As sweet
Though we are not so much alike
It is your kind of foreign ideas that attract me
They feel so exotic and exciting
I like to live in the otherness that you show me
And now we smile at the strange expression
After nine years of marriage
Because it’s so true
And as sweet as when I met you
On the Beach
This is the moment I’ve long been musing.
You rest your head on my shoulder
looking at the beautiful view out there –
the sea, the mountains, and the budding trees
in February sunset,
every tide a charming melody.
Long, pleasant minutes,
your hand in my hand
feeling still soft,
feeling still warm.
Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
讀後感：
這首詩叫人不要溫和地接受死亡，而是要熱烈地抵抗死亡和黑暗的來臨。
智者雖然知道死亡終必來臨，他們更想把握剩餘的時間，立意要說亮話啟發人心。
好人在他們的晚年痛悔自己壯年時沒有做美事好事，他們更想趁著晚年，做一些鼓舞人心的快事。
追求光明的瘋狂份子，驚覺時間的快逝，剩下不多的時間追夢，卻不願默默接受死亡的來臨。
認真的人，在面對死亡的臨近時，他們的視力雖然衰退，可是他們的眼睛卻發出永恒的閃爍光輝，抵抗黑暗和死亡的降臨。
最後，這首詩再次勉勵大家「願我在悲傷之餘不會溫和地接受死亡，卻立志抵抗黑暗的到來」。
有趣的是，之前為了預備DSE的英國文學課而閱讀這首詩，當時看不出甚麼，也沒有特別感動。可是，今早清晨黎明時分，不經意再看到這首詩，當下很有感覺。我想，看詩也需要適合的時間和空間，才能體會詩的味道，就好像在夜闌人靜時分，才能品嚐紅酒的香醇一樣。
我很喜歡這首詩，結構工整且意境豐富，鼓勵人到中年的我要珍惜光陰，把握時間和機會做自己喜歡的事情，免得死亡來到時才後悔沒有追夢。現在的我沒有閒暇專心閱讀和寫作，我希望往後我能夠專心細閱珍．奧斯汀的文學作品及其他喜愛的文學作品，然後與別人（特別是少年人/青年人）分享自己的體會。若果上帝許可的話，我還有很多事情想去做，例如：寫詩、教英文、分享信仰、在教會事奉等等。
What I have learned from the Hare & The Tortise and the Ugly Duckling
Reading fairy tales and fables has been my favourite pastime. Not only are the stories intriguing, but also they are full of wits and wisdom which teach me valuable life lessons especially during times of trial. They lift up my spirit when I want to give up trying. They encourage me to insist on being and doing good even though others might go astray. They remind me of the truth, kindness and beauty when the world seems to fall apart. As such, I would like to share with you some of the valuable life lessons I have learned through reading the fairy tales and fables.
First of all, reading the Aesop’s Fable The Hare and the Tortoise has taught me neither to boast about nor look down on oneself. When I was a junior secondary two student, I was like the Hare who liked to boast about my clever mind and were too proud to study hard. Therefore, it turned out that those who used to perform poorly but had decided to study hard for the final examination got really good results. But, as for me, because of my pride and arrogance, I failed many subjects and came last in the final examination. I was hard hit by the result and swore never to be too proud of myself. Finally, I was like the Tortoise who did not lose heart but made every effort to take each slow and steady step forward. It took me more than a year of hard work to catch up with the other well-performing students. To my amazement, I passed the junior secondary three final examination with flying colours and was given the priority of enrolling for the popular senior secondary elective courses. Therefore, I have learned that being humble is an important character trait that leads one to success.
Moreover, reading the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling has taught me not to judge by one’s physical appearance. On the first day of school when I was Form two, there was a South Asian girl called Natasha who was a newcomer to our class. We teased her being different from us in terms of ethnicity and skin colour. When Natasha expressed her desire to make friends with us, we rejected to be on good terms with her and continued to make fun of her look and appearance. Natasha was alone and sad but she remained kind to us. Meanwhile, she decided to concentrate on her studies. To our surprise, Natasha performed very well in the year-end final examination, particularly in the English subject. She was then promoted to the best Form three class and became an English language ambassador. Her new classmates not only befriended her but also treated her fair and well. Since then, we dare not look down on someone who looks different from us.
Fairy tales and fables offer us a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. Most importantly, the valuable life lessons teach us how to be a person of good character and a person with right attitude towards life.
Writing Tip:
寫演講詞首先要釐定寫作的1. 目的(purpose)和2. 對象(audience)，從而決定文章的3. 結構(structure)和4. 內容(content)的鋪排5. (organisation)。
例子：
這條題目是寫給在冠軍賽落敗的隊友，作為致詞的隊長，演說的目的是肯定隊友一直以來的努力付出，鼓勵和支持隊友以及提升士氣（motivational / inspirational)，這樣範文的結構就會如此鋪排：寫關於隊友自加入籃球隊努力練習，屢敗屢戰不放棄的體育精神和隊友今次作賽的出色表現，以鼓勵沮喪和失望的隊友為重點。
希望以下的範文解題可以幫助大家對寫演講詞有更多點子(idea)^^
4. Learning English through Sports Communication
You are the captain of the school’s basketball team. Your team made it to the inter-school championship final but came second.
Write a speech to be delivered to the team at the end-of-season dinner celebration.
Good evening teammates,
On this special occasion, as a captain of the school basketball team, I am very honoured to be here with you and speak to you. Five years ago, we came together as a team simply because we love playing basketball. After five years, we haven’t slightly changed our heart but have become even more passionate about it despite countless challenges, hardships, frustrations, denials and failures.
