聯繫匯率的政治性

 由 安德烈

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七月
2015

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小弟同窗陳仁傑曾於2013年寫過一篇名為《論香港匯價、物價、樓價關係》之文章，指出聯繫匯率令香港失去貨幣政策自主權，無法控制物價通脹和樓價。兩年後，經歷中國殖民侵略之加快，我對聯繫匯率有更深入的反省，更驚覺到聯繫匯率背後的政治性，遠超我當年與仁傑之討論。然而，本土派文人竟甚少談及，本文將會進一步指出聯繫匯率背後的政治意義：對中國殖民統治的意義以及對港共政權的意義。

聯繫匯率是港幣的匯率制度，將港幣匯價固定在大約1美元兌7.75港元（事實上仍容許小幅度的價值波動，所以本文寫作時實際港幣匯率約為7.75港元），以維持港元穩定。匯率就是貨幣A與貨幣B交換的價格。港幣這種固定匯率在現時國際並不常見。絕大部分貨幣都是實行自由浮動的，價格完全由市場決定。另外也有國家會將匯率限制在一個區間內上下波動，例如新加玻的玻紙和中國的人民幣，當價值高於價值上限或低於價值下限，政府即會入市干預調節價格。

採用固定匯率雖然可以相對穩定貨幣價值，但代價很大。第一，要維持固定匯率，港府必須保留龐大外匯儲備，不斷在港元兌美元之市場上買賣港元和美元，以維持固定匯率。第二，為了維持匯率，港府之貨幣政策就非常被動，必須跟隨美國之利率增減，以免匯率大幅波動，皆因利率與貨幣價值是相關的：加息即會使貨幣升值，減息則會令貨幣貶值。但由於港元要維持兌美元之固定匯率，故無法自由調節利率，必須盲目跟隨美國聯儲局之利率。無法自由調節匯率，就無法自由調整貨幣價格以調整遇通脹或貿易逆差。

既然如此，為何港府仍堅持聯繫匯率，對於任何反聯繫匯率之聲音都極大反彈呢？

第一個顯然的原因就是要維持港幣價格穩定，避免香港的政局不穩大幅影響港元匯價，減低政治危機帶來經濟危機的可能性。香港在淪陷後政局非常不穩，受制於中共，不明朗因素多，尤其舊年發生的雨傘革命，無實質的政制改革令人對香港前境信心減弱，在其他國家，這足以引發經濟危機。

近年的馬來西亞就是一個好例子。近因方面，國陣貪污日益嚴重，首相納吉捲入一馬公司貪污醜聞，而且今年四月開徵的6%銷售稅打擊了消費意欲，加上政府債台高築，市場就出現拋售馬幣。遠因方面，執政聯盟國陣長期貪污，胡亂舉債，行政效率低下，基建難以想像的差(到過吉隆玻旅行坐捷運或市郊區間車的人就最能體會)，也拖低了馬幣價格。馬幣兌美元己經由高位0.31770美元跌至0.261的低位，12個月內下跌了16.82%，遠在200天線及150天線之下。雖然馬來西亞透過控制媒體和濫用煽動法逮捕異見分子的方式維持統治，令抗爭比香港更艱難，延長了國陣的壽命，但其統治危機在政治問題所引發的經濟問題進一步威脅之下，已經產生了新的政治問題。經濟不景的第一個怪罪對象從來都是政府，而經濟問題比政治問題能夠引起更多人關注，加上經濟危機下產生的失業人口走上勇武抗爭的政治成本較低，其抗爭的動力也相對較大。

然面，在聯繫匯率下港元卻未有出現如此情況。港元兌美元匯價未有因為去年雨傘革命而大起大落，52星期高位為0.12903，低位為0.12860，12個見內只是稍為跌了0.02%。這就是實施聯繫匯率之結果。

在政治上，香港政府自主性甚低，社會反對聲音強烈，政治前景不明。面對香港的高樓價、紅色資本入侵、非粵語中國移民社群殖民、部分必需品被迫依賴大陸進口、經濟單一、政制不民主等，港府皆無力自行解決。如果港元自由浮動，其波動或許比馬幣還要大，但在三千億美元的外匯基金支持下，聯繫匯率卻把政治和經濟的不穩絕緣了，令市場對香港政府之信心危機始終只是停留在政治層面，而無法影響至經濟層面。單是外匯基金的三千億美金儲備，已經讓評級機構無法質疑港府的財政穩健，即使香港政府互相揮霍，在各種嚴重超支的基建上（高鐵是最好的例子），政治問題始終無法產生經濟問題，從而減低了社會對政府的不滿，亦將港府的壽命延長了。因為只有經濟危機才能增造大批絕望而且憤怒的失業工人，其人數和影響力遠高於學生；這群人一旦投入反政府之勇武抗爭，政府就隨時倒台。

保持聯繫匯率對港府有利之餘，亦對中共有利：利用與香港緊密的貿易關係，不斷換取港元。港元是國際貨幣，價格穩定，比人民幣可靠得多，一旦基礎不良的人民幣將來因為甚麼經濟危機而崩潰，人民幣就成為中共貪官和奸商的保障。根據金管局出版的The Premier Offshore Renminbi Business Centre（見下圖），人民幣在港存款已經由2009年不到一千億人民幣急升至2014年的一萬億人民幣，增加了十倍。由於中共將港元當成是穩定的外幣投資產品，所以彼等必須維持港元穩定，支持聯繫匯率。

