又中又英｜Popping champagne

　　Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Will you be popping champagne? To pop champagne means to open a bottle of champagne by removing the cork in a way that it makes a "pop" sound. Many people celebrate New Year's Eve at midnight by popping champagne. Formula One racing drivers who win pop champagne to celebrate. I am not a big fan of champagne but like popping champagne by removing the cork with my thumb until it pops out. Most restaurants don't pop champagne to avoid the cork hitting people. Waiters remove the cork by twisting it with a napkin so it pops into their hand. Many places around the world will be ringing in 2022 in a subdued mood this year.
　　As I explained in a previous column, to ring in something used this way means to celebrate the beginning of something, such as the New Year. The expression "subdued mood" is used to describe people who are quieter and not as happy as usual. People in many countries will be in a subdued mood because the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has put a damper on celebrations. To put a damper on something means to make it less enjoyable or exciting. Netherlands announced before Christmas there will be another lockdown. Denmark will close cinemas, amusement parks, museums, and art galleries. London and Paris have cancelled their famous New Year's Eve fireworks. New York's famous Times Square celebrations will be scaled back.
　　When will the pandemic end? People around the world are tired of lockdowns and closed borders. Just when it seemed there was hope the pandemic will ease in 2022 the world was hit with Omicron. Many countries have now decided they must learn to live with the virus. Indefinite lockdowns and closed borders will destroy the economy. The solution is to get the world vaccinated but that will take a long time. Try not to be in a subdued mood despite Omicron. Happy New Year!
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　　明天就是大除夕。你可會去popping champagne？To pop champagne意即開一瓶香檳，並刻意在移除瓶口軟木塞時發出「噗」（pop）的一聲。許多人在除夕午夜倒數跨年時，會開香檳（popping champagne）慶祝。勝出比賽的一級方程式賽車手也會開香檳（pop champagne）慶祝。我並非很鍾情喝香檳，但也喜歡開香檳（popping champagne）時，用拇指移除酒塞直至它「噗」一聲的彈開。大部份餐廳都不會這樣「噗」一聲的開香檳（pop champagne），以免飛彈而出的酒塞會擊中人。侍應會用餐巾慢慢扭開酒塞，好讓酒塞甩脫在自己的手裏。世界許多地方今年只能在低迷的氣氛（subdued mood）中迎接（ringing in）二○二二年。
　　正如我在之前的文章中解釋過，to ring in something在這裏是解作慶祝某事如新年的開始、來臨。習語 "subdued mood" 是用來形容人心情低落、悶悶不樂，不如往常般歡欣。許多國家的人都會落在消沉的情緒（subdued mood）之中，因為新冠病毒的 Omicron變種破壞了慶祝活動的興致（put a damper on celebrations）。To put a damper on something就是給某事蒙上陰影、令人掃興、不能盡歡。荷蘭在聖誕前宣佈會有另一次的封城；丹麥會關閉戲院、遊樂園、博物館以及藝廊；倫敦和巴黎亦已取消了它們著名的除夕倒數煙花匯演；紐約時代廣場著名的慶祝活動亦大大縮小了規模。
　　疫情到底何時終結？世界各地的人都厭倦了封城和封關。正當疫情看來有望於二○二二年放緩之際，世界又受到Omicron變種的衝擊。許多國家現在都已決定，必須學習與病毒共存。無限期的封城與封關會摧毁經濟。解決方法就是讓全球接種疫苗，但這需時甚久。儘管有Omicron，也盡量別讓自己悶悶不樂（in a subdued mood）吧。祝各位新年快樂！　　[email protected]
　　中譯：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