | 可能都係 *dei 因爲咁多義工努力嘅工作 | 同埋咁多人嚟欣賞我哋嘅蝴蝶 | 咁其實村民亦都係好感動 | 嚟到一齊支持我哋工作 | 噉都係呢啲市民嘅支持 | 令到我哋有力量 / / 繼續去努力呢個工作 | 噉所以我都希望大家今日嚟到 | 欣賞我哋蝴蝶之後呢 | 亦都可以考慮留低 | 成爲我哋嘅義工 | 一齊嚟到保育呢笪咁靚嘅大自然 | 咁美好嘅地方

● 親身嘅參與 chān1 sān1 ge3 chāam3 yuh6 = lit. “hands-on experience”; perhaps “direct participation” here | ● 發覺 faat3 gok3 = to find; to detect; to discover| ● 落手落腳 lohk6 sáu2 lohk6 geuk3 = to get one’s hands dirty; to put one’s hands and feet to work; to take action | ● 享用 = héung2 yuhng6 = to enjoy the use of | ● 笪 daat3 = a patch; a plot (a measure word or classifier)

Yau Wing Kwong speaks: Hello everyone. From 1997, when the Tai Po Environmental Association established up till now, what we have mainly hoped for is to obtain protection for the environment and environmental activities (?) by means of education and direct participation. Fung Yuen has over 200 species of butterfly, and having discovered such a fine place, we ought to introduce it so that more Hong Kong people get to know about it. And so for this reason, here we do education, we do some direct participation, letting volunteers get their hands dirty with planting, remaking a paradise for the butterflies to enjoy the use of and for us to get to know this natural world [呢個大自然] together as well as to appreciate such beautiful butterflies. Perhaps also because of the hard work of so many volunteers, and because so many people have come to enjoy the sight of our butterflies, the [local] villagers have also, as a matter of fact, been moved to come together to support / / work. Also, the support of the people of Hong Kong has given us the strength to continue striving in this work. So, for this reason, we also hope that after you have admired our butterflies today, you might consider staying with us [留低] and joining [成爲] our volunteers, to protect with us [一齊嚟到] this beautiful piece of nature and such a fine place.

蝴蝶嘅存活係有賴於寄主植物同埋蜜源植物 | 寄主植物即係蝴蝶幼蟲食用嘅植物 | 而蜜源植物就係蝴蝶成蟲食用嘅植物 | 鳳園植物品種繁多 | 寄主植物由常見嘅植物品種 | 以至罕有同埋受保護嘅【3:00】植物 | 都可以喺鳳園揾到 | 由於蝴蝶幼蟲都有固定嘅寄主植物 | 佢嘅棲息環境亦都唔會遠離寄主植物

● 存活 chyùhn4 wuht6 = to survive | ● 有賴於 yáuh5 laaih6 yū1 = to depend on | ● 寄主植物 gei3 jyú2 jihk6 maht6 = a host plant | ● 蜜源 maht6 yùhn4 = nectar source | ● 幼蟲 yau3 chùhng4 = larva | ● 成蟲 sìhng4 chùhng4 = imago; adult | ● 品種 bán2 júng2 = a species | ● 繁多 fàahn4 dō1= various | ● 以至 yíh5 ji3 = down to; up to | ● 罕有 hón2 yáuh5 = rare | ● 固定 gu3 dihng6 = fixed; regular

The survival of butterflies depends both on host plants and nectar sources. Host plants are the plants that butterfly caterpillars eat, while nectar sources are the plants that the adult butterflies feed on. The plants at Fung Yuen [show] a [great] variety. From common species that are host plants to rare and protected plants ⸺ they can all be found at Fung Yuen. Because larva all have their designated [固定] host plants, a butterfly’s habitat-environment [棲息環境] cannot be too far away from [such] host plants.

大埔環保會委托咗香港中文大學 | 定期觀察保育區入面嘅寄主植物 | 品種、數量同埋位置 | 從而推斷出區内可能繁殖到嘅蝴蝶品種 | 除咗植物普查之外 | 鳳園蝴蝶保育區每個月都會|進行定期蝴蝶普查 | 記錄蝴蝶嘅品種同埋數量 | 以監察保育區入便嘅生態質素 | 香港觀鳥會就會進行 | 每季一次嘅雀鳥普查 | 記錄鳳園範圍内所見嘅雀鳥品種同埋數目

● 委托 wái2 tok3 = to entrust; to trust | ● 推斷出 tēui1 dyun3 chēut1 = to infer; to deduce | ● 繁殖 fàahn4 jihk6 = to breed; to reproduce | ● 普查 póu2 chàah4 = general investigation/survey | ● 監察 gāam1 chaat3 = to supervise; to control | ● 香港觀鳥會 Hēung1 Góng2 Gūn1 Níuh5 Wúi6*2 = the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society | ● 每季一次 múih5 gwai3 yāt1 chi3 = every season; Summer, Autumn, Winter & Spring | ● 雀鳥 jeuk3 níuh5 = birds | ● 數目 sou3 muhk6 = number; amount

The Tai Po Environmental Association has given CUHK the task [委托咗] of supervising the host plants in the butterfly reserve at regular intervals [定期] [in terms of their] kind, number and location and, from this, deducing which kinds of butterflies can reproduce within the reserve. Apart from general surveys of plants, the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve also carries out a monthly general survey of butterflies, recording butterfly numbers and species in order to supervise the ecological quality of the reserve. The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society carries out a general survey of birds in each of the four seasons [每季一次], keeping a record of bird species and numbers within Fung Yuen’s range.

鳳園蝴蝶保育區會定期舉行推廣活動 | 藉此提醒市民保育環境 | 活動包括生態導賞團 | 同埋各式各樣嘅講座、展覽 | 令參加者可以更加了解【4:00】| 有關鳳園嘅文化同埋生態情況

● 生態導賞團 sāang1 taai3 douh6 séung2 tyùhn4 = a guided eco-tour; an ecological guided tour

Note: The expression 令 . . . 可以 is often used as an equivalent of the English “to enable (sb. or sth.) to do sth.”

Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve regularly [定期] conducts promotional activities to remind the Hong Kong people about protecting the environment. [Such] activities include guided ecological tours, as well as all kinds of lectures and exhibitions, enabling participants to better understand the culture of Fung Yuen and the ecological situation [there].

邱騰華 （環保局局長）speaks:  | Edward Yau Tang-wah (Yāu1 Tàhng4 Wàah4), Secretary for the Bureau of Environmental Protection

鳳園呢個 ah 蝴蝶保育區呢 | 其實香港比較一個獨有嘅地方 | 呢個係三方面合作所能夠做得到嘅 | 一方面係 ah 由政府出資 | ah 去俾一個，啫  ah 大埔環保會就做一個環保嘅團體 | 去保育呢個地方 | 亦都同時呢，係 ah 當地嘅居民一齊去參與 | 噉先至能夠得到一笪地方呢 | 係既可以保留呢，現有嗰個人民嘅文化啦，村落啦， | 亦都同時呢，係可以保育 ah 呢啲蝴蝶嘅繁殖 | / / 亦都係一個 ah 生態上面呢 | 保育嘅一個好好嘅地區

● 出資 chēut1 jī1 = (?) to put up the money; to provide the funds

This butterfly reserve in Fung Yuen is actually a rather special place in Hong Kong. It was made possible by cooperation between three different parties [方面]. One party was the government, who provided the funding to the Tai Po Environmental Association to form an environmental entity to protect this place. At the same time, the local residents have also joined in. Only thus has it been possible to obtain a site [一笪地方] in order to preserve the existing culture of the people [here], the village[s] and, at the same time, to be able to protect [UNCLEAR] the breeding of the butterflies [UNCLEAR] it is also, in ecological terms, a fine district under protection.