中共整個投資策略有三步：
1. 不斷增加港中貿易額。
2. 香港自中國入口多於對中國出口，故向中國進口商支付港元或人民幣，資金流出香港。
3. 令港幣流出大陸，人民幣流入香港。

下表為香港政府統計處的港中貿易額數據（單位為每百萬港元）

圖中可見，除了2009年以外，香港由中國的進口一直增長，由2003年的七千八百五十億港元增長至2012年的一萬八千四百億，較2003年激增了134.32%，然而香港對中國出口卻由2003年的三百六十七億港元跌至二百六十億，較2003年下跌了接近三成。結果，香港自2003年一直對中國出現貿易逆差，2012年已經高達一萬八千八百四十億港元，竟較2003年的七千四百八十億高出142.34%！

嚴重貿易逆差導致與貿易相關之資金傾向由香港流出至中國。下表為統計處記錄由1998至2013年間港中兩地直接投資流向的數據，DI inflow為自中國流入香港之直接投資，DI outflow則為自香港流出中國之直接投資：

雖然流入和流出資金大致上升，但流出資金在整個時期內顯著高於流入資金，2000年和2013年是流出資金分別高達335.3百萬港元與396.9百萬港元。只有在2009年資金流入（214.8百萬港元）才略高於資金流出（201.8百萬港元）。2013年的資金流出比資金流入香港高出350.3百萬港元，是自1998年以來最高。

中國的狗官和奸商用人民幣在香港換取大量港幣作為投資產品，一旦人民幣因為中國經濟動盪而大幅貶值，其身家就得到保障，然而拿著人民幣的港人和香港銀行將會垮台。本來香港作為中國的殖民地，中國任何的政治或經濟巨變必然會嚴重影響香港的政治和經濟形勢。然而，由於港元與美元掛勾，匯價穩定，能夠抵擋來自中國的政治甚至經濟危機（例如：中資企業因為經濟困難而在港大規模撤資，引發香港股市暴跌），所以港元不會因為中國的政治經濟情況而大跌。一旦港元與美元脫勾，甚至與人民幣掛勾，聯繫匯率作為阻隔中國因素打擊港元匯價的絕緣作用蕩然無存，港元就會暴跌。

聯繫匯率是個絕緣體，令香港政治危機不會導致港元崩潰，也使中國問題不會導致港元插水。在這兩大因素考慮下，香港政府和中國政府自然就成為聯繫匯率堅定的支持者，無視聯繫匯率對香港物價帶來的影響。換言之，如果要令香港經濟形勢惡化得足以嚴重打擊香港政府管治，並且令那些來港避難的中資破產的話，我等就要打倒聯繫匯率，使香港和中國的政治因素足以令港元急跌，使中國人持有的港元不再值錢，令香港經濟因為急速的通脹而馬上惡化，將香港人推向革命。不過，聯繫匯率的其他得益者，包括香港的土豪，還有美帝，必然會阻止這情況發生。至於美帝如何在政治上受益於聯繫匯率，以及彼會否有放棄香港經濟，容許香港經濟急跌以打擊中國統治的話，這就是後話。

TAGS

本地時政經濟聯繫匯率

作者

安德烈

聖法蘭西斯街頭小聖堂負責人，英國杜倫大學哲學系文學碩士優等畢業生，文學家、哲學家，專攻齊克果哲學、黑格爾哲學、基督宗教哲學、文化哲學、存在主義、詮釋學、語言哲學，對禮儀學、政治、經濟、歷史、地理亦有研究。

http://polymerhk.com/articles/2015/07/29/19045/

Hong Kong's hidden alleyways

Posted: 26 Jul 2015

 

Think all alleyways are dank, dark and dangerous? Think again. Time Out staff have jumped puddles, dodged bin bags and sidestepped unknown drips to find the best secret spots in alleyways actually worth lingering in. These streets are so secret they don’t even have names...

1 HK Walls murals

Image: Calvin Sit

‘We need walls. You need art.’ This pithy slogan is the essence of the annual HK Walls street art festival – the only one in the city devoted to this particular art form. The hub of the festival is the area around Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan, which enjoyed a temporary transformation in May 2014 during the occasion’s first iteration and again for a second time in March this year. You’ll spot art on walls and shops all around the area, but we especially love this alleyway, tucked between Sai Street and Upper Station Street. Make the effort to take a detour and admire the brick-busting, teeth-baring shark mural by Korean artist Jay Flow. AC

Artwork in image above in alley between Sai St and Upper Station St, Sheung Wan; hkwalls.org. 

SEE ALSO: Q&A: Street artist Stern Rockwell

2 House of Siren

No, you didn’t plunge down the rabbit hole. This is House of Siren, and it’s not a solitary hidden gem – there are thousands of gems in here, sewn into the 300 costumes that are for rent in the dramatically decorated space. Seeking a metal corset, flapper dress or a Renaissance pageboy outfit? You’ll find it here. Designer Gregory Derham originally opened House of Siren on Staunton Street in 1996. It moved to Robinson Road in 2011, although you need to dip down a flight of stairs and into the alleyway behind the building to find the entrance. Derham sadly passed away shortly after the move, but the House has broadened into an impressive event space with a bar and kitchen, decorated with antiques and pieces Derham acquired from colonial houses and buildings earmarked for demolition. Costume rental starts at around $600, although larger pieces cost more. AC

LG/F, Carlos Court, 64 Robinson Rd (entrance behind building), Central, 2530 2371; siren.com.hk. 

