再談陳仲衡的判詞 - 古德明

再談陳仲衡的判詞 - 古德明

西九龍裁判法院法官陳仲衡鞫決民主佔領案,判詞有句云:It is naive to suggest that a concession to introduce the form of universal suffrage advocated by the Trio could be made by the government overnight with a click of fingers, it is equally naive to suggest a mass protest of tens of thousands of people could be dispersed overnight even if a positive response were to come from the authorities(如以為政府隔宿打個響指即會讓步,改而提出戴、陳、朱三人倡議之普選形式,未免天真;又即使當局順應所求,如以為幾十萬人之大規模抗議集會,隔宿即可散去,亦未免天真)。陳仲衡這句英文,文法是沒有錯的,但可以寫得好一點。

這一句的最大敗筆,在於with a click of fingers(打個響指)一詞,語氣和詞義一樣,毫不莊重,見於嚴肅的法律文件,十分礙眼。要表示「輕率」的意思,大可用lightly一字取代。判詞的語氣,顯示法官判案的態度,怎可不慎。

此外,句子分為兩截,上截以to suggest that帶出子句(clause),下截則以to suggest帶出,略去that字,前後就欠統一。我會把陳仲衡那長句分為兩句,稍稍改寫如下:It is naive to suggest that a concession to introduce the form of universal suffrage advocated by the Trio could be lightly made by the government overnight. It is equally naive to suggest that a mass protest of tens of thousands of people could be dispersed overnight even if a positive response were to come from the authorities。