Some of you may know I have called it quits. To "call it quits" means to stop doing something or to stop working. I have decided to stop all my TV shows and political columns except my column in Headline Daily. When reporters asked me why I have decided to call it quits, I told them I was burnt-out (also burned-out). The expression used this way means very tired or exhausted from work. When reporters asked if I have called it quits for political reasons, I just said Hong Kong has changed and people must also change to avoid new red lines.
My main reason for calling it quits is because I am truly burnt-out from so many columns and TV shows every week. I want a long rest before deciding on my next move. After I told my TV and newspaper bosses I have decided to call it quits, I spent an exhilarating (very happy, excited) Saturday hiking in the Aberdeen country park. I used to go there often many years ago but have stopped because of too much work. During my walk, I even saw two wild pigs! Last week, I hiked up Duckling Hill, which is near my Tseung Kwan O home. I used to get up at 6.30 in the morning daily. Now I have turned off my alarm.
In the evenings I experiment with cooking and watch Netflix. I am now watching Designated Survivor, a political thriller, which means a book or movie with an exciting storyline. It is about a low-level White House cabinet member who became president after the president and all other politicians were killed by a terrorist bomb. The word "booyah" was used several times in one episode I watched. This is an American slang word which is used to show you are very happy about something, such as a victory or an achievement. White House officials in Designated Survivor used "booyah" to celebrate a good speech by the unelected president.
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你們有些人或許知悉，我已經called it quits。To“call it quits”意思是停止做某事、不幹了、就此打住。我決定停止我所有的電視節目主持工作，以及政治專欄的寫作，除了我在《頭條日報》的這個專欄。當記者們問我為何決定不幹（call it quits）時，我跟他們說，我實在burnt-out（也可寫成burned-out），這個習語在這裏是指因為工作繁重而精疲力竭。記者們問我，可是因為政治原因而不再做下去（call it quits）？我只是說，香港已經變了，人也應該改變，以避免踩中新的紅線。
我停止工作（call it quits）的主要原因，是我每個星期做這麼多的專欄和電視節目，真的累壞了（burnt-out）。在決定下一步之前，我需要一個長時間的休息。在我告知我的電視和報章老闆我決定離職，不再工作（call it quits）以後，我去了香港仔郊野公園行山，度過了一個很振奮（exhilarating）的周六。許多年前我經常到那兒，但後來因為工作繁忙而沒有去了。遠足期間，我還看到兩隻野豬！上星期我走上鴨仔山，那小山很近我將軍澳的家。我過去習慣每早六時半便起牀，現在我已關掉了鬧鐘。
在傍晚，我學着煮食，嘗試烹調各樣的菜式，還有看Netflix。我現正收看《指定倖存者》，一套政治thriller劇集——thriller的意思就是有着驚險故事情節的驚悚小說或電影。這套劇集是關於一個低層的白宮內閣閣員，在總統和所有其他政客被恐怖份子放置的炸彈炸死後，繼任為總統。在我看的其中一集裏，反覆用到“booyah”這個字。它是一個美式俚語，是當你因某些事情，例如獲勝或做出了成就，而感到非常興奮時，就會喊這個驚歎詞以表達喜悅之情。在《指定倖存者》裏，當那位非經競選而就任的總統，發表了一篇非常好的演說時，白宮官員就喊出了“booyah”去慶賀。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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