我自己都去過鳳園好多次 | 我覺得呢個地方好獨特 | 嗱，一方面，現有嘅村落係保持到嘅 | 另外呢，如果你係鍾意蝴蝶 | 你鍾意生態環境嘅時候 | 或者係想做一個義工去參與 | 呢個保育工作嘅時候呢 | 我覺得鳳園係一個非常之值得去嘅地方

● 保持到 bàu2 chìh4 dou3 = to keep; to maintain; to preserve

I have visited Fung Yuen many times myself. I think this place is very special. On the one hand, the existing village has been conserved. On the other, if you have a liking for butterflies or for the natural environment [生態環境], or if you would like to come and join in the work of the reserve as a volunteer, I think Fung Yuen is an exceptionally worthwhile place.

有興趣人士可以上 www.fungyuen.org 瀏覽

● 瀏覽 làuh4 láahm5 = to glance over; to skim through; to surf (the internet)

Anyone interested can visit our website at www.fungyuen.org

Learning Cantonese: The Story of Gun Yam

In this “Story of Gun Yam”, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, we are told of the fate of Princess Miu Sin who, in order to cure her father of some terrible disease, offered up her own eyes and hands as necessary ingredients of the only medicine that would make him better. It is an extraordinary story, but one constantly being re-enacted daily in our own times by ordinary men and women, many of them persecuted and unheralded.

This is a scripted video, so the Cantonese is fairly formal and, of course, much of the vocabulary is of a religious nature, but at the same time very usual in terms of heightened cultural understanding. As for the grammar, there is one use of 使到 sí2 dou3 to express causation [使到眾生得到解脫], perhaps in place of the usual colloquial 令到 lihng6 dou3, as well as the refreshingly idiomatic 無論邊個化身, meaning “regardless of which incarnation it happens to be”!

You can view the video here. Since it is a YouTube video, you can slow down the playback speed if you wish: at 0.75 and 0.5, the sound quality is still good. And remember, if you want the standard jyutping romanization or to check any of the Chinese in the text, please consult the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

You might also like to make use the Ekho Text to Speech Converter if you have trouble matching any part of the transcribed Chinese text to the spoken version. Just make sure you select “Cantonese” under the language menu before you paste cut and text into the relevant box.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

經典中曾經提到 | 人受到種種苦難 | 只要心中默唸 | 觀世音菩薩嘅尊名 | 觀世音菩薩就能夠 | 觀其音聲 | 使到眾生得到解脫

● 經典 gīng1 dín2 = 1. classics 2. scriptures | ● 苦難 fú2 naahn6 = suffering; misery; distress | ● 默唸 mahk6 nihm6 = to read (or say) silently | ● 尊名 jyūn1 mìhng4 = (?) venerable name | ● 菩薩 pòuh4 saat3 = Bodhisattva | ● 眾生 jung3 sāng1 = all living creatures | ● 解脫 gáai2 tyut3 = to free/extricate oneself

Note: The character 其 kèih4 is frequently used in formal written Chinese as a possessive pronoun meaning “her, his, its”, etc. Observe too that 觀 gūn1 means “to hear” in this context rather than “to see”, although sight is strongly suggested by the presence of 見 gin3 in the written form.

In the scriptures, it is mentioned that if any person finds themselves in distress, all they have to do is to say silently to themselves the venerable name of the Gun Sai Yam Bodhisattva [觀世音菩薩] and Gun Yam will hear that person’s [其] voice and enable any living creature [眾生] to gain liberation.

觀音嘅信仰千百年嚟 | 深深植根於中國民間 | 而道教就尊稱觀音為 | 慈航大士 | 係一位通過修行 | 而證道成仙嘅仙真 | 能夠救人於苦難

● 信仰 seun3 yéuhng5 = faith; belief; conviction | ● 植根於 jihk6 gān1 yū1 = (?) to establish its roots in| ● 尊稱 jyūn1 chīng1 = a respectful form of address; an honorific title | ● 慈航大士 chìh4 hòhng4 daaih6 sí6*2 = (?) Master of the Barge of Mercy| ● 修行 sāu1 hàhng4 = to practise Buddhism or Taoism | ● 證道成仙 jing3 douh6 sìhng4 sīn1 = (?) to witness the Tao and become an enlightened being | ● 仙真 sīn1 jān1 = an immortal; a Taoist god

Over hundreds and thousands of years [千百年嚟], faith in Gun Yam has sent its roots deep into [the lives of] ordinary Chinese people. Taoism uses the respectful term of address “Master of the Barge of Mercy” to refer to Gun Yam, an immortal [仙真] who, through religious practice [修行], witnessed the Tao and became an enlightened being able to save people from distress.

據宋代民間人士 | 對觀音嘅理解 | 觀音係古時北闕國 | 妙莊王嘅三公主 | 叫做妙善 | 妙善曾經入香山修道 | 然後證道成仙，成爲觀音 | 妙善用自己嘅雙眼同雙手 | 為自己嘅父王入藥醫病 | 佢父王知道之後 | 非常傷痛，【1:00】衷心發願 | 希望聖靈可以令佢嘅女兒手眼重生 | 忽然妙善消失，天上顯現咗 | 千手千眼大悲菩薩嘅法相

● 北闕國 Bāk1 Kyut3 Gwok3 = the name of some ancient country | ● 修道 sāu1 douh6 = to cultivate oneself according to a religious doctrine | ● 入藥 yahp6 yeuhk6 = to be used as medicine | ● 醫病 yī1 behng6 = to give medical treatment | 傷痛 sēung1 tung3 = to mourn; grief; pain | ● 衷心發願 chūng1 sam1 = heartfelt; wholehearted; cordial + 發願 faat3 yuhn6 = to vow to achieve an objective | ● 聖靈 sing3 lìhng4  = usually “the Holy Spirit”; the saintly spirits (of the dead) (Soothill) | ● 重生 chùhng4 sāang1 = a rebirth; to be reborn | ● 顯現 hín2 yihn6 = to manifest/reveal oneself; to appear; to show | ● 大悲daih6 bēi1 = (Buddhism) the great deliverance of Buddha from sufferings & afflictions; the great mercy | ● 法相 faat3 sēung1 = usually “(Buddhism) the aspects or characteristics of things”; in this context, perhaps “dharma appearance”

In the minds of ordinary people [民間人士] living in the Song dynasty, Gun Yam was the third daughter of King Miu Jong of the ancient kingdom [called] Bak Kyut, Princess Miu Sin. She had once spent time at Incense Mountain (or Gandhamādana), cultivating herself spiritually. She later achieved realization [證道成仙] and became Gun Yam. She gave her own two eyes and her hands to be used as medicine for the cure of the illness of her father, the king. When her father found out, he was deeply grieved and made a heartfelt wish, hoping that the saintly spirits could enable his daughter’s eyes and hands to be restored [重生]. Suddenly, Miu Sin vanished and there in the sky appeared the dharma appearance [法相] of the Bodhisattva of Great Mercy with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes.