3 Old school barbershop

Image: Emily Cheng

Defying all logic, this vintage hairdresser has been serving local clientele in a tiny alley next to a loo between Shing Wong Street and Hollywood Road for more than 50 years. Despite booming construction around the area, this store has remained very much unchanged, with old-fashioned barber chairs still in use and only a traditional metal gate to secure its exterior. Even with prices soaring elsewhere around Hong Kong, haircuts at this photogenic institution cost a mere $30 to $60 – that’s a steal for a trim, although it’s the experience you’ll really want to go for. Emily Cheng

Corner of Hollywood Rd and Shing Wong St, Central. Suggested by photographer Michael Kistler via samthelocal.com. 

4 Visage One

Image: Victor Shing

This nightspot in an alley behind Hollywood Road is equal parts covert and awesome. Owner Benky Chan decided to combine his joint love of haircutting and jazz to open up this super intimate venue, which hosts jazz nights on Saturdays but is a hair salon the rest of the week. Get your hair cut during the day, then return at night to chill out on the sofas or hop up to the mezzanine as some of the best local jazz acts strum their stuff. The best way to find out about these gigs is by word of mouth as there is no official website or social media page. AC.

LG/F, Po Lung Bldg, behind 93 Hollywood Rd (off Shin Hing St), Central, 2523 8988.

5 Beatniks

Image: Emily Cheng

Peer into a dimly lit alleyway on the side of Graham Street and you’ll discover this treasure trove of vintage clothes, accessories and collectibles. Beatniks was established in the basement of a Staunton Street building six years ago, although the store is like a time capsule in itself, with old American license plates and a woven tapestry of Elvis adorning the walls. The Beatles are a prevalent theme throughout the store, with John, Paul, George and Ringo staring at you while you indulge in retro retail therapy. Specialising in items from the 70s, most of Beatniks’ stock is adorned with some variation of polka dot or floral design. There’s also a wide array of costume jewellery in vibrant shades for those looking for a statement piece. For the less fashionably inclined, Beatniks also hosts an impressive collection of old toys sourced from Europe. Here, you can get your fix of Mickey Mouse collectibles, Coca Cola clocks and Miller Lite beer plaques among other things. Look out for its vintage sign and colourful mannequins on Graham Street. EC.

Behind 31 Staunton St, Central, 2881 7153.

6 Jaabar

Image: Calvin Sit

The steep slope of Peel Street has been ruffling the feathers of unfit locals and tourists alike for more than 150 years. Where once stood colonial quarters you’ll now find firmly established cultural hotspot, PMQ. Where there 
was once vibrant and seemingly endless activity in the market stalls at the foot of the street there’s now a dwindling flitter of activity. One thing that looks set to remain for the foreseeable future, however, is the street’s mantle as the heart of Soho. You’d be hard pressed to find a night when crowds aren’t strung throughout the many bars and restaurants that line the street. One of these has managed to remain a (somewhat) well-kept secret, however, thanks in part to its location behind the main drag. Jaabar is an intimate bar, reminiscent of a speakeasy or a scene out of Moulin Rouge. In homage 
to its interiors, the drinks are decadent and just that little bit daring. Amanda Sheppard

Next to 33 Peel St (via Gage St), Central, 2815 8887; fb.com/jaabarhk. 

7 Monogamous Chinese

Lurking under Soho’s escalator, the Monogamous Chinese is easy to miss if you’re sailing by overhead. But this cosy restaurant, which serves Sichuan and Beijing cuisine in a space bedecked with modern Chinese art and red lanterns, is worth stopping off for. Don’t be put off by the apparent disparate nature of the two cuisines – Monogamous does them both equally well. You’ll be reaching for the water in no time. Perfect.

59 Caine Rd (enter between Caine Rd and Elgin St), Central, 2523 2872;themonogamouschinese.com.

8 Djiboutii

We know what you’re thinking – not many nameless, faceless alleyways in Wan Chai have appeal. But bear with us. Landale Street borrows its name from a prominent figure – former Chairman of Jardine Matheson and (unofficial) Legislative Council Member, DF Landale. Nowadays, high-rise glass buildings sit alongside walkups; you pass hairdressers, coffee shops, and burger bars. Walking in the direction of Johnston Road, however, you’re met with a narrow gap between two buildings which hosts a hidden sanctuary that’s a safe distance from the cacophony of Lockhart Road. Here you’ll spy Djiboutii. The safari-esque décor spices up the hidden hideaway, as do the dishes on their Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired menu. There’s also an impressive list of cocktails that are known to pack a punch! AS

Next to 2 Landale St, Wan Chai, 9449 0777; djiboutii.com.

