1911

現今華人世界全都推許辛亥革命是中國歷史上光輝燦爛的一頁，但是，跟大多數革命一樣，它所引起的問題並不少於它所解決的問題。

(譯者︰林立偉)

The 1911 revolution is known throughout the Chinese world as a glorious page in the annals of Chinese history. Like most revolutions, however, it caused as many problems as it solved.

Carroll, J.M. (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

服益生菌不如食益生元

The usage of probiotic foods and supplements has been widely considered part of a healthy diet by supplementing the gut microbiome (微生物群) with beneficial bacteria. Although the usage of probiotics (益生菌) is a common dietary accessory, there is limited reproducible (可重複性) evidence showing bacterial colonization, thus limiting long term effectiveness.

Linhardt, C. A. (2019). The relationship of gut microbiota in standard and overweight children, before and after probiotic administration. The University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy. http://hdl.handle.net/11299/202569

Tablets and drinks containing probiotics are available in the shops. Advertisements declaring amazing results filled medical journals and newspapers.

Firstly, what species and strains (種類) does a product contain? Often, these are not detailed, or they do not match up with the true contents when they are cultured (培養). Probably, the more species the better, though we have very little understanding of the impact of different strains on the body.

Secondly, how many individual bacteria does a product contain? Bacteria in large intestine originally are in huge number.

The benefits of prebiotics, whether isolated or in their original delicious packaging (particularly onions, garlic, leeks 韭蔥, asparagus 蘆筍 and bananas, to name a few), might be more wide-ranging than those of probiotics.

Collen, A. (2015). 10% Human: How Your Body's Microbes Hold the Key to Health and Happiness. London: William Collins.

Prebiotics (益生元) are a group of nutrients that are degraded by gut microbiota (腸道菌群). They can feed the intestinal microbiota, and their degradation products are short-chain fatty acids that are released into blood circulation, consequently, affecting not only the gastrointestinal tracts but also other distant organs.

Beneficial intestinal microbes ferment (發酵) specific non-digestible dietary substances called prebiotics and obtain their survival energy from degrading indigestible binds of prebiotics. As a result of this, prebiotics can selectively influence gut microbiota. On the other hand, the gut microbiota affects intestinal functions, such as metabolism and integrity of the intestine. Moreover, they can suppress pathogens in healthy individuals.

Davani-Davari D. (2019). Prebiotics: Definition, Types, Sources, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications. Foods, 8(3), 92. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463098

身體健康的人，其腸道微生物群能幫助消化、調節免疫力、防止感染及幫助製造維生素和其他營養素。證據顯示患病的人的腸道微生態普遍失衡，即好菌減少，致病菌增加。腸道微生態失衡與許多慢性或自身免疫性疾病相關，包括肥胖症、炎症性腸病、糖尿病、代謝病、動脈粥樣硬化、自閉症、精神分裂症、結腸直腸癌、肝癌、類風濕性關節炎、肌肉營養不良和多發性硬化症。

In healthy individuals, microbiome aids food digestion, regulates immunity, protects against pathogenic infection, and participates in the synthesis of vitamins and other nutrients. In diseased individuals, evidence shows an imbalance of beneficial and pathogenic microbes in the human microbiome, a phenomenon known as dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis is shown to correlate with numerous chronic or autoimmune diseases such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, autism, schizophrenia, colorectal cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, and multiple sclerosis.

GenieBiome Ltd. (2021). Science. https://www.g-niib.com/en/science

南禪聽泉

「泉聲幽幽，只因我耳聽已為噪聒之聲所蔽，深受煩擾，集中聚神於噪音，忽略了幽聲。原來，一切煩惱皆由自我設限。」

小思

二零一零年

聒︰粵音括

Cells in retina

視桿細胞是視網膜中兩類感光細胞之一。光子撞擊視桿細胞，觸發神經遞質傳輸和電脈衝釋出，繼而傳送至中樞神經系統……它們無法感知顏色和細節，而由視錐細胞補充此功能。比起視錐細胞，視桿細胞對光更敏感，數量也更多。人眼包含約1.3億個視桿細胞和約700萬個視錐細胞。

Rod is one of two types of photoreceptive cells in the retina. Rod cells function as specialized neurons that convert visual stimuli in the form of photons into chemical and electrical stimuli that can be processed by the central nervous system...They do not perceive color and fine detail, tasks performed by the other major type of light-sensitive cell, the cone. Rod cells are much more sensitive to light than cones and are also much more numerous. The human eye contains about 130 million rods and about 7 million cones.

