Monday 28 April 2014

The Justice of Sin



Slightly edited version of "The Sins of Sin",
Originally anthologised by Hong Kong Writers Circle 

Sin went through the morning’s news clippings for the fifth time, sucking desperately at a fibre of lunchtime chicken lodged between molars, making loud slippery tzits! He stuffed his half-finished lunchbox into the paper basket without closing the lid, then searched fruitlessly for a toothpick. 
His secretary Flora was returning from lunch, shuffling past his open door to take position behind her desk for another two hundred and ten minutes before she was free to go. Though only a few metres from her, he summoned her with the intercom as a matter of principle: “Flora. Do you have a toothpick?”
“No Mr. Sin,” she replied in an intimidated voice that some suspected was a result of having worked for Sin all these years.
“Can you first look?”
“I know I don’t Mr. Sin but I can look anyway if you wish.”
“Forget it. Just come in.”
She entered, goggling him in silence, not wondering what he might want. She had given up on that long ago. 
“Can you make a copy?” He eyed the news clippings on his desk, picking his teeth with a straightened paper clip. His “media contact” Winnie Poon had asked a few questions outside the courtroom yesterday, mentioning his new title, just as he had skillfully hinted. Her question on cross-border corruption had been a surprise, but he had handled it well. He was extremely pleased with the result: “No Territorial Boundary  in the Battle against Corruption”, said Senior Assistant Director. Fantastic, he thought. Visionary, bold, and righteous. It would attract many “likes” if he could share it on Facebook. 

冼蛇的公义




英文版本原名 "The Sins of Sin",
收录於 Hong Kong Writers Circle 



冼福音把吃剩大半的叉烧油鸡饭盒,盖也懒掩便塞进了身旁的废纸箩,眼睛未离开过办公桌上的新闻剪稿。他今早已经把剪稿欣赏过四五遍,但仍意犹未尽。他传媒界的“关系” Winnie 潘诗菲昨天在法院门外的突发问题,他当时毫无准备,只好凭急智对应。哈!想不到效果甚佳,连他的新职衔也上了标题:“高级助理刑事检控专员冼福音资深大律师认为打击贪腐不应有国界之分!” 说得好!假如放上Facebook,肯定会招引一大堆 “赞”。他一边看剪报,一边猛力吮吸一条卡在牙缝的鸡肉,剔嘁有声,可恨效果不大。刚巧他的秘书午饭回来,脚下无声地溜过他的房门,回到座位等放工。她还有两百一十分钟才可重获一天的自由。

虽然只有三四米之隔,但他一般还是用通话机来传召秘书的;对他来说这是个原则问题。“Flora,你有牙签吗?”

“冼蛇,没有。” Flora 微弱的声音,不但充分表露了信心崩溃,还隐约带了一种重拾无期的绝望感。有人怀疑这是她多年来与冼福音共事的副作用。

“你先找找看才下定论成不成?”

“我知道我没有牙签,但你要的话,也可以尽管再找。”

“算啦算啦!你进来一下。”

Flora 花了好几分钟才拖着脚跟游移到冼福音之前,一言不发地等候发落。
“影一份,” 他用鼻尖指了指桌上的剪稿,一边用拉直了的纸夹剔牙。
Flora 拿起剪报,刚准备转身时,他突然改变了主意:“三份吧。” 心想:多印两份没坏。

冼蛇的公義







英文版本原名 "The Sins of Sin",
收錄於 Hong Kong Writers Circle 


冼福音把吃剩大半的叉燒油雞飯盒,蓋也懶掩便塞進了身旁的廢紙籮,眼睛未離開過辦公桌上的新聞剪稿。他今早已經把剪稿欣賞過四五遍,但仍意猶未盡。他傳媒界的“關係” Winnie 潘詩菲昨天在法院門外的突發問題,他當時毫無準備,只好憑急智對應。哈!想不到效果甚佳,連他的新職銜也上了標題:“高級助理刑事檢控專員冼福音資深大律師認為打擊貪腐不應有國界之分!” 說得好!假如放上Facebook,肯定會招引一大堆 “贊”。他一邊看剪報,一邊猛力吮吸一條卡在牙縫的雞肉,剔嘁有聲,可恨效果不大。剛巧他的秘書午飯回來,腳下無聲地溜過他的房門,回到座位等放工。她還有兩百一十分鐘才可重獲一天的自由。
雖然只有三四米之隔,但他一般還是用通話機來傳召秘書的;對他來說這是個原則問題。“Flora,你有牙簽嗎?”
“冼蛇,沒有。” Flora 微弱的聲音,不但充分表露了信心崩潰,還隱約帶了一種重拾無期的絕望感。有人懷疑這是她多年來與冼福音共事的副作用。
“你先找找看才下定論成不成?”
“我知道我沒有牙簽,但你要的話,也可以儘管再找。”
“算啦算啦!你進來一下。”
Flora 花了好幾分鐘才拖著腳跟游移到冼福音之前,一言不發地等候發落。
“影一份,” 他用鼻尖指了指桌上的剪稿,一邊用拉直了的萬字夾剔牙。
Flora 拿起剪報,剛準備轉身時,他突然改變了主意:“三份吧。” 心想:多印兩份“無蝕底”。

Friday 11 April 2014

Questioning Democracy Goes Mainstream?



What’s going on? Criticising the occult of Democracy has suddenly gone mainstream?

Just within the past few weeks, I’ve read, with utter disbelief, first in The Economist, then The Washington Post, warnings that Democracy could collapse unless reformed. Even Professor Francis Fukuyama, writer of “The End of History and the Last Man” who declared liberal democracy to be the ultimate political model of mankind, has joined rank. It’s like witnessing the Vatican expressing doubt over the Genesis.

I’ve listed the links of these incredible but excellent essays below, plus a couple of my old blasphemous pieces which questioned the viability of Democracy, especially when coupled with extreme capitalism and mass petulance. Hey, these “eccentric and cynical” views are now kinda mainstream! I still find it difficult to take in, and wonder what the catch is. . .

西方主流传媒也批民主?



世界真的变得越来越快,快得有点儿不真实。几个星期前,我根本不能想像 “民主” 这神性不可侵犯的大迷信,会被西方主流传媒认真批判。

这几周内,首先是超保守的英国 “经济学人”,然后是 “华盛顿邮报”,轮流对西方肆意式民主的前途作出前所未有的认真检讨和批判,甚至坦然承认若不改革,整个制度可能会面临崩溃。现在甚至连曾经预测西方民主将会成为人类 “终极制度” 的福山教授,也改变了看法,承认民主发展下去是个大死结。

究竟搞什么鬼?事有蹊跷?想不通。不过趁机挑了两篇我曾经斗胆写过的反民主游戏文章,与这几篇高档传媒的论文并列,高攀一下,过瘾一下。