9 Breakfast near Tiffany’s

Image: Calvin Sit

Okay, this one is actually about a block away from Tiffany & Co’s Causeway Bay branch, but we couldn’t resist the pun. This remarkable pop-up breakfast joint (its Chinese name is ‘Yao lei’) is really quite special. In a tiny alley cutting through from Tang Lung Street to Russell Street, loyal punters have been queuing up to grab thick white bread sandwiches, fried eggs, noodles and lashing of HK milk tea from a hole in the wall to start them off on their day for the last 20 years. You can have a decent breakfast here for a cool $35, and sandwiches are sub $20. Yao lei is open from 6am every morning until around 2pm, when the chairs and tables are packed up and you’d never realise it had ever been there. There’s no English menu, so practise your pointing if you can’t read Chinese. AC

Between Tang Lung St and Russell St, Causeway Bay.

10 Qinghai Tibetan Noodles青藏牛肉麵

Image: Calvin Sit

The alleyway that houses this noodle joint is full of an entire range of top-notch restaurants, including French bistro Chez Didier and funky Singaporean and Malaysian restaurant Ancient Moon, which boasts Insta-worthy wall murals. However, we’re raving about Tibetan noodles and grilled skewers right now. The prices at Qinghai are ridiculously good, and your bill should come to well under $100 per head for an assortment of dishes. There’s no English on the outside, but look for the orange and black awning covering a smattering of tables. There’s a clear English menu inside, which we intend to come back and devour thoroughly. AC

Alleyway connecting Shu Kuk St and Kam Ping St, North Point, 2151 0506. Suggested by Louis Huynh and Karen Ng via samthelocal.com.

11 Yick Fat Building

Image: Calvin Sit

A stone’s throw from King’s Road, Yick Fat building is a large residential complex comprising three towering apartment blocks perched atop independent launderettes, massage parlours and workshops. It sits on Yau Man Street, but if you wander down the alleyway that connects the road with Quarry Bay Street, you’ll enter the courtyard of the complex. This unassuming enclave is worth a visit simply for its imposing architecture, which graced the cover of photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze’s book Vertical Horizon in 2012.The spot gained notoriety in October 2013 when Transformers director Michael Bay was attacked during filming by locals demanding payment. With paint peeling off the walls and tired canopies stretched above shop entrances, it’s a stark contrast to the glossy residential towers just a block away. Hannah Hodson

Yick Fat Bldg Courtyard, between Yau Man St and Quarry Bay St, Quarry Bay.

12 Healthy Juice

This quaint juice stall has been at the same spot for 13 years. Providing a wide range of fresh mixed juices (including an intriguing blend of apple and okra), as well as more traditional flavours such as citrus, celery and apple, you can take your pick of a wide selection from the bilingual menus stuck directly to the walls on both sides of the alleyway the stall sits in. Juices sell for around $20-$50 each. It’s a scene of relative serenity for hectic Mong Kok, with locals sitting and chatting casually with the stall owner as they enjoy their drinks. We ask the owner about the stall’s history and how long he thinks it will remain in its nook. “Ah, we haven’t closed down yet!” he jokes. Maya Yu

G/F, Kalok Bldg, near 720-722 Nathan Rd, Mong Kok. 6131 8695.

13 Mong Kok’s Wall of Fame

Image: Calvin Sit

Kwun Tong may have the government backing its latest street art project, but this awesome MK alleyway has fostered the local street art scene, albeit illegally, for around a decade. Police appear to turn a blind eye to the myriad works that spring up along the two block-long section of wall, which could be easily missed altogether from Argyle Street – hence its popularity for street artists. It’s also developed into a popular location for photo shoots and cosplay. You’ll see new works springing up on top of the old from one visit to the next – we see works by artists Parents Parents and Ryck during our trip. London artist Orlando Campbell even left a piece here during Art Basel 2014.AC

Alleyway between Argyle St and Bute St, Mong Kok (turn left at 111 Argyle St).

14 Hung Fook Seafood Hot Pot

Image: Calvin Sit

The ultimate in hidden, down-to-earth dining, you have to seek this place out. Like, really seek it. But once you’ve negotiated the long and decidedly shady looking alleyway it’s tucked into, you’ll find a convivial spot full of patrons happily simmering individual charcoal barbecues and hotpots on round tables loaded with cuts of meat and fresh seafood. It’s such an institution that a scene in 2003 crime flick Infernal Affairs II was filmed here. Charcoal hotpot is warm for a summertime activity, for sure, but if you can stand the heat (and the odd stray cat brushing past) Hung Fook is the kind of joint you’ll be telling people about for months. AC

G/F, alleyway next to 86 Lok Shan Rd, To Kwa Wan, 2365 0112. Suggested by Casper Lui via samthelocal.com.

15 Back alleys project

Image: Calvin Sit

Two things you don’t often hear in the same sentence are ‘Development Bureau’ and ‘promoting local street art’. But that’s exactly what’s going on through 18 various back alleys in Kwun Tong. The bureau’s Energizing Kowloon East office is encouraging pedestrians to use alleys more by recruiting artists to give them a proverbial (or literal) lick of paint over the next year. Artists including 4Get, Sautel Cago, Pantone C and Gobriel Lo have created murals and installations that give identity to formerly nameless lanes. The eye-catching neon installations by Dylan Kwok carry the moniker ‘Din Lo (Electric) Lane’ and there’s an engaging blue face by Addison Karl. The next batch of alleys will be ‘energised’ later this year. We recommend downloading the ‘BackStreet Run’ map from RunOurCity, which guides you for 3.5km to all the most interesting and historic spots in the area. AC

Streets around Tsun Yip Playground, Kwun Tong, 3904 1337; runourcity.org.