視錐細胞在視網膜中呈圓錐形凸出物，與彩色視覺和精細視覺有關。視錐細胞對暗光的敏感度遠小於眼睛的視桿細胞。視錐細胞大多集中在視網膜中央，其中包含中央凹（視網膜凹陷），其中不存在視桿細胞。相反，視網膜的外邊緣包含很少的視錐細胞和許多視桿細胞。當光撞擊視錐細胞時發生的化學變化最終會作為脈衝，經視神經纖維傳遞進大腦。

Cone, light-sensitive cell with a conical projection in the retina, associated with color vision and perception of fine detail. Far fewer than the eye’s rods, cones are less sensitive to dim light. Cones are mostly concentrated within the central retina, which contains the fovea (depression in the retina), where no rods are present. In contrast, the outer edges of the retina contain few cones and many rods. Chemical changes that occur when light strikes the cones are ultimately relayed as impulses to optic-nerve fibers that enter the brain.

https://www.britannica.com

香港歷史建築圖文記錄

The bubonic plague (腺鼠疫) occurred in 1894. Two pathologists came from Japan and Switzerland discovered and isolated the bacteria. Old Pathological Institute commemorates their achievement. This heritage is now the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences. The museum is an Edwardian (愛德華時代) building with brickwork and arched verandahs (陽台). It has exhibitions on local medical history including SARS. There is a herb garden outside the museum displaying some basic ingredients of both Western and Chinese medicine.

梅堂 (May Hall)、盧吉堂 (Lugard Hall) 及儀禮堂 (Eliot Hall) 合稱「明原堂」(Old Halls)。

University Hall, originally called Douglas Castle, was built in the 1860s by Scottish taipan (大班) Douglas Lapraik to serve as his country home. It looked rather different then: an octagonal penthouse (頂層豪華公寓) surrounded by battlements (雉堞式裝飾牆) commanded all-round sea views, four crenelated (鈍齒狀的) corner towers had mock arrow slits, and outhouses were built in identical Victorian Gothic style. The building has undergone many changes over the years and is now used as halls of residence for HKU students.

At the court's opening in January 1912, the Chief Justice rather presciently (先見地) declared, "When Victoria has ceased to be a city, when the harbour has silted up (淤塞), when even the Hong Kong Club has crumbled (碎裂) away, this building will remain like a pyramid to commemorate (紀念) the genius of the Far East."

舊最高法院大樓選址於中區的心臟地帶，毗連皇后像廣場，四鄰軍政商廈林立，可說是香港法治社會的象徵。港府所委任的建築師為英聯邦採辦處的顧問 Aston Webb 和 Ingress Bell，兩人以設計英國白金漢宮的正面、Victoria and Albert Museum 及 Admiralty Arch 而聞名於世，足見政府對這幢大樓的重視。

前法國傳道會大樓

日治時期，日軍曾經佔用大樓為日本憲兵總部。一九四五年八月香港重光，當時被囚於赤柱的前布政司 Frederick Gimson 曾於該大樓成立臨時政府總部。

甘棠第樓高四層，樓宇正面由花崗石及紅磚砌成，一樓和二樓有弧形露台，並有木製的百葉窗，欄杆則雕有花紋，以希臘式石柱承托，中間有「H」字代表大宅業主乃何氏家族，不同角落鑲有彩繪玻璃。建築物屬英皇愛德華時期 (Edwardian Period) 風格。甘棠第是香港其中一座最早以鋼筋構建，並有供電線路鋪設的私邸。

梅夫人婦女會大樓

Helena May is an imposing (雄偉的) Edwardian building which was opened in 1916 as a residence and club for single expat (移居國外) women.

禮賓府日佔時期曾大改裝，設計主要加建了中央塔樓，改用了日式瓦頂。

聖約翰座堂

St. John's Cathedral

The cathedral (教區總教堂) is a much larger place of worship than a church and is run by a bishop (主教). A church is run by a group of clergymen (男神職人員) or priests (祭司). The bishop usually resides on the cathedral premises (房屋建築及附屬場地).