根據記載觀音有唔同嘅化身 | 不過無論邊個化身 | 佢聞聲救苦嘅形象都深入民間 | 唔少善信都會向觀音 | 禮拜祈求心願 | 不過對觀音禮拜嘅同時 | 我哋亦都要學習 | 觀音為衆生嘅慈悲心 | 喺日常生活中多行善業 | 先可以得到觀音嘅庇佑

● 記載 gei3 joi3 = 1. to put down in writing 2. a record; an account | ● 化身 faa3 sān1 = an incarnation; an embodiment | ● 聞聲 màhn4 sīng1 = (?) to hear [the call of] a voice | ● 形象 yìhng4 jeuhng6 = an image; a form; a figure | ● 善信 sihn6 seun3 = (?) the faithful; true believers| ● 禮拜 láih5 baai3 = to attend a religious service; perhaps also “to worship” | ● 祈求 kèih4 kàuh4 = to earnestly hope; to pray for | ● 心願 sām1 yuhn6 = a cherished desire; an aspiration; a wish | ● 慈悲心 chìh4 bēi1 sām1 = compassion | ● 行善業 hàhng4 sihn6 yihp6 = to perform good deeds | ● 庇佑 bei3 yauh6 = to bless; to prosper

According to written accounts, Gun Yam has various different incarnations, but whichever the incarnation, the image of her responding to calls for help has penetrated deeply into the life of the people, and not a few of the faithful turn to Gun Yam, both to worship her and to beseech her to grant them their wishes. However, while worshipping Gun Yam, we must try to learn the compassion she has for all living creatures, and to perform good deeds in our daily lives. Only then can we be blessed by Gun Yam.

Cantonese Podcasts: Cynthia, Salt-maker!

Cynthia went to the island of 鹽田梓 Yim Tin Tsai in Sai Kung four years ago, and instantly felt a strong attraction to the traditional practice of sea salt-making carried on there.  Watch this video and I think you’ll get a good sense of why this might be so.

I particularly enjoyed this clip for the way it brings together words, images and music in a beautifully holistic way: the result is certainly greater than the sum of its individual parts. There are also some wonderful things in it for anyone learning Cantonese, although it has to be said that Cynthia’s enthusiasm for salt accelerates the speed of her talk, sometimes to the point of incomprehensibility for a non-native speaker . . .

In terms of grammar, you’ll be struck at once by Cynthia’s preference for a 依 yī1 over 呢 nī1/lī1 for the meaning of “this; here”, etc. Secondly, she has a fondness for 囉 lō1, a final particle that has been perplexing me for some time! From the three uses of it in this video, I get the impression that one of its uses is to modify the force of an assertion. Whenever Cynthia makes a claim for something, she tends to add 囉, perhaps to make her assertions more acceptable to a (sceptical) listener:

● 「鹽」，用一個字去形容可以係「甜」囉。
If I had to [choose] one word to describe “salt”, I would say “sweet”.
● 噉其實係好 . . . 做到我想要嘅嘢囉。
Actually, this is a good thing . . . and does the things that I would like to have.
● 噉喺依個時代冇咁有無力感囉
Then there wouldn’t be such a feeling of powerlessness in this period.

You will also notice two instances of a 透過 tau3 gwo3, which is used in Cantonese to indicate the means by which an action is done, and an occurrence of the final particle 噃 bo3 in 環境好似唔錯噃 = The surroundings do not seem too bad at all. There’s plenty of colourful vocabulary here, too, including 一脚踢 yāt1 geuk3 tek3, literally “one-foot kicking”, that means “to single-handedly oversee a project entirely”, as well as the unusual verbs 嗒 daap1 or dep1 = “to try and assess a taste” and 打卡 dáa2 kāat1 = “to take a selfie at some tourist hotspot”.

The reporter at HK01 for this clip was 溫嘉敏 (Wān1 Gāa1 Máahn5), the camera person was 林頌華 (Làhm4 Juhng6 Wàah4), while 曾雁翔 (Jāng1 Ngaahn6 Chèuhng4) was responsible for the editing.

You can watch Cynthia on the HK01 website here. Unfortunately, there are no English subtitles, so if you’d like a translation, please scroll down. And if you’d like extra help with any of Cantonese, remember to make use of the Sheik Cantonese on-line dictionary.

Perhaps by the end you’ll be at least a little more inclined to believe that salt is sweet, as Cynthia says at the beginning.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

「鹽」，用一個字去形容可以係「甜」囉。

If I had to [choose] one word to describe “salt”, I would say “sweet”.

其實，由我第一日做義工至到依刻爲止呢，我每一次見到鹽嘅結晶，我都會好興奮，好雀躍嘅。

● 爲止 wài4 jí2 forms a usual structure meaning “up to; till”, and routinely goes together with a preceding 至 ji3 or 至到 ji3 dou3. So, 至到依刻爲止 = up to the present moment.
● 結晶 git3 jīng1 = a crystal; to crystallize
● 雀躍jeuk3 yeuhk6 = to be over the moon; happy; glad

In fact, from the first day I [came to work here] as a volunteer, I actually get excited and over the moon [雀躍] whenever I see salt.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The reporter speaks:

清潔，搬水全部都要一脚踢。

● 一脚踢 yāt1 geuk3 tek3 = to single-handedly oversee a project entirely; to undertake the whole thing by oneself; a one-man company (lit. one-foot-kick)

Cleaning up and fetching water, Cynthia oversees these things herself.

四年前開始，Cynthia 就喺鹽場幫手曬鹽。

● 曬鹽 saai3 yìhm4 = to evaporate brine in the sun to make salt

Four years ago, Cynthia began helping to make salt at [these] saltworks.

作為社工畢業生，但係就走到鹽田梓日曬雨淋。

● 日曬雨淋 yaht6 saai3 yúh5 làhm4 = exposed to the sun and the rain

She did a degree in social work, but she braves the hot sun and the rain to come to Yim Tin Tsai.

為咗咩呢？

Why is this so?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Cynthia speaks:

香港嘅土地多數都係用嚟做地產項目吖嘛。

● Note that 嚟 làih4 is used to express purpose: to use land for [the purposes of].
● 項目 hohng6 muhk6 has the basic meaning of “item”. It is one of those nouns like 情況 chihng4 fong3 that get used a lot in Cantonese, but which often don’t really need to be translated.

Land in Hong Kong is mainly used [for the purposes of] real estate in Hong Kong.

啫係，都係用嚟做商品吖嘛。

● Here, I think 吖嘛 aa3 maa3, the double particle suggesting “obviousness”, means “as we all know”.

That is, it is used as a commodity.

噉但喺依一個島有嘅咁大嘅地方，但係竟然做一啲唔係經濟產量嘅嘢喎，浄係做返一啲歷史文化嘅價值，去傳承一段歷史。

● 竟然 gíng2 yìhn4 = unexpectedly | This generally signals the speaker’s attitude to what is being said.
● 產量 cháan2 leuhng6 = output
● Note the use of the aspect marker 返 fāan1 here, to indicate a going back to a previous state of affairs, or a resumption of something that has been interrupted. The suggestion in this sentence is one must go back to protecting certain historical and cultural values.
● 傳承 chyùhn4 sìhng4 = to impart & inherit

But there is so much room on this island, and so things are done here that are not [connected with] economic output, [but which] are purely [about] protecting certain historical and cultural values, and with carrying on [e.g. “traditions”] [belonging to] a certain time in history.

