不中不英 Double Talk 2

未來的事從來都說不準，但往事歷歷就在身後，等著大家去看。關鍵是從中學習。
如果你二十歲，重提十年前舊事，可能好比古代歷史，因為那時候你只有現在的一半年紀。而對於四十歲的人，十年前的往事在記憶中還是很新鮮的；六十歲的人更可能會說：「老天！時間怎麼過得這麼快！難道香港回歸已經十年了嗎？我真是老了！」
十年前香港回到中國，是一起歷史事件，而不大可能屬於二十歲青年的記憶，他們當年只不過十歲而已。現在四十歲的人，當年三十出頭，面對大陸統治的變數，正在考慮成家立室的問題。今天六十歲的人，那時五十歲，因此對於人生的許多變幻轉折，看得更深。
有別於第一本《不中不英》，這本續集講的不只是現在。每一章的開始都是過去的事情，此一構思是為了讓讀者得以體會，十年前當香港還是英國殖民地的時候，是甚麼境況。那是一個充滿了深慮和遠望的年代。香港人對於未來很害怕，但也接受了他們沒有選擇，只能迎接轉變的命運。
當年執筆之際，對於中國統治的看法仍屬純粹的猜測，因為沒有人知道。現在知道了，因為我們已經有了十年的經驗。路是走過了，我們能否從中學到點甚麼呢？當年很多恐懼，現在證實是虛驚一場，有的卻不曾消失。很多棘手的問題都解決了，有的仍未有結果。當年，就像今天一樣，對於民主，辯論起來你死我活，如何選出行政長官的議題仍然爭論不休。這本
書裡提到的一些人，已經不在了，譬如羅德丞和巴勒斯坦領袖阿拉法。其他人就沒甚麼消息了，但有些依然是今日政治布局裡的常客。
無論你年方幾何，希望這些篇幅，也令你有撫今追昔之感。
You can never tell what the future holds, but the past is stretched out behind you for all to see. The trick is learning from it. If you're 20 years old, learning about something that happened just ten years ago can be like learning ancient history since you were only half your age at the time. If you're 40, the events of ten years ago would still be fresh in your
mind. If you're 60, you'll probably say "Oh my God, how time has flown! Has it been ten years already since the Hong Kong handover? I'm getting old!"
The return of Hong Kong to China ten years ago is more a historical event than a memory for 20-year-olds. They were only ten at the time. Those who are now 40 were 30 back then and had to wonder about getting married and raising young families under the uncertainty of mainland rule. Today's 60-year-olds were already 50 at the time and therefore more philosophical about life's many twists and turns. Unlike the first Doubletalk book, this sequel does not just look at the present. Each chapter begins with something from the past, the idea being to let the reader get a flavour of what it was like more than ten years ago when Hong Kong was still a Colony under British rule. It was a time of grave doubts yet great expectations. People were fearful about the future yet accepted they had no choice but to embrace it.
Writing at the time about what Chinese rule held was pure guesswork, for no one knew. Now we know, for we have ten years experience. The road is behind us. Can we learn from it? Many of the fears proved unfounded, but some remain. Many of the thorny issues have been solved, but some remain.
Then, as now, a debate rages over democracy. The issue of how to choose our chief executive is still very much alive. Some people mentioned in the book have since passed away, like Lo Tak-shing and the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Others are no longer active, but some are still very much part of our political landscape.
Hopefully, these pages will give you a flavour of then and now, whatever your age.

Michael Chugani/褚簡寧

未來的事從來都說不準，但往事歷歷就在身後，等著大家去看。關鍵是從中學習。
如果你二十歲，重提十年前舊事，可能好比古代歷史，因為那時候你只有現在的一半年紀。而對於四十歲的人，十年前的往事在記憶中還是很新鮮的；六十歲的人更可能會說：「老天！時間怎麼過得這麼快！難道香港回歸已經十年了嗎？我真是老了！」
十年前香港回到中國，是一起歷史事件，而不大可能屬於二十歲青年的記憶，他們當年只不過十歲而已。現在四十歲的人，當年三十出頭，面對大陸統治的變數，正在考慮成家立室的問題。今天六十歲的人，那時五十歲，因此對於...