Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - drag through the mud｜又中又英

Hong Kong’s athletes have done well at recent international events, but organizers played the wrong national anthem at least five times when medals were awarded to the Hong Kong teams. Instead of playing March of the Volunteers, China’s national anthem, the organizers played the protest song Glory to Hong Kong. It first happened at a Rugby Sevens event last November in South Korea. The latest blunder (careless mistake) was at a men’s ice hockey event in Sarajevo when organizers played the protest song. After a few blunders, players followed government instructions to make the T-sign (time-out) if organizers played the protest song.

The men’s ice hockey team made the T-sign but was told it may lose government funding because it did not make sure organizers had the right anthem. I think the ice hockey team is getting the short end of the stick. To get the short end of the stick means to be treated unfairly. Reports said there was a mix-up when the Hong Kong team tried to make sure the organizers had the anthem the team gave them. The ice hockey team has been dragged through the mud for too long. The expression “drag through the mud” means to damage someone’s reputation. It should stop.

When organizers innocently Google Hong Kong’s national anthem instead of China’s anthem, the top result is Glory to Hong Kong. Many US sports events have a singer or band singing the American national anthem. My idea is the government should find a few musicians to travel with Hong Kong teams and play China’s national anthem live if the teams win. This will avoid blunders and will attract global attention.
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香港運動員在最近的國際賽事中表現優秀，但當大會頒獎給港隊的時候，至少有五次播錯了國歌。主辦方播了抗議示威歌曲《願榮光歸香港》，而非中國國歌《義勇軍進行曲》。第一次播錯國歌是發生於上年十一月在南韓的七人欖球賽，而最近期出錯（blunder）的是在薩拉熱窩舉行的男子冰球世錦賽，大會播放了示威歌曲。在幾次出錯（blunders）後，參賽運動員都遵從政府的指引，若主辦方播錯示威歌曲，要舉起T字代表暫停的手勢。

男子冰球代表隊做了T字手勢，卻被告知或會喪失政府資助，因為它沒有確保主辦方擁有正確的國歌。我認為冰球隊是getting the short end of the stick——to get the short end of the stick即受到不公平的對待、吃虧了。有報道指，港隊有嘗試確保主辦方有港隊給他們的國歌，對方卻仍搞混了。冰球隊被潑髒水（dragged through the mud）已很久了。習語“drag through the mud”是指去損毁某人的名聲。這應該停止。

當主辦方天真地用谷歌搜尋香港的國歌而非中國的國歌，最多的搜尋結果是《願榮光歸香港》。許多美國運動賽事都會有一個歌手或樂隊去演唱美國國歌。我的想法是，政府應該找幾個音樂人跟着香港隊伍出賽，當隊伍勝出的時候，就演奏中國國歌。這就能避免出錯（blunders），又能吸引全球關注。
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中譯：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