我覺得人同大自然嘅關係可以緊密一啲嘅。

● 緊密 gán2 maht6 = tight and close
● 一啲 yāt1 dī1 = some; some more

My feeling is that the relationship between human beings and nature could be a bit closer.

而依度咁啱有嗰個機會，就係因爲鹽就係嚟自個天空，嚟自個大海，咁透過人去成就咗鹽依樣嘢，而依一個鹽亦都係人類嘅必需品。

● 咁啱 gam3 ngāam1 = what a coincidence; by chance; it just so happens
● Note that in 嚟自, the 自 jih6 means “from”.
● 透過 tau3 gwo3 = through; by; by means of; by way of
● 成就 sìhng4 jauh6 = to achieve; to accomplish
● 必需品 bīt1 sēui1 bán2 = a necessity; an essential (thing) | cf. 生活必需品 = life’s necessities

Here, as by coincidence, [we have] that opportunity [that is, to do things that are not purely connected with economic output], because salt comes from [that is, “is a product of certain factors such as”] the sky and from the sea, so through human agency [透過人] this thing [called] salt comes about. Furthermore, this salt is a necessity for human beings.

噉其實係好 . . . 做到我想要嘅嘢囉。

Actually, this is a good thing . . . and does the things that I would like to have.

成個製鹽嘅過程都係透過最傳統嘅技藝去做。

● 技藝 geih6 ngaih6 = skill; artistry

The entire salt-making process is carried out by means of the most traditional skills.

噉好多嘅雜質就已經大部份釋放嗮出嚟而留返喺粒鹽裏面嘅就係礦物質同微量元素。

● 雜質 jaahp6 jāt1 = impurities
● 釋放 sīk1 fong3 = to release; to let out
● 礦物質 kong3 maht6 jāt1 = mineral
● 微量元素 meih6 leuhng6 (?) yùhn4 sou3 = (?) trace element

Many impurities [雜質] have already been largely removed [lit. 釋放 sīk1 fong3 = released], while what remains in the grains of salt are the minerals and trace elements in the brine.

噉所以好多小朋友嚟到呢，佢一食粒鹽呢，佢就自己會話粒鹽係甜嘅。

And so for this reason many kids who come here say of their own accord [自己會話] that as soon as they taste a grain of salt, it tastes sweet.

因爲嗰粒鹽係會好好嗒，好好食。

● 嗒 dāap1 or dēp1 = to try and assess a taste; lick (Sheik Cantonese)

Because a grain of salt is nice to taste and has a good flavour [too].

噉但係當你大個咗，我諗你識得另外一個形容詞呢，其實嗰個就係「回甘」。

● 大個咗 daaih6 go3 jó2 = get a bit older; grow up & become an adult
● 回甘 wùih4 gām1 = an aftertaste, especially a sweet one.

But when you get a bit older, you will understand the use of another adjective [to describe you experience of salt]. That adjective is wui gam, “having a sweet aftertaste”.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The reporter speaks:

鹽場夠大，但係人手一直唔夠，想進一步發展都有制肘。

● 掣肘/制肘 jai3 jáu2 = to hinder so.; to stop so. (from) doing sth.; to restrict; to impede | 肘 means “elbow” in classical Chinese

The salt fields are quite extensive, but there has always been a shortage of people to help do the work, and this has been an impediment to the wish for further development.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Cynthia speaks:

首先唔夠人手啦。

First of all, we have had a shortage of people.

二嚟就係因爲唔夠人手，所以生產亦都唔夠。

Secondly, owing to the lack of people, we do not produce enough.

噉所以有好多合作機會都未可以應承得到住。

● 應承 yīng1 sìhng4 = to promise | The addition of 得到 suggests the ability to succeed in an action (Tong & James, Colloquial Cantonese, chapter 10), although 可以 here also indicates possibility. Remember that with this meaning 到 changes tone and becomes high-rising: dóu3*2! The further addition of 住 jyuh6 seems unusual here. My guess, based on the work of Yip and Matthews, is that adds the sense of “a continuous state without change” (Intermediate Cantonese, p.100).

And so for this reason up to now we have been unable to make any promises [regarding] the plentiful opportunities for collaboration.

噉但係機會係有會好多好多嘅。

However, there are a lot of opportunities, a lot.

因爲依度其實真係好體力勞動，始終後生一輩如果幫到手嘅話係非常之好嘅。

● 體力勞動 tái2 lihk6 lòuh4 duhng6 = manual labour; physical work
● The phrase 幫到手 is another example of 到 dóu3*2 suggesting success in doing something = “to manage to help”. Because 幫手 bong1 sau2 is a verb-object compound (手 means “hand”, making this verb similar in meaning to the English “to lend a hand”!), 到 is placed between the two parts of the verb.

Because it really is [a matter of] physical labour here, it has always been fantastic when younger people lend us a hand.

啫，對於我嚟講有咁大嘅價值嘅時候，咁我覺得可能，啫，可能同輩嘅都可以揾到依個價值，可以喺度參與。

When this has such an immense value for me, it makes me feel that possibly, possibly other people of my age-group could find this [same] value, and could take part in it, [too].

噉喺依個時代冇咁有無力感囉。

● Cynthia manages to combine all the verbs meaning “to have” or “not to have” in the phrase 冇咁有無力感 = lit. “not-having such a having of a feeling of not-having-power”!

Then there wouldn’t be such a feeling of powerlessness at this time.

其實鹽場好靚嘅。

In actual, the salt-fields are very beautiful.

因為自己啦，同埋啲朋友呀，義工朋友都會影好多相啦。

Because I have taken a lot of photos, and so have my friends, and my friends who have worked as volunteers.

噉影咁多相 ，咁無理由自己睇㗎嘛。

● 無理由 móuh4*5 léih5 yàuh4 = without reason | cf. 理由 leih5 you4 = a reason, ground or argument
● 㗎嘛 gaa3 maa3 is a contraction for 嘅吖嘛 ge3 aa3 maa3, in which 嘅 increases the force of the assertion and 吖嘛 suggests obviousness or perhaps even “beyond the shadow of a doubt”. In this sense, 嘅 ge3 is the opposite in function to 囉 lō1, which weakens or downplays sureness.

But there is no point in us taking all these photographs just for me to look at.

噉咪，橫掂都係喇，咁不如開個 page，開個ig，跟住擺吓相，做吓記錄啦。

● 噉咪 involves one of the numerous special meanings of 咪 maih6. My provisional explanation that it is very similar to the sentence opener 噉就 gám2 jauh6, which suggests sequence: “Then . . .” + Observe how 橫掂 wàahng4 dihm6 = “anyhow; anyway; in any case; regardless” and 不如 work together in this sentence, meaning something like “since this is the way it is, I might as well . . .” Sheik Cantonese provides a similar example: 橫掂都出咗嚟，順便去睇戲啦 = Let’s go for a movie as we are already here anyway! Typically, too, suggestions made with 不如 bāt1 yùh4 require 啦 lāa1 at the end of the sentence.

So, given this [橫掂都係喇] [I thought] why not start a Facebook site and use Instagram, then put up some photos where they could serve as a record?

噉啲人真係可以睇到究竟鹽喺香港係真係可以有咁優質嘅。        

● 優質 yāu1 jāt1 = top quality; high grade

People could see [for themselves] just [what] top quality salt in Hong Kong has.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The reporter speaks:

環境好似唔錯噃。

● One of the meanings of 噃 bo3 is affirmation. I don’t hear it very often and, when I do, it is usually from an older speaker. This instance shows that younger people can use it too. Another example of affirmative 噃 is 我記得唔係咁噃！ = I remember it wasn’t like that!