SEE ALSO: Q&A: Urban photographer Michael Wolf

16 Brickhouse

Brickhouse is located at the end of a narrow alley at the base of LKF. It's deliberately tucked-away, boasting exposed ceilings and walls with graffiti art. "Nothing here is too serious," explains Malcolm Wood of Maximal Concepts (responsible for Play and Blue Butcher). "Everything is down-to-earth." The menu culls from various Latin American cultures but the main focus is on Mexico City, where chef Austin Fry developed a passion for the local cuisine. The spotlight is on fresh ingredients and honest, back-to-basics techniques. Brickhouse will also serve food later than other restaurants in the area. Of course, as a late-night haunt, it'll also have awesome drinks, like the Cubana, with tobacco-infused tequila and grilled pineapple. If cocktails don't float your boat, the bar stocks microbrewery beers from the USA, as well as tequila flights. Dorothy So

Brickhouse, 20A D'Aguilar St, Central; brickhouse.com.hk. Open Mon to Wed, 6pm to 2am, Thu to Sat, 6pm to 4am.

http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/73530/hong-kongs-hidden-alleyways.html

http://www.buzzhand.com/post_766099.html

正字無妥協 老報人字海尋源 反對簡化字 斥練精學懶
文字是容若（圖）的根，多年來堅持追本溯源，或許因性格執着，不容半點馬虎。他喜愛書法，無奈近年眼疾纏身，不再揮灑自如；查經據典，則要靠太太和女兒幫忙。（袁樂婷攝）文字是容若（圖）的根，多年來堅持追本溯源，或許因性格執着，不容半點馬虎。他喜愛書法，無奈近年眼疾纏身，不再揮灑自如；查經據典，則要靠太太和女兒幫忙。（袁樂婷攝）容若（右）為鑽研一個字的本義，不惜尋根究柢，「牙擦」如彭志銘（左），說到文字，只服容若一人。（袁樂婷攝）容若（右）為鑽研一個字的本義，不惜尋根究柢，「牙擦」如彭志銘（左），說到文字，只服容若一人。（袁樂婷攝）
【明報專訊】字海茫茫，老報人容若沉迷其中數十年，為鑽研一個字的本義，埋首書堆百日而不懈，堅持追本溯源，或是性格使然。師兄知他固執，為他改筆名容若，「想我有容人之量」。但他笑言本性難移，至今容不下中共假借掃除文盲之名推簡化字，摧毁漢字根基，尤其反感「國」字變成「国」，「呢個係日本人嘅字，好端端承傳二千幾年嘅漢字唔用，教人練精學懶，好學唔學」。
明報記者 袁樂婷
容若原名劉晟，17歲投身報業，以咬字嚼字起家，高峰期同時為21份報章撰稿糾正語言謬誤，自言「失業失過，麵包捱過，係寫稿冇停過」。雖已82歲高齡，依舊神采飛揚、滔滔不絕，唯獨眼疾纏身，查閱經典要靠妻女幫忙；亦因血壓低和糖尿病須定時服藥，更怕人多擠迫，他樂得窩在家中與書為伴，如非必要不遠行。
15歲讀遍廿四史 過目不忘
文字和歷史是容若的根，在未必人人有書讀的年代，他15歲前已看遍《春秋三傳》和《二十四史》，且過目不忘。不少人奉字典為金科玉律，他偏不盡信。為證實某字義意，沿着線索一路追溯至《詩經》、《左傳》，不怕花費時間精力，只怕沒找到答案「心掛掛」。這門曲高和寡的課題，知音恐怕不多。問他為何堅持，他聳肩一笑：「我都唔知點解。」只道在卷軸間穿梭，眨眼便是大半生。
信「身份」正確 不投稿明報
千里馬須得伯樂扶持，他感激遇過兩位恩師——《晶報》總編輯陳霞子和《明星日報》副刊編輯丘香林。兩名前輩國學造詣極高，當年放手讓生澀的容若寫文字專欄，打穩根基。容若至今仍有投稿，但與報刊有君子協定：不可改字。他一直沒在《明報》撰文，因《明報》用「身分」，而不用他認為正確的「身份」，「我寫嘅字有根有據，改咗即是用我個名教讀者寫白字，我唔會寫」。
近年如雨後春筍的「文字專家」，並非個個獲容若認同。有些學者考證不嚴謹，隨《康熙字典》把朝鮮讀成「招仙」，卻不知1500年前《史記集解》明確指出應讀作「潮仙」，「《康熙字典》是北方人編製，北方口音先讀招，正音應該係潮」。粵音學者何文匯說糾正應讀「九正」，容若引《詩經》、《說文解字》力證該讀「斗正」。難怪「牙擦」如次文化堂社長彭志銘，說到文字，也說只服容若一人。
稱梁振英「最無文化」 不辨字義
香港回歸後經歷三代特首，容若毫不留情，直言「梁振英最無文化」。他舉例，梁競選時常說「克勤克業」，「邊有呢個詞？只有克勤克儉」；「人士」有尊敬之意，梁振英卻不辨字義，濫用作「非法人士」。政務司長林鄭月娥等高官常說「從善如流」，這詞其實出自《左傳》，「從來只有人哋話你從善如流，唔會用來讚自己」。
容若的父親曾是國民黨官員，中共執政後舉家逃到香港，避過遭批鬥一劫；父親的同學卻被鬥死，讓他明白知識比名利可靠。他不願多談父輩與共產黨的瓜葛，怕追究起來連累他人。
反對簡化字惹「反共」批評
然而繁簡之爭，容若無懼與共產黨唱反調，直斥簡化字是倒退，違反漢字發展規律。執着多年，換來某港區人大代表一封信，「話我反共」，罪名竟是反對簡化字，「漢字關乎民族文化、民族感情，我反對簡化係分析佢嘅害處，非關政治」。
【父親自白】不少網民批評女嬰爸爸未查明下把女兒黑痣歸咎政府。本報接觸到涉事父親現身說法......報道：http://bit.ly/1Ibj7jB#明報 #明報即時新聞
Posted by 明報即時新聞 on Saturday, July 18, 2015
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美學者批美留糊塗帳 惹主權爭議
稱簡化因崇洋  除文盲僅美化
稱簡化因崇

