自從911之後, 各国機場安檢相對變得嚴密. 那天我工幹後由北京機場準備回港, 人己是十二萬分疲倦,冷不防在出境時被叫停, 一位高傲冷漠的女同胞說: huo ji...(忘記告訴大家, 我的普通話實在普通過普通) 哎! 什麼呀? 請她再說一遍 :huo ji...火雞?怎麼可能, 又不是聖誕節.再問, 又是huo ji...開喼嗎?
我在人來人往的通道, 毫無頭緒之際, 突然想起, 呀! huo ji = 火機! 用以點香薰爉燭的打火機. 就這樣把"違禁品"交給那個目無表情的女同胞, 然後才回到現實.
事實上, 這絕對是我的錯, 因為国內習慣把完整字句縮短, 例如 : 廣交會 = 廣州交易會; 奧運開幕式=奧運開幕儀式; 無論如何總得比原文短一點. 所以, 除了學好普通話之外, "自動句子還原系統"設置是必需的......如果市面上有供應的話, 我想, 我很需要!
Security checking is more & more important in the airport after the disaster of 911, I remember I was returning from Beijing after a business trip, so tired that I wish I could sleep right away in the airport at least for an hour or two. When passing the security check, an airport officer - a cool lady stopped me in Putonghua :huo ji...what? Turkey? how come? it's not Christmas, there would not be a turkey in my suitcase. So I asked her again, she replied in the same tone: huo ji...(by the way, I have to confess that my Putonghua is only in kindergarten grade) did she said open the case? I wondered......
My mind was full of question mark, no body was willing to give a helping hand as they were rushing into the gate. Suddenly, I know what it should be, the lighter (similar pronunciation as turkey in Putonghua, except it's normally in 3 words in Cantonese). The one for my aroma candle that fly from Hong Kong. So, it was sacrifice and I was free.
Truly speaking, this is my fault, not only because of my poor Mandarin, but I forget people in China,they used to speak in short form, like : 廣交會 = 廣州交易會; 奧運開幕式=奧運開幕儀式,
one or two word less is still good to them; so if there is a kind of built in software something like "recovery to original phases", I definitely need to install one to survive !
廣州交易會= Guangzhou trade fair
奧運開幕儀式 = Olympic Game opening ceremony