The surroundings do not seem too bad at all.

如果只係想入嚟打個卡，順便做一兩日義工，收唔收人呀？

● 打卡 dáa2 kāat1 = “to take a selfie at some tourist hotspot”. My sense here is that 個 go3 is added to this verb-object verb not to quantify the action (“take one selfie”) but to add a casualness to the activity akin to like “take a few selfies; just to take a selfie or two”.

If someone just felt like coming here and taking a few selfies, and then [decided to stay on] to do two or three days of volunteer work, would you accept them?

非常之歡迎呀，係呀。

[They would be] very welcome, yes.

因為，其實，我哋依個島，其實，一入到嚟就大把嘢俾你做嘅。

● 大把 daaih6 báa2 = “a lot; many; a great deal of”. My sense is that 把 here is a kind of general measure word (or classifier), perhaps loosely connected to its verb meaning of “to hold; to grasp”, suggesting “a (big) handful of”.

As a matter of fact, on this island of ours, actually there would be quite a lot of work available to you once you get here.

噉如果你有心嘅話，其實，你一路做落去，其實，冇問題嘅。

● 落去 lohk6 heui3 is basically a particle added to a verb to indicate direction, “down”). However, 落去 also has the extended meaning of “to keep on doing”. This may be another small piece of evidence suggesting that the Chinese view of time is a movement downwards towards the future.

If you had the heart [心], actually, and wanted to keep on [working], [then] as a matter of fact that would be no problem.

“My Rebellious Grandfather” by 張婉雯 Cheung Yuen Man, translated by Audrey Heijns

My paternal grandfather was born in autumn and his name was Kwun Ng, literally “viewing the parasol tree”, based on the phrase “After the leaves of the Chinese parasol tree fall, everyone knows that autumn has come.” Because the phoenix rests in the Chinese parasol tree, he changed his name to Sai Luai, literally “fabulous bird”, when he got married. Later, after he came to Hong Kong for work, he called himself Sum, the Chinese character made up of three trees, meaning “luxuriant vegetation”. My grandfather as I know him went by the name of Cheung Sum — a handsome, stubborn old man.
            It was my grandfather who taught me how to use knife and fork. In my childhood, there were still Hong Kong style “Soy Sauce Western Cafes” that offered affordable, reasonable Western food, similar to today’s cha chaan teng, but slightly more sophisticated. They offered grand dinner meals for Christmas and Easter with half a roast chicken, fruit punch and golden paper hats as gifts for the children. Fok Tin Restaurant in our housing estate was that type of restaurant. Every Sunday grandfather would take my brother, sister and me there for breakfast. He always had his butter bun and hot coffee, and when he saw me pick up my knife and fork he showed me how to use them. My first taste of banana boat and Irish coffee also happened there. For a 7 or 8 year old it was a very fancy place.
            But I didn’t like grandfather. He was the black sheep of the family. My grandmother used to say he was a fickle husband and an irresponsible father. Grandmother was his legal wife, but later he had two concubines, I never learnt the full names of these two nominal grandmothers and only know their nicknames, one being “Sang Fan Hing” and the other “Ah So”. San Fan Hing — meaning “savage darling” — was, as her name suggests, very bad tempered. In China, grandmother once lived with Ah So for a time, but they couldn’t get along. Meantime my grandfather came to Hong Kong for work—he got out of China as quickly as he could, he wanted to leave before the start of the Cultural Revolution, when all his family property was confiscated and only his life was spared. Grandfather was originally well looked after by his father, and they were very wealthy, owning a shopping street. No wonder he hated the Communist Party all his life.
            Although the Communist Party had confiscated his family property, they could never deprive him of his bon vivant lifestyle. In his leisure time, he would recall past events, sometimes saying “Once I danced in the dance hall…” Stories like that. I almost never saw him go into the kitchen, and even his tea was poured for him by grandmother. Before his retirement, whenever he returned home, he would ask us to get his slippers and then reward us with a dollar. He bought me a remote-control toy car and a beautiful little red cape. He was liberal with money except in the case of his wives.
            Not long before I was born, grandfather moved back from Ah So’s place to live with grandmother and my parents, the reason being that he had a falling out with Ah So and the children there. Ah So had left her family in the countryside and came to Hong Kong before grandfather did. Have I seen this grandmother? I don’t know, I’m really not sure. Have I seen her children? I must have seen them once or twice. At grandfather’s funeral, one of my uncles, the one who never showed up during the preparations, came and kowtowed before the stone tablet and left. They said he was Ah So’s son. Even if we happened to meet face to face, I had no way of knowing that the blood of the same person flowed in our veins.
            When grandfather came back to live with us, grandmother was very happy. I still remember that when grandfather took a nap, she would sit beside the bed, reading the newspaper by the window. Usually it was a quiet sunny afternoon. The bed was a plain, metal one with a chequered sheet that was soft and faded from washing. Grandmother would wear embroidered slippers, black framed spectacles on her emaciated face and grey strands in her hair. Grandfather would sleep on his side with his back to her.
            Grandmother’s attitude toward grandfather started to change after Ah So’s death. One day, grandfather was sitting on the sofa, tapping his feet, when he said in a casual, relaxed tone “Ah So passed away.” Later I heard that she had died of breast cancer. Later I heard that grandfather never visited her after she got sick. Later I heard mum say: grandmother observed grandfather’s reaction and was very disappointed. In any case, once I was old enough to understand what was going on, I heard all the time how difficult it was for grandmother to raise six children; how father had to discontinue his studies to support the family and how aunt managed the household. All the result of one cause: grandfather had too many wives and children and was unable to take proper care of them.
            My impression of grandfather up till a couple of years ago changed a little. It was the year that his younger cousin who was eighty something then — by now also deceased — came back from the US and arranged a family reunion dinner with our family in the old district of Sai Wan. In the course of the conversation, he told us that, back then, grandfather actually preferred grandmother’s younger sister, but grandfather’s mother was taken with grandmother and therefore it was grandmother who crossed the threshold. When grandfather took a concubine, he wrote in a letter home saying “Mum, the decision of my legal wife is your business, taking a concubine is mine.” At the time grandmother was already crying her eyes out. Grandmother’s pain was real. Grandfather’s feelings were also real: he didn’t love her. Sometimes love is a luxury, it’s so extravagant that it causes a few generations to hold mutual grudges. At other times love is commonplace, so common that it’s worn away by the little pieces of life. When I came to experience love for myself, at the same time I transcended time and forgave my grandfather for being a rebel. Finally, it dawned on me that besides being a fickle husband and an irresponsible father, he was also after all my doting grandfather.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

● 叛逆的祖父 / 張婉雯

家祖父生於秋天，起名「觀梧」，取「梧桐一葉落，天下盡知秋」之意。又因鳳凰棲於梧桐，故成婚時又改名「世鸞」。後來港工作，自己取名「森」。我認識的祖父是張森，那個英俊、固執的老人。