1841年，英國皇家海軍登陸香港後，港英殖民政府委任威廉 ．堅上尉（Captain William Caine）為香港首席裁判司主理治安，並於荷李活道設置裁判署。最初，裁判署還只是個草棚，日後則成了前中區警署建築群，是香港早期的司法重地。

文武廟是供奉文昌帝及關帝的廟宇，而上環的文武廟更是香港開埠初期華人的仲裁機關，在香港眾多廟宇中有著特殊的地位。文武廟是早年華人及行會聚集議事的地方，而有關本區經濟、商業發展或其他大事，亦多在此仲裁、商議。

The earliest of these voluntary organizations (established by local Chinese elites) was the Man Mo Temple, founded in 1847 by Loo Aqui (盧阿桂) and Tam Achoy (譚三才). Although its ostensible (外表的) purpose was to worship the gods of literature and war and to observe religious festivals, the temple served other important functions. It soon became the main social center for Hong Kong's Chinese population, regardless of their regional or occupational affiliations (聯繫). The temple also evolved into the self-managed, informal government of the Chinese community, with the merchants electing a committee to deliberate (仔細討論) disputes. Thus, between the Man Mo Temple and the smaller neighborhood committees, the Chinese community soon developed mechanisms for managing its own affairs. Although the European community often eyed the temple suspiciously for clandestinely (祕密地) controlling "native affairs," the colonial government was happy with the arrangement since it fit with the government's policy of ruling the Chinese on the cheap.

正在內部維修的藝穗會

The Fringe Club on Lower Albert Road

這座建築物是建於一八九零年，曾是冷藏庫，供應冰塊及牛奶製品給予附近醫院及居民。

原為舊三軍司令官邸的文物館，是香港現存歷史最悠久的西式建築，屬希臘古典復興式風格，設計簡潔，具英國殖民地色彩。舊三軍司令官邸建於1846年，原名「司令總部大樓」，後改為「旗桿屋」；大樓的首個使用者是英國駐港陸軍總司令德忌笠少將（後來成為香港第一任副總督，中環的德己立街亦以他命名）。雖然在二次大戰時，大樓曾兩遭日軍炮彈襲擊，但很快被修復，至1978年前一直是駐港英軍三軍司令的官邸。

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware displays the extensive collection of Dr. K.S. Lo. Some items date back as far as the Western Zhou dynasty. Tea has a special place in Chinese culture --- consider the traditional wedding ritual of serving tea to parents --- and a cup of tea unites the British and Chinese as few other things can. The museum holds tea appreciation classes every week.

The Pottinger Street leads steeply uphill, and is laid with horizontal rows of roughly hewn stones for ease of ascent...The buildings on either side have been replaced many times but the street is easily identifiable from old photos.

西港城大樓原為船政署舊址，後來改作上環街市（即菜市場），百多年來一直是附近居民常到的市集。西港城在1991年修建過後，成為目前的模樣，是個傳統行業及手工藝的中心，也是一個商場。 西港城採愛德華式古典建築風格，外牆以紅磚建成，拱頂正門入口則是以花崗石砌成，殖民色彩濃厚，在四周的高樓群中益顯獨特。在這座古雅的商場內，有各種售賣特色工藝品及懷舊收藏品的商店，還有來自中環老街巷弄的布匹店，讓您感受老香港的情懷。

景賢里糅合優秀的中西式建築特色，是香港一幢罕見及出眾的建築藝術品。大宅原名「禧廬」，約建於一九三七年，由厘份則師樓負責設計，首任業主為岑李寶麟女士，其夫岑日初先生是廣東新會著名殷商，為人樂善好施。一九七八年，大宅轉售予邱子文先生及其子邱木城先生，邱氏家族將大宅易名為「景賢里」。大宅具有標誌著香港歷史發展的重要性。它是散建於港島山邊的歷史豪宅之一，不但反映出二次大戰前華人社群日益富裕和地位日漸提高，而且標誌著香港早年港島半山區開始出現華人高尚住宅的歷史。

Excluded (排除) form the 1898 lease of the New Territories but subsequently claimed by Britain after Qing troops helped villagers resist British rule in the New Territories, this small area became an independent enclave (指在一國境內卻隸屬另一國的一塊領土) where the British generally took a hands-off (不觸及) approach. Although the Walled City had almost disappeared by the eve of World War II it was revived after the war and after the 1949 revolution.

Following the walkway over the outdoor swimming pools points you back towards Nathan Road, and almost directly opposite stand the red-brick premises (房屋建築及附屬場地) of the Antiquities and Monuments Office. This government body occupies the former Kowloon British School, built in 1902 with a donation from Jardines compradore (買辦) Sir Robert Ho Tung.

