This article by HK01 reporter 梁子傑 Leung Tsz-kit brings us up to date with the situation of 戴耀廷 Benny Tai, who was dismissed from his teaching post at Hong Kong University at the end of July. It outlines Tai’s response to this next phase in his life, introduces us to his innovative Rule of Law Rebirth Project, and touches on the prospect of Tai’s being charged under the new National Security Law for his role in the very successful primary elections held on 11-12 July. The keynote is rebirth.
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上月底（7月28日），港大校委會未有接納教務委員會的建議，保留佔領運動發起人、前港大法律系副教授戴耀廷的教席，以 18 比 2 大比數通過即時解僱戴耀廷。戴接受港台訪問時表示，現時香港社會淪陷，大學無法力挽狂瀾，守護學術自由，願大學校長在充滿謊言的時代，仍敢講真話。
● 校委會 haauh6 wái2 wúi6*2 = university committee; university board; university council
● 接納 jip3 laahp6 = to admit; to accept
● 發起 faat3 héi2 = to initiate; to start
● 大比數 daaih6 béi2 sou3 = (?) majority (in a vote)
● 淪陷 lèuhn4 haahm6 = 1. (of territory) fall into enemy hands; be occupied by the enemy 2. to submerge; to flood; to inundate
● 力挽狂瀾 lihk6 wáahn5 kòhng4 làahn4 = to pull strongly against a crazy tide; fig., to try hard to save a desperate crisis, overcome impossible odds, seize victory from the jaws of defeat
At the end of last month (28 July), the HKU Council did not accept the recommendation to retain the position of Benny Tai, one of the initiators of the Occupy Central Movement and Assistant Professor in the Law Department of HKU, voting 18 to 2 for his immediate dismissal. In an interview with RTHK, Tai said that at present Hong Kong society is going under [淪陷] and that universities are powerless to resist the tide and protect academic freedoms. It was his wish that university heads would dare to speak the truth in an era filled with lies.
戴耀廷對於要離別任教近30年的港大，感到更加自由，因為離開後，仍可找到新角色：「就像飛鳥衝上天空，反而更加自由，既然此處不留人，相信天空是廣闊的，可以算自己生命一個階段的結束，但亦是另一個生命階段的開始。」
● 角色 gok3 sīk1 = a role; a part
● 衝上天空 chūng1 séuhng5 (?) tīn1 hūng1 = (?) flying straight up into the sky | cf. 衝 = 1. to charge; to rush; to dash 2. to soar; to skyrocket; to shoot up; to rise rapidly
Tai said that he felt freer after being forced to leave Hong Kong University, a place where he taught for nearly thirty years, because after leaving he could find new roles [for himself]: “Just like a bird flying straight up into the sky, I feel, strangely [反而], an ever greater freedom. Even if one is unable to stay in one [particular] place, I believe that that the sky is vast. Yes, you could think of it as [可以算] the end of one phase of [my] life, but it is also the beginning of another.
對於現時香港學術自由，戴感慨，本地最高學府，守不住學術自由：「當整個香港社會淪陷，香港大學就難以獨存，港大和港大校長都無法力挽狂瀾。」他說，對港大校長張翔沒有太高期望，因為張到港日子尚短，並說理想的大學校長，應該敢於在充滿謊言的時代中講真話。
● 感慨 gám2 koi3 = to sigh with emotion
● 學府 hohk6 fú2 = seat of learning; institute of higher learning
● 守不住 sáu2 bāt1 jyuh6 = unable to guard; unable to defend
● 獨存 duhk6 chyùhn4 = to exist on its own; to stand alone
● 張翔 Jēung1 Chèuhng4 = Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU | 翔 = to circle in the air
● 到港日子尚短 = has not yet spent much time in Hong Kong| Note: 尚 seuhng6 = still; yet
With regard to the current [state] of academic freedom in Hong Kong, Tai sighs with emotion [over the fact that] Hong Kong’s highest seat of learning has been unable to defend academic freedom: “When the whole of Hong Kong is going under, HKU cannot stand alone, and both the university and its vice-chancellor are powerless to resist the tide.” He [went on to say] that he has no great hopes for the vice-chancellor Professor Xiang Zhang because he has not been in Hong Kong for long, and that the ideal university head should dare to speak the truth at a time filled with lies.
近日，戴開展「香港法治重生計劃」（Hong Kong’s Rule of Law Rebirth Project），冀在社區推動法治教育工作。他稱，雖然「法治已死」，但仍有機會重生：「我們要有死亡的覺悟，但亦要有重生的盼望，現在香港正經歷死亡的歷程，但當我們有重生的盼望，我們有的就不是一種無力感，而是學習忍耐等候。」
● 冀 kei3 = to hope; to long for; to look forward to
● 推動法治教育工作 = to promote rule-of-law education work
● 覺悟 gok3 ngh6 = consciousness; awareness
● 盼望 paan3 mohng6 = to hope for; to long for
● 歷程 lihk6 chìhng4 = a course (that a certain process takes)
● 忍耐 yán2 noih6 = to exercise patience; to exercise restraint; to restrain oneself
● 等候 dáng2 hauh6 = to wait; to await; to expect
Just recently, Tai has launched [his] Hong Kong’s Rule of Law Rebirth Project in the hope of fostering the work of education [with regard to] the rule of law. He states that although “the rule of law is dead”, there is still the chance of a rebirth: “We must have an awareness of [this] death, but we must also harbour an expectation of its rebirth, giving us then not a sense of powerlessness but the learning of patient anticipation [忍耐等候].
對於民主派曾組織、策劃及參與初選活動被指有可能違反《港區國安法》第 20 條、第 22 條及第 29 條，戴表示，對此感到誠惶誠恐，但會坦然面對，亦會繼續保持單純的心，戴又認為自己得比失多：「可能開始時這條路很少人同行，但道路愈來愈黑，同行的人卻愈來愈多。」
● 初選 chō1 syún2 = primary elections; a straw poll
● 誠惶誠恐 sìhng4 wòhng4 sìhng4 húng2 = in fear and trepidation
● 坦然 táan2 yìhn4 = calm; unperturbed; having no misgivings
With regard to the claim that [指] the democratic parties’ organizing, planning and participating in primary elections may constitute a violation of articles 20, 22 and 29 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Tai said that he felt fear and trepidation but would face [this possibility] without misgivings, and would continue to maintain a purity of heart. Tai also believes that he has gained more than he has lost: “At the beginning, few people walked this road [with me], but now, as the way gets darker and darker, the number of people walking with me is, however, growing.
Reporter: 梁子傑 14 August 2020
Source: Source: HK01