教我用刀叉的人是祖父。我年幼時，香港尚有好些「豉油西餐廳」，類似茶餐廳，但又高貴些，聖誕節復活節供應大餐，半隻燒雞，雜果賓治，小孩子有金色紙帽作禮品。公邨裡的「福田餐廳」就是這種格調。每逢周日，祖父便帶我們姐弟三人到那裡吃早餐。他是固定的，油餐包，熱咖啡；見我拿起刀叉往碟上鋸，便執手教導。我也在那裡初次嚐到香蕉船、愛爾蘭咖啡。對一個七、八歲的小孩來說，算是很奢華了。

然而，我並不喜歡祖父，他是家裡的黑羊。在我祖母口中，他只是薄情的丈夫，不負責任的父親。祖母是正室，底下還有兩個妾侍；這兩位名義上的祖母，我連她們的全名也不知道，只知一個綽號「生番卿」，另一個叫「阿蘇」。「生番卿」人如其名，性格暴燥，祖母在內地時有一段時間跟她同住，相處不好。其時祖父已往香港工作—他走得快，趕在文化大革命前離開，只被沒收家財，總算保住性命。祖父本來是有父蔭的，有錢，有一條街的鋪位。所以他一生人最恨共產黨。

然而共產黨雖沒收了祖父的財產，卻沒收不了他的公子哥兒脾氣。閒時懷緬往事，祖父偶爾會說起：「從前我在舞廳跳舞……」這類的小故事。我幾乎未見過他進廚房，茶都是祖母給他倒。還未退休時，每外出而返，祖父便著我們替他拿來拖鞋放好，然後打賞我們一元。他給我買過搖控車，漂亮的紅色小斗篷。他對他妻兒以外的人都闊綽。

在我出生前不久，祖父從阿蘇家裡搬回來，跟祖母，我父母同住，原因是他跟阿蘇和那邊的子女反了面。阿蘇在鄉間是離港出走的，先於祖父來港；我有見過這個祖母嗎﹖我不知道，也不肯定。我有見過這個祖母的兒女嗎﹖應見過一兩次吧。在祖父的葬禮上，我的其中一位叔父，事前既沒參與喪事籌辦，在靈堂上也只是躬一個鞠就走了。據說他是阿蘇的兒子。即使面對面碰見，我也不知我們身上流著同一個人的血。

祖父搬回來，看得出祖母是高興的。我還記得：祖父午睡時，祖母便坐在床邊，湊在窗前看報紙。那通常是安靜的、陽光普照的午後；鐵架床的線條簡潔鮮明，格仔床單洗舊了，質樸軟熟。祖母穿著綉花拖鞋，瘦削的臉上架著黑櫃小眼鏡，頭髮黑白夾雜。祖父側著身，背向著她。

祖母對祖父態度轉變，始於阿蘇之死。某一天，祖父坐在沙發上，抖著腳，用一種家常的、輕鬆的口吻，說：「阿蘇死了。」後來我聽說阿蘇死於乳癌；後來我聽說祖父在阿蘇患病時沒去看過她。後來我聽母親說：祖母看著祖父的反應，覺得心寒。反正我自懂事以來，聽到的都是祖母如何含莘茹苦地養大六個子女；父親如何輟學養家；姑姑如何操持家務。這都是為了一個原因：祖父太多妻子與孩子，顧不及他們。

對祖父的印象，一直到數年前，才略有改變。那一年，祖父八十多歲的表弟—如今他也過身了—從美國回港，約我們一家在西環舊區聚餐。閒談間他告訴我們：祖父當年喜歡的，是祖母的妹妹，但祖父的母親屬意祖母，結果入門的也是祖母。納妾時，祖父的家書中有一句：「媽，娶正室是你的事，娶妾侍是我的事」，祖母的眼睛當時就哭壞了。祖母的傷心是真的，祖父不愛她也是真的。愛有時很奢侈，奢侈得花上幾代人來互相怨恨；愛有時又很平庸，平庸得都在細碎的生活中磨蝕掉。到自己經歷過了，我也同時越過時空，體諒了祖父的叛逆。我也終於想起，除了是個薄情的丈夫與不負責任的父親外，他畢竟也是疼愛過我的祖父。

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● Cheung Yuen Man likes writing and is concerned with animals. She won the 25th United Daily News Award for fiction debut (short story) in 2011. Her publications include You Are Here 《你在》 (2020), Those were the Cats 《那些貓們》 (2019), Daily of Dust《微塵記》 (2017), Sweeties 《甜蜜蜜》 (2004), and The Pole《極點》 (with Mok Wing Hung). In 2019, Cheung won the Recommendation Award in the Hong Kong Biennial Awards for Chinese Literature, the Hong Kong Bookprize and the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Award for Daily of Dust.

● Audrey Heijns, based in Hong Kong, is working at Shenzhen University. Her translations of Chinese literature have been published in literary magazines, including Het Trage Vuur, Twee Ronde, KortVerhaal, Terras, Renditions, Exchanges and Poetry International.

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Interesting material about Cheung Yuen Man (in Cantonese):

● RTHK interview with Cheung about her book Those Cats

● Articles about Cheung on the website HK01:

Part 1 【張婉雯專訪．一】我城空轉虛耗　無力感瀰漫　文學成最後避風港
Part 2【張婉雯專訪．二】凡人比英雄更能代表這個時代　瑣碎中呈現人性

【張婉雯】《微塵記》後的《那些貓們》　印證香港有好文學
動保人兼作家張婉雯 日常瑣事變新作 力證「了解比標籤重要」
【鄉郊動物．四】作家張婉雯： 以文字疏理城鄉動物差異

On the Arrest of 周庭 Agnes Chow

The following brief article on the recent arrest of 周庭 Agnes Chow appeared on the HK01 website here.

壹傳媒集團創辦人黎智英涉違反國安法一案，警方國安處至今共拘捕 10 人，其中前眾志成員周庭被指勾結外國勢力被捕。今晚（10日）晚上8時許，10 多名探員進入周庭位於大埔的寓所及將她拘捕，至晚上近 10 時，她雙手擺放在身後及手持一件衣物，未見手腕有鎖上手銬，由多名探員押上警車帶走。

[In] the case of Apple Media founder 黎智英Jimmy Lai’s arrest for violating the National Security Law, the Department for Safeguarding National Security within the police has arrested 10 people to date, of whom 周庭 Agnes Chow, a former member of Demisistō, has been accused of collusion with foreign powers and taken into custody. This evening (10 August) at around 8 p.m., more than 10 detectives entered Chow’s apartment in Tai Po and arrested her. At around 10 p.m., both arms behind her back and holding some clothing but without handcuffs on her wrists, she was escorted out by several detectives, put into a car and taken away.

國家安全處高級警司李桂華晚上在警察總部交代案情，指國安處早前調查一團伙，其目的是以宣傳及積極參與要求外國或國際組織制裁香港，調查中發現2男1女在港運行有關組織。據了解，有關人士包括前眾志成員周庭、民間組織「香港故事」成員李宇軒、前學民思潮成員李宗澤，涉嫌勾結外國或者境外勢力；而李宇軒另涉嫌洗黑錢。

● 交代 gāau1 doih6 = [1] to hand over [2] to make clear; to explain [3] to account for; to justify [4] to confess
● 伙 fó2 = a companion; partner; colleague
● 涉嫌 sip3 yìhm4 = to be a suspect (in a crime); under suspicion
● 境外 gíng2 ngoih6 = overseas; foreign
● 洗黑錢 sái2 hāk1 chín2 = to launder money; money laundering

That evening, senior superintendent of the Department for Safeguarding National Security 李桂華Li Kwai-Wah provided some explanation of the case at Police Headquarters. He said that sometime previously the DSNS had been investigating a group of people [一團伙] whose objective was to ask foreign countries or international organizations to impose sanctions on Hong Kong by means of propaganda and active participation [積極參與] and in the course of the investigation discovered two men and a woman operating an organization of this nature in Hong Kong. It is understood that the people concerned included former Demisistō member Agnes Chow, popular organization Hong Kong Story member 李宇軒 Edward Lei, and former Scholarism member 李宗澤 Wilson Li. They are under suspicion of having colluded with foreign or overseas powers. Edward Lei is also under suspicion of money laundering.