https://www.flickr.com/photos/berlinbackstage/19680882542/

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The death of Cantonese?

Posted: 8 Jul 2015

 

Hong Kong’s mother tongue is under threat. Cantonese may be centuries old but how much longer can it sustain the pressure from China to pick up Putonghua? By Arthur Tam and Anna Cummins. Additional reporting by Emily Cheng and Allen Jim
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Our tongue. Our voice.
Language is the tongue that gives a nation its voice. And Hong Kong’s voice has never been as intrinsically linked to its identity as it is right now. Cantonese isn’t just the city’s language; it’s one of the many yardsticks by which Hongkongers measure their cultural and political differences from the rest of the Mainland.

We all know the abrasive political situation between the Central People’s Government and the SAR is complex, contentious and set to continue into the foreseeable future.This is particularly magnified in the light of the 18th anniversary of the handover, as well as the recent rejection of the pro-Beijing electoral reform package. But it was four years ago, in 2011, that Hong Kong’s voice took its first major, measurable shift in tone. According to the government’s census, Putonghua overtook English as the second most spoken language in the territory for the first time in 2011, with 48 percent of people claiming to speak the official language of mainland China, and 46 percent claiming to speak English. In the 2001 census, only a third of respondents could speak Putonghua.

Could Putonghua really eclipse Cantonese as the Chinese language of choice in our city within a few generations, or is this all conjecture? It’s certainly true that a healthy 96 percent of ethnically Chinese Hongkongers speak Cantonese currently. You’ll hear the unmistakable nine tones of Cantonese rising and falling on every street corner here, as well as in Chinatowns around the world. Close to 60 million people the world over speak the language natively.

But it’s also true there has been an uproar in recent years every time the suggestion is made that Putonghua should be a lingua franca in Hong Kong. Whether it’s the 2010 protests sparked by the Chinese authorities requesting that Guangzhou Television network put out more content in Putonghua, or the indignation that flared in 2012 when a new Agnès B café printed its signage and menu in simplified Chinese and English only (a swift change and an apology quickly ensued), the strength of feeling about this issue is palpable.

“People in Hong Kong are using the language as a symbol to distinguish themselves from China,” says Robert Bauer, a Cantonese expert who teaches Chinese linguistics at Polytechnic University and the University of Hong Kong. “When they played the [Chinese] national anthem at a football match in Mong Kok stadium last month, local supporters jeered the national anthem. Lots of people in Hong Kong are resisting the pressure China is trying to put on it. There are people who are very unhappy about promoting Putonghua as the primary method of instruction (PMI) [the language that schools teach the majority of their subjects in].”

Educating the masses
National education– a compulsory curriculum proposed by the Education Bureau last decade – should have been rolled out back in 2012. The introduction of the course, deemed by many parents, teachers and students to be pro-China and anti-democracy, sparked the dramatic protests that led to the birth of Scholarism and propelled a 15-year-old Joshua Wong into the political limelight. The curriculum was formally shelved for three years. Many parents and teachers came out to voice fears this was a transition into pro-Beijing ‘brainwashing’ of our youth. “It is impossible for students to be brainwashed by an excerpt taken from support materials,” proclaimed a highly defensive 2012 article by state mouthpiece China Daily, in response to the huge opposition to the curriculum from the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union.

The Hong Kong government’s official stance on language in the SAR is that they are ‘committed to promoting trilinguism’ across English, Cantonese and Putonghua. But a LegCo Panel on Education report from April states that having the subject of Chinese language taught in Putonghua ‘is a long-term and developmental target’. In 2008 the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) – a government  advisory committee – launched a pilot scheme for ‘all [local] schools to adopt Putonghua to teach Chinese  language’. The succinctly named ‘Scheme to Support Schools in Using Putonghua to Teach the Chinese Language Subject’ ran until 2014 and gave support for 160 schools to receive additional funding and guidance from ‘Mainland teaching experts’ as well as local consultants in order to help them to teach Chinese in Putonghua instead of Cantonese.