「原為女生宿舍的紅樓現貌，現稱何福堂會所。」

小思(1990)︰「我看著何福堂書院的學生，快樂地在球場上奔跑，忽然，我想問︰幾十年後，他們又會有些甚麼感慨？」

參考資料︰

Carroll, J.M. (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Spurrier, P. (2016). The Heritage Hiker's Guide to Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Form Asia.

丁新豹《香港歷史散步》

盧瑋鑾《香港文學散步》

https://www.amo.gov.hk

http://www.discoverhongkong.com

Hallowe'en

adventure: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

know-it-all: one who claims to know everything

delight: a high degree of gratification or pleasure

screech: a high shrill piercing cry usually expressing pain or terror

amazed: feeling or showing great surprise or wonder

soar: to fly aloft or about

flutter: to flap the wings rapidly

glee: exultant high-spirited joy

spite: petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart

hatred: extreme dislike or disgust

snap: to utter sharp biting words

squeak: to utter or make a short shrill cry or noise

shrill: scream

smother: to suppress expression or knowledge of

rage: violent and uncontrolled anger

chortle: to laugh or chuckle especially when amused or pleased

stomp: to walk with a loud heavy step usually in anger

stray: to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits

pitch: an outdoor site

bolt: to move or proceed rapidly

sleek: smooth and glossy as if polished

mahogany: the wood of any of various chiefly tropical trees

dusk: the darker part of twilight especially at night

twilight: the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust

spectator: one who looks on or watches

hoop: a circular figure or object

kick off: begin

crate: an open box of wooden slats or a usually wooden protective case or framework for shipping

glint: to give off reflection in brilliant flashes

club: a stick or bat used to hit a ball in any of various games

bat: a stout solid stick

stout: physically or materially strong

rounders: rounders plural in form but singular in construction : a game of English origin that is played with ball and bat and that somewhat resembles baseball

jet: an intense black

pelt: to strike with a succession of blows or missiles

offhand: without premeditation or preparation

weave: to move in a devious, winding, or zigzag course especially to avoid obstacles

trudge: to walk or march steadily and usually laboriously

waft: to cause to move or go lightly by or as if by the impulse of wind or waves

perch: to alight, settle, or rest on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot

prod: to thrust a pointed instrument into

snarl: to give vent to anger in surly language

hover: to remain suspended over a place or object

glimpse: to get a brief look at

feast: an elaborate and usually abundant meal often accompanied by a ceremony or entertainment

overhear: to hear without the speaker's knowledge or intention

stutter: to move or act in a halting or spasmodic manner

slump: to fall or sink suddenly

dungeon: a dark usually underground prison or vault

uproar: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

firecracker: a usually paper cylinder containing an explosive and a fuse and set off to make a noise

rumble: to make a low heavy rolling sound

jostle: to come in contact or into collision

duck: to lower the head or body suddenly

hiss: to make a sharp sibilant sound

griffin: a mythical animal typically having the head, forepart, and wings of an eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion

peer: to come slightly into view

creep: to move along with the body prone and close to the ground

sniff: to inhale through the nose especially for smelling

stench: stink

stink: to emit a strong offensive odor

footfall: the sound of a footstep

lumpy: having a heavy clumsy appearance

boulder: a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

waggle: to move frequently one way and the other

slouch: to go or move slowly or reluctantly

slam: to shut forcibly and noisily

petrified: overwhelmingly fearful

fumble: to grope for or handle something clumsily or aimlessly

grope: to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search

lumber: to move ponderously

ponderous: of very great weight

snout: a long projecting nose

berserk: feeling or showing great or abnormal excitement or emotional disturbance

howl: to emit a loud sustained doleful sound characteristic of members of the dog family

flail: to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail

cling: to hold together

blow: a forcible stroke delivered with a part of the body (such as the fist) or with an instrument

thud: a dull sound

whimper: a whimpering cry or sound

clutch: to seek to grasp and hold

swift: occurring suddenly or within a very short time

downright: absolutely

grumble: to mutter in discontent

discontent: lack of satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation

Dictionary used: https://www.merriam-webster.com

文文山《正氣歌》

哲人日以遠，典型在夙昔。

風簷展書讀，古道照顏色。

古代聖賢雖然已經遠離很久，然而他們在過去卻早已立下良好的典範。

在風涼的屋簷下翻書閱讀，古聖先賢之道彷彿煥發光輝，映照著自己的面孔。