警經深入調查後，發現有一群傳媒集團高層利用外國戶口在財政上支持有關團伙，而該團伙在國安法立法後仍然積極運作，警方遂拘捕3男。該 3 名男子包括黎智英、壹傳媒集團總裁及財務總裁周達權，以及黎智英次子黎耀恩，涉嫌勾結外國或者境外勢力；黎智英亦涉煽動罪。

● 立法 lahp6 faat3 = to legislate; to make laws
● 總裁 júng2 chòih4 = chairman; CEO
● 財務總裁 chòih4 mouh6 júng2 chòih4 = chief financial officer

After thoroughgoing investigations, it was found that the upper management of a group of media conglomerates [傳媒集團] made use of foreign bank accounts to provide financial support to organizations of this kind, and that such organizations have been operating up to the present after the adoption of the National Security Law. Consequently, three men were arrested. These three men were Jimmy Lai, Next Digital chief operating officer and chief financial officer 周達權 Royston Chow Tat Kuen, as well as Jimmy Lai’s second son 黎耀恩Ian Lai. They are under suspicion of having colluded with foreign or overseas powers. Jimmy Lai is also under suspicion of incitement.

警方亦接獲投訴指上述傳媒集團涉及串謀詐騙，他們以欺詐手段騙取低價使用廠房的權利，再拘捕 6 男，其中2名男子亦涉違反國安法的上述案件被捕。6男包括黎智英、周達權、壹傳媒行政總裁張劍虹、壹傳媒行政總監黃偉強、壹傳媒動畫總經理吳達光及黎智英長子黎見恩。

Police also received a complaint claiming that that the above-named media conglomerate [Next Digital] conspired to defraud [串謀詐騙], making use of dishonest means to obtain the right to make use of factory space at a low price [取低價使用廠房的權利], in regard to which a further six men were arrested, of whom two are also under suspicion of having violated the National Security Law in the above-mentioned case. The six men are Jimmy Lai, Royston Chow Tat Kuen, Next Digital CEO 張劍虹Cheung Kim Hung, chief administrative officer 黃偉強 Wong Wai-keung, chief executive of Next Animation Studio 吳達光 Kith Ng, and Lai’s eldest son, 黎見恩 Timothy Lai.

周二（11日）凌晨1時許，周庭 Facebook 管理員表示，周庭涉嫌違反《國安法》的「勾結外國或境外勢力危害國家安全罪」罪名被捕，未知是否能夠保釋，並引述警方指，「相信周庭從今年7月至今，曾透過社交媒體請求外國對中華人民共和國實施制裁和敵對行動。」

● 管理員 gwún2 léih5 yùhn4 = administrator

At 1 a.m. early on Tuesday morning (11 August) the administrator for Agnes Chow’s Facebook page said that Chow was under suspicion of having violated the “Crime of Colluding with Foreign Countries or Foreign Forces to Endanger National Security”, [part of] the National Security Law and had been arrested for that charge, and did not know whether she would be released on bail. The administrator also quoted the police as saying “it is believed that this year from July up to the present time [Chow] had made use of social media to ask foreign countries to impose sanctions on the Peoples Republic of China and [to take] hostile actions.

文中亦表示，《國安法》對香港言論自由、新聞自由造成嚴重影響。過去 1 個月，周庭已屢次遭不明人士跟蹤、在家門外監視，甚至有鄰近周庭住所人士透露，有人在周庭住所外安裝紅外線鏡頭，直至周庭被捕後，即被不明人士拆除。

In the administrator’s written response (?) [文中], it also said that the National Security Law had a serious impact on freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Hong Kong. Over the past month, Chow had been followed by unidentified individuals on several occasions and had been watched outside her home. People living near to Chow revealed that an infrared camera [紅外線鏡頭] had been set up outside her residence, and was only removed by unidentified persons after Chow’s arrest.

Save the Children!

On 21 June 2019, Hong Kong demonstrators surrounded the Hong Kong Police Headquarters in Wan Chai. Three leading activists charged with offences relating to the incident, 周庭 Agnes Chow, 黄子峰 Joshua Wong and 林朗彥 Ivan Lam, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on 5 August for a preliminary hearing. In this short video put together by HK01 reporters 林樂兒 Lam Lok-yi and 陳詠姿 Chan Wing-ji, we hear briefly from the three before they went to court. The trial has been set for 23 November, and Agnes Chow, who has pleaded guilty to both charges (incitement and participating in an unlawful assembly) will have to wait until then to learn what is to become of her.

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Vocabulary:

● 機率 gēi1 léut6*2 = probability; odds
● 判刑 pun3 yìhng4 = condemn; to sentence; a sentence (for a crime)
● 陰霾 yām1 màaih4 = haze
● 信念 seun3 nihm6 = faith; belief
● 破解 po3 gáai2 = to unlock; to crack; to decipher
● 呈堂證供 chìhng4 tòhng4 jing3 gung3 = sworn evidence
● 審訊 sám2 seun3 = a trial; a courtroom hearing
● 爭辯 jāng1 bihn6 = to argue; to debate; to contend
● 不明來歷 bāt1 mìhng4 lòih4 lihk6= of unknown/dubious origin
● 檢討 gím2 tóu2 = to review; to recap
● 追究 jēui1 gau3 = to investigate; to look into
● 包圍 bāau1 wàih4 = to surround; to encircle
● 警總 jīng1 júng2 = police headquarters | an abbreviation for 警察總部

The clip, which last for 1:31, can be viewed here.

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● 周庭 Agnes Chow speaks:

根據我哋律師團隊嘅意見呢
In the opinion of my legal team

今日的確係一個好細嘅機率呢
There is indeed a slight possibility today

係我有可能係會面對判刑嘅
That I just might be facing my sentencing

噉就住我嘅認罪呢
● 就 jauh6, or sometimes 就住 jauh6 jyuh6, has the meaning of “with regard to; concerning; on (the subject of)” and is used to introduce the topic of a sentence before the start of the main clause.
With regard to my admission of guilt

我自己都係以一個平常心去到面對
● 平常心 pìhng4 sèuhng4 sām1 = lit. “an ordinary heart” | I can’t find this noun in my dictionaries
I face up to this as I would to anything in my life (lit. “with an ordinary heart”)

我亦都相信喺《國安法》嘅陰霾之下
I also believe that, in the hazy [atmosphere; climate] of the National Security Law

我哋香港人，包括我自己，
We, the people of Hong Kong, myself included

都係更加要去堅持我哋嘅信念
Will cling even more firmly to our beliefs

● [0:21] 黄子峰 Joshua Wong speaks:

警方呢，係喺未知會我代表律師嘅情況之下呢
The police, before informing (? | 知會) the lawyer who is representing me