“I think it’s very important that my son learns Putonghua,” says Mr Chan about his eight-year-old son’s education. “The trend in Hong Kong is shifting towards working in the Mainland due to its economic growth. If you don’t know Putonghua, it’s difficult for you to grow your business in China. If my son is able to become fluent in [Putonghua], this would be an advantage.”

SEE ALSO: What do parents think?

Although the Education Bureau tells us it ‘does not possess exact figures’ about the number of schools in Hong Kong (both local and international) that are currently using Putonghua to teach Chinese language and/or other subjects, many experts we speak to estimate it’s at least two in three. “Around 70 percent of the city’s [571] primary schools now use Putonghua as the language of instruction for Chinese class, on top of teaching Putonghua as a separate language subject,” Woody Lee, convener of PMI (Putonghua as Medium of Instruction) Students Concern Group tells us. “Yes, 70 percent is about right,” agrees Fiona Lee, local translator and expert in Chinese linguistics.

It’s not clear, yet, how this might affect students’ learning. Scholars have long disagreed over whether it is easier to understand the subject of Chinese itself through the medium of Cantonese or Putonghua. In 2011, Hong Kong ranked first for Chinese language proficiency, according to a global study carried out every five years by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. So whatever we’re doing, we’re doing it right – for now.

Illustration by Carmen Ng

A tone apart
In January 2014, the Education Bureau released an article about the importance of tri and bilingualism. The article stated that ‘nearly 97 percent of the local population learn Cantonese (a Chinese dialect that is not an official language)’. The use of the word dialect, rather than language, was met with outrage. “It caused an online uproar,” recalls Woody Lee. “Cantonese and Putonghua are two languages. Definitely. They are mutually unintelligible,” says Bauer without hesitation. “Cantonese and Putonghua have travelled [apart] completely.”

Chinese is one of two official languages in Hong Kong (the other being English). Cantonese is acknowledged as the spoken vernacular, although government institutions do also accept the use of Putonghua, which has been used on the MTR since 2003.

In Hong Kong, however, Cantonese is generally celebrated as being a richer and more colloquially expressive spoken language than Putonghua. It has nine tones, as opposed to Putonghua’s four. Chinese is written in traditional characters in Hong Kong, but these have been simplified on the Mainland to make the language easier to read and write. The upshot of that is, sometimes, the historic or poetic meaning of the character is lost – the quintessential example being that to simplify the traditional character for ‘love’ 爱 (ai4) you need to remove one major part – 心 (xin1), the character for heart.  “Even a lot of the colloquial words we say every day like 佢 (keoi5, meaning ‘he’ or ‘she’) go back to the Ming Dynasty,” explains Fiona Lee. “There are poems written with that character. I guess the idea that Cantonese is colloquial is so deeply rooted that people don’t realise it goes back 1,000 years.”

Ng Kap-chuen is a local illustrator who shot into the public consciousness last year with his intricate cartoon Great Canton and Hong Kong Proverbs, which depicts 81 proverbs used only in Cantonese. One of the famous proverbs he drew is ‘ghost (gwai2) hitting (paak3) the back of your neck (hau6-mei5-jam3)’ (鬼拍後尾枕), which is equivalent to ‘spilling the beans’ or ‘letting the cat out of the bag’. The illustrations became widely popular and went viral on social media. “We have to make people proud of speaking Cantonese again,” Ng tells us of his inspiration.

Yet expressions from the Mainland are working their way into the Hong Kong vernacular more and more. We speak to Amy Au [name changed upon request] a former translator for TVB. “I used to translate the scripts for shows bought from the Mainland for Cantonese dubbing”, she says. “A separate department is responsible for subtitles after the recorded voiceovers since Cantonese conjunctions don’t appear in written format. Even though it’s all written in traditional Chinese, I’ve noticed a lot of text using Mainland adjectives and nouns now,” she tells us. Examples she notes include 白富美, white (bai2), rich (fu4) and pretty (mei3),  meaning an attractive woman and 小鮮肉, little (xiao3) fresh (xian1) meat (rou4), meaning an attractive young man. “These aren’t phrases used in Cantonese.”

SEE ALSO: Timeline: A brief history of Cantonese

One language, one nation
Putonghua (literally meaning ‘common speech’) has had a meteoric rise since the Central People’s Government selected this variety of a northern Han dialect as the national language in 1955. At the turn of the century there were myriad dialects spoken all over China, but only 60 years later the vast majority of the country (around 70 percent of 1.3 billion people) have a common tongue.

“The national language has been a tremendous unifying force in China and it’s why they promoted Putonghua as much as they have,” explains Bauer. “Young people don’t bother learning their parents’ dialects any more. When I was teaching linguistics in China the students told me that their local dialects are useless – in terms of feeling good about your culture and home it’s important [to speak your dialect], but in terms of getting ahead you need English and Putonghua.”

The potential for the erosion of Cantonese is not without precedent. Shanghainese was once the dialect for the entire Yangtze region and,  despite the fact it still has around 14 million speakers, the Central Government has actively been discouraging its use in schools since 1992. A 2012 survey by Shanghai’s Academy of Social Sciences found four in 10 school students in the city couldn’t speak Shanghainese at all.

