Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - Rainbows|又中又英


Rainbows can mean different things to different people. For some people, a rainbow is a sign of good luck or hope. For those who believe in Heaven, seeing a rainbow after the death of a loved one, such as a family member or a good friend, means the loved one is at peace in Heaven. Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, was a religious person. Something inexplicable (unable to be explained) happened on the day she died. Media reports said many people saw multiple rainbows in the sky. Some will take this with a pinch of salt.

To take something with a pinch of salt means to not believe in something because you think it is unlikely to be true. But pictures in the media showed rainbows did appear. Just as news of the Queen’s death was announced a rainbow appeared above Windsor Castle. She loved living there and was buried there. Earlier in the day, after an announcement that she was seriously ill, a double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace, her official residence. On the day after the Queen died, her grandson Prince William said five rainbows appeared over Balmoral, the castle in Scotland which she loved and where she died.

Did he and others who saw rainbows let their imaginations run away with them? If you let your imagination run away with you it means you are unable to control your emotions or imagination and let them control you instead. It could be that Prince William and the Queen’s fans imagined the rainbows but pictures don’t lie. Even ABC News, America’s most-watched news channel, reported multiple rainbows when the Queen died.
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彩虹對於不同的人來說可以有不同的意義。對一些人來說,彩虹是幸運或希望的徵兆。而對於那些相信有天堂的人來說,當在摯愛如家人或朋友死後見到彩虹,那即意味着那位摯愛已在天堂安息。英女皇伊利沙伯二世於九月八日逝世,她是位虔誠的信徒。在她離世當天,一件難以解釋的(inexplicable)事情發生。傳媒報道有許多人看到天上掛着多道彩虹。一些人對此則甚有保留(with a pinch of salt)。

To take something with a pinch of salt的意思是不完全相信某事,因為你認為那不可能是真的。但媒體中的照片確實顯示彩虹出現了。正當英女皇死訊公佈後,溫莎城堡的上空出現了一道彩虹。她喜愛住在那裏,最終亦在那裏安葬。在當天稍早時間,當宣佈她病危時,她的主要寢宮白金漢宮的上空便出現了雙彩虹。而在英女皇過身的第二天,她的孫子威廉王子說,在巴摩盧城堡上空出現了五道彩虹,巴摩盧就是她所愛,最後在那裏撒手塵寰的城堡。

威廉王子以及其他見到彩虹的人,是否 let their imaginations run away with them?若你 let your imagination run away with you的意思是你任由自己的情緒與想像力馳騁,讓其主宰了你,亦即異想天開、胡思亂想。或許是威廉王子和英女皇的擁躉想像出彩虹來,但照片不會說謊。就連美國最多人收看的電視新聞頻道,美國廣播公司的 ABC新聞,也報道英女皇離世時天上出現了多抹彩虹。中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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