就係用呢一個以色列軟件 Cellebrite 呢
Employed the Israel[-made] software Cellebrite

係去破解我嘅電話
To unlock my phone

然後呢，係將嗰部電話裏邊部分嘅資料呢，係另作為一個呈堂證供
And then, [they] treated a part of the material in this phone as further [另] sworn evidence

呢呢，喺呢一個嘅法庭審訊開始嘅時候呢，亦都為爭辯
● 呢呢 nī1 nē1 = this (topic) | Note the two different pronunciations for the same Chinese character here.
This then, at the time when the courtroom hearing is beginning, is also something than can be argued about

呢一部電話裏邊所有嘅資料，若係經過個咁樣嘅不明來歷嘅方式
All the material in this phone, if it has been subjected to a method of such dubious origins

一個我認爲違反程序公義方式係去破解呢
A method which I consider to run counter to procedure and justice to unlock it

呢一樣嘢係極有一個爭辯空間嘅
Then this issue [呢一樣嘢] provides plenty of scope for argument

● [0:56] 林朗彥 Ivan Lam speaks:

九六十二嘅時候，我哋見到
On 6 June and 12 June, we saw

香港人係經歷咗前所未見嘅警察暴力
● 前所未見 chìhn4 só2 meih6 gin3 = (?) unprecedented | 前所未有 chìhn4 só2 meih6 yáuh5 is more commonly heard, I think
That the people of Hong Kong experienced unprecedented police violence

當然後來嘅警察暴力係更加嚴重呀
Of course, later police violence was more serious

噉到今日我哋見到警方仍然係未檢討返，未係追究返
To this day, we see that the police have yet to review [or] investigate

一啲係濫權，濫用暴力嘅警員
● 濫權 laahm6 kyùhn4 = (?) to abuse authority/power
Those members of the police who abused their authority or used excessive force

當日嘅包圍警總
On that day when Police HQ [ = 警察總部] was surrounded

我哋係高喊「只有暴政，係沒有暴徒」
● 暴徒 bouh6 tòuh4 = thugs; mob
We chanted at the tops of our voices [高喊] “There is only violent government. There are no violent mobs”

呢個係絕對正義之舉
This absolutely is an act of justice

今日我哋仍然會抱持呢一個信念
● 抱持 póuh5 chìh4 = (?) to cherish; to hold
Today we still cherish this faith

Hong Kong’s Latest Miracle!

To watch the video made by HK01, please click here.

Benny Tai speaks:

我哋又創造咗令一次嘅奇跡
We have created yet another miracle

喺今次民主派嘅初選嘅公民投票
In this public ballot [for] primary elections [for] the democratic camp
+ 初選 cho1 syun2 = primary election

按而家系統，電子系統，所統計到嘅投票嘅人次呢
According to the current system, the electronic system, statistics for the number of people voting

係592,211位
Stands at 592,211

另外呢，我哋仲有係大概21,000張呢，係紙嘅選票嘅
In addition, we also have roughly 21,000 paper ballots
+ 選票 syun2 piu3 = a vote

合理啲呢，去推算呀
Making reasonable calculations on the basis of [these figures]

係有好大機會呢，今次嘅由民間所進行嘅一次嘅投票啦
There is quite a big chance (?), [that] this vote conducted by the people
+ 由 yauh4 = indicates the subject of the verb進行 jeun3 hahng4 = to carry out | + 民間 mahn4 gaan1 = of the people (as opposed to the government or some official agency)

係超過60萬
In excess of 600,000 [people voted in this ballot]

因爲點票嘅時間會比較長
Because it takes rather a long time to count the votes
+ 點票 dim2 piu3 = to count votes

因爲都有21,000張嘅紙張票
[And] because there are also [都] 21,000 paper ballots

但我哋估計呢，個個嘅投票嘅結果呢 We estimate, however, that the result of all the votes

最快都要聽日（13日）嘅黃昏時段都先至可以出得到嘅
At the quickest, it will take until dusk tomorrow (13 July) before [the result] comes out

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Reporter speaks:

《香港大學民意研究計劃》嘅總監鍾庭耀話
Robert Chung Ting Yiu, the Director of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute at Hong Kong University, said
+ 民意 mahn4 yi3 = public opinion | + 總監 jung2 gaam1 = director

紙張點票即將展開
That the counting of the paper votes was about to get underway
+ 即將 jik1 jeung1 = about to (indicates a near future occurrence) | + 展開 jin2 hoi1 = to open up; to launch

點票完成之後
[And] when the counting was complete

會連同電子投票結果一同公佈
The result combined with the electronic voting result (?) would be announced

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Benny Tai speaks again:

我相信每一個參選人
I believe that every single candidate

按返喺之前協調嘅時候嘅協議，係會按返個協議遵守承諾
Will keep their promise [in line with] the agreement we had, the agreement made before, when we were co-ordinating [this ballot]
+ 協調 hip3 tiuh4 = harmonious; to coordinate | + 協議 hip3 yih5 = to negotiate; an agreement

係去作出參與或者唔參與官方選舉嘅決定
And make a decision to take part or not in the official election

我哋係根據嗰兩三日呢，公佈結果之後呢
On the basis of these two, three days, we will announce the results and afterwards

有一啲區呢，一定要進一步進行協調嘅喇
Some districts will have to do a bit more in the way of co-ordination

包括咗香港島同埋九龍西
Including Hong Kong Island and Kowloon West

而有任何參選團隊係唔理呢一個之前嘅協議
[Now] if any groups taking part in the election choose to ignore [唔理] this previous agreement

然後繼續去參選呢
And later go on to contest the election

啊我相信佢係必然係會受到各方責難嘅
It is my belief that they will receive censure from various quarters
+ 責難 jaak3 naahn4 = blame; censure

噉如果佢自己要去啊面對緊嗰個嘅後果呢
If they want to confront those consequences [of their actions]

即使佢可能保住佢自己所謂嘅基本盤都好呢
Although they may be able to hold on to their own voter bases [基本盤]
+ 即使 jik1 si2 = although; even though | + 基本盤 gei1 bun2 pun4*2 = base; people who are committed to voting for you

其實呢，就，佢能夠當選嘅機會我相信都係好細嘅
Actually, there is only a slight chance in my view that such people will be elected

呢對眼鏡呢，我諗都碎咗唔知几多次嘅呢，吓
I think these spectacles of mine have been broken a fair number of times already

啫由我喺前幾日講到我哋嘅投票
From what I said in the past few days about our elections

可能只係得170,000 仲驚不夠數嘅時候
Possibly only getting [a turn out] of 170,000, I was still afraid then that the numbers wouldn’t be enough (?)

各方多努力啦，吓
So everyone needs to keep making an effort

今次有600,000嘅市民係參與咗呢個初選嘅投票
This time 600,000 [Hong Kong] citizens have participated in these primary elections

去到9月6號嘅時候
When 6 September comes around

應該係比呢一個數字更多更多嘅香港市民
The number of Hong Kong citizens ought to be many, many more than this

係會好聰明哋呢，係去識得點樣去將佢嘅選票運用
And wisely they will understand how to make use of their vote
+ 運用 wahn6 yuhng6 = to utilize

使到民主派嘅候選人能夠贏取到最多嘅議席
Enabling candidates belonging to the democratic camp to win the greatest number of seats
+ 候選人 hauh6 syun2 yahn4 = candidate | + 贏取 yehng4 cheui2 = to win | + 議席 yih5 jihk6 = a seat in LegCo

達到到35+呢個目標
And reach the objective of 35+