British journalist Dr Martin Jacques is the author of When China Rules the World: the Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World. “China has had a very weak conception of cultural difference and is very disrespectful to those that do not belong to the Han identity, which they believe is the cement that holds the country together,” Jacques said during his 2012 TED talk The Rise of China. “The biggest political value in China is unity. How power is constructed in China is much different than the West. They view state power as the patriarch of the family. And this rule has not been challenged in the past 1,000 years.”

Economically, the policy is clearly working. The International Monetary Fund announced that China had claimed the spot of the world’s number one GDP (in terms of purchasing power parity, at least) in October last year.

Can’t we just all get along?
The arguments and protests about which of Putonghua or Cantonese we should be using in various situations implies that the two are somehow competing. “There are people here in the government who hate Cantonese because it’s a symbol of Hong Kong’s difference from the Mainland,” admits Bauer.

But, as previously mentioned, the government states its policy is to encourage trilinguism in Hong Kong. “We support learning Putonghua,” says Woody Lee. “It’s a way of upgrading ourselves. But at the same time, we should maintain Cantonese culture. What we are seeing are those in the younger generation forgetting their mother tongue and using only Putonghua. What we don’t understand is that since students already have a Putonghua course, why do they still have to use Putonghua to teach Chinese Language itself?”

On the other hand, Andrew Chan, spokesperson for local language concern group Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis, doesn’t think the government is trying to promote a trilingual city at all. “They just want to get rid of Cantonese,” he says. “You can see this by the way resources are distributed in language education. There is a real lack of formal Cantonese education in school, both in writing and pronunciation. Replacing the primary language is lowering the quality of education, as it is not our mother tongue.”

The art of language
“Our soft power, in terms of movies, music and art is based on our Cantonese culture,” says Chan, referring to Hong Kong’s relatively prodigious artistic output over the decades. “[As] our popular art becomes closer and closer to the Mainland, we are losing our unique competitive edge.”

“There are countless scholars and artists that speak Cantonese as a mother tongue,” agrees award-winning Cantopop lyricist Chan Wing-him, who has written for artists including Fiona Sit and Pakho Chau. “Abandoning this language equals to cutting out their tongues. How cruel would that be?”

Cantopop has had a significant influence in China and the rest of Asia ever since its birth in 1974. Non-Cantonese speaking Chinese enjoyed Cantopop regardless of whether or not they could understand the lyrics. They were interested in learning about Hong Kong’s music scene and becoming fans of the city’s artists. Even Faye Wong, one of China’s most treasured artists came from Beijing to Hong Kong to develop her career.

Almost all Hong Kong movies made in the 1980s were done in Cantonese. The Cantonese movie brand was one of quality, and kung fu movies were popularised in both the East and West. There was a wave of film tourism, with visitors coming to Hong Kong to visit the locations of their favourite movies. According to a recent research project done by HotelClub, 172 Hong Kong movies were filmed in Cantonese in 1992. By 1997, as the handover approached, this number had dropped to under 100 for the first time in two decades. 

“At one time, our culture was influencing all of Asia – especially in film, music and television,” points out Ng. “But now, creative artists are struggling and the film industry isn’t producing as many quality films. We need our soft power back. Take South Korea for example. People are wanting to learn Korean now because of its strong soft power, regardless of whether learning the language would be useful for career success.”

SEE ALSO: The 100 Greatest Hong Kong Films

A very real danger
“Right now, if you ask me about the current situation, I say that Cantonese is in great shape,” says Bauer. “About 90 percent of the 96 percent ethnically Chinese people who live here speak Cantonese as their usual daily language. In terms of the number of speakers, it’s doing well. But if children stop learning Cantonese because their parents only speak to them in English or their school teaches them in Putonghua, then there could be problems.”  

Bauer is currently working on a comprehensive Cantonese-English dictionary. “I’ve been working on it for 12 years,” he tells us. “It’s really sad that, given how important Cantonese is in Hong Kong, you’d think someone would have published a dictionary more recently. But the last comprehensive Cantonese-English dictionary was published in 1977! If you went out to the store today and tried to find a good one, you’d struggle. You’d find nothing about contemporary colloquial Cantonese, the vocabulary that’s actually used here.”

Cantonese is in danger of disappearing. If that happens, the cultural impact would be devastating for this ancient language, the closest dialect of Chinese to that used in poetic classics like Dream of the Red Chamber (Singer-songwriter Denise Ho did a stage rendition of this story called Awakening). It’s not all doom and gloom though. There are many individuals like Ng and Bauer who are making efforts to preserve Cantonese in the face of the threat.

The most ideal situation in Hong Kong 
would be for citizens to become proficient in Cantonese, English and Putonghua. Visit Malaysia, Belgium or Switzerland and you’ll hear three languages (or more) being spoken. Why do we even have to pick? Unfortunately, the issue in Hong Kong seems to be one that is politically driven.

It’s easy to get caught up arguing whether Cantonese or Putonghua is ‘better’ or ‘more useful’. But the wider picture is that a huge part of Hong Kong’s cultural identity is more than on the line – it’s hanging by its fingertips. “My mother tongue is Cantonese. My whole life and understanding of this world is through this language,” says Ng with anguish in his voice. “In just a few generations, if parents don’t emphasise Cantonese teachings and speak to their children in Cantonese, it will be gone.”  

To find out more about the Education Bureau’s current language policy, visitbit.ly/languagepolicyhk.

SEE ALSO: Survey results: The death of Cantonese?

 

 

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