Do you remember when we all first played in the basketball court? We were green, inadequate and even deficient. Yet, your passion for basketball did not allow your inexperience and weakness to stop you from undergoing a series of tough and demanding training to hone your skills and build your physical and mental strength. During these five years, you guys have made an enormous improvement in your basketball skills.
In these years, you have fought many battles. Though you have fallen a million times and have cried many tears on the basketball court, you still decide to get up and fight again each time you fall and get hurt. You have never thought of giving up. You guys just hang in there, and continue to persevere and put in a lot of hard work.
This time, though we came second in the inter-school championship final, I am so proud of you because you were not scared of the opposing team who is renowned to be unbeatable and undefeatable. Before the game, we were all looked down upon and said to be destined to lose. However, you didn’t shrink from facing a giant but have demonstrated courage and determination to fight an uphill battle in the face of adversity. After all, it is not the winning that matters most but the life lessons that you have learned from the game. They are self-belief, courage, tenacity, the never-give-up spirit and hope in the impossible moment. These special qualities that you have developed inside will stay with you and keep you for the rest of your life. And that’s what matters.
Once again, losing the game won’t knock us down but will make us stronger and more invincible. That is what failure does to us. I have seen each of you grow into not only skillful but also mature players. I am so proud of you guys to have come so far after all these tough years. You are just incredible. Taking this opportunity, I wish each of you every success in your future endeavours. Thank you.
Eros by Louise Glück
I had drawn my chair to the hotel window, to watch the rain.
I was in a kind of dream, or trance —
in love, and yet
I wanted nothing.
It seemed unnecessary to touch you, to see you again.
I wanted only this:
the room, the chair, the sound of the rain falling,
hour after hour, in the warmth of the spring night.
I needed nothing more; I was utterly sated.
My heart had become very small; it took very little to fill it.
I watched the rain falling in heavy sheets over the darkened city —
You were not concerned. I did the things
one does in daylight, I acquitted myself,
but I moved like a sleepwalker.
It was enough and it no longer involved you.
A few days in a strange city.
A conversation, the touch of a hand.
And afterward, I took off my wedding ring.
That was what I wanted: to be naked.
意譯：我坐在酒店房裏窗邊的椅子看雨。我曾經戀愛，好像一場夢或在半意識的狀態下，但現在我不需要任何東西，看似不需要去觸摸你，再見你了。我只想說：這房間，這張櫈，一小時又一小時的下雨聲，在溫暖的春天晚上，我不再需要甚麼，我完全滿足，我的心變得很小，只需要少少就可以填滿。我看著滂沱大雨在漆黑的城市中落下，你不再在我的生命中了。我在日間做平常的事，我釋放了自己，但我活像一個夢遊的人。一切已經足夠了，你不再牽涉在我的生命；在陌生的城市待了幾天，一個對話，然後我脫下介指。如此赤裸裸、坦蕩蕩，就是我所想的。
讀後感：作者努力地想擺脫一段婚姻/感情，她嘗試感受著周圍空間的物件和環境，體會生命中還有足夠美好的東西。她三番四次地說服自己很滿足於當下，不需要戀人在身旁，可以重新過新生活/做平常的事情，坦蕩蕩地面對一場婚姻/感情的結束。詩以愛神為題，提示作者抱持對生命的熱愛和活著的慾望，看來作者也甚積極。
Anniversary by Louise Glück (April 1966)
Well, November’s hit Paris again.
The Times records a mean temperature
Of thirty-eight. Bunched about the Madeleine,
Flower sellers ostrich the future
With their noses rigorously immersed
In stale roses. Or so I remember.
Incredibly, it was the twenty-first
Last week. And my affections turned out limber
After all: oh Stephen, we’d have been
Married now. I’ve still got our
China, some broken, and some linen
But the first I’ve really thought of you for
Months was just tonight when with my fork
Suspended I was saying how I loved New York.
意譯：
作者現在11月份的巴黎。報章報導攝氏38度，好像不大友善的天氣。聚集在巴黎的馬德琳一帶的賣花者，嚴謹地嗅著陳舊的玫瑰花，假裝這些玫瑰花沒有多大問題，不會影響日後的銷售。作者見到這一幕，想起了上星期應該是她和Stephen已在一起21周年。她的情感也變得柔軟。其實他們現在應該已經結婚了。作者仍然有一些屬於他們的瓷器，不過有些已經破爛了。但是，在這數月裏，第一次想起Stephen是今晚拿起叉子說著她有多喜愛紐約的時候。
讀後感：
作者與Stephen的戀人關係好像那陳舊的玫瑰花，他們假裝看不見關係中的問題，好像那破爛的瓷器一樣，都不知道怎樣補救。作者懷念著他們在紐約那些一起的日子。
2020諾貝爾文學獎得主Louise Glück的文字簡潔，意象新穎，用字精準，這是一首很美的詩歌。
3. Learning English through Workplace Communication
You write an advice column for Jobs Online magazine. A reader submitted the following question:
My dream is to open a cafe with a few friends, but I’ve just been offered a promotion at my company. The pay is good, but I’m not that interested in the work. Should I leave now or wait a few years?
–Kam Chai, 25 years old
Write a reply to Kam Chai offering your advice.
Dear Kam Chai,
I am writing in response to your question about whether you should develop your career at your current company or pursue your dream of opening a café with your friends. I would suggest you accept the promotion and stay at your company for a few more years instead of giving it up and investing in a business that you have not had any experience before.
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion at your company. As you may know, the job market has never been more competitive and only competent candidates can have the golden opportunity of getting a promotion. Therefore, the offer of promotion is a good sign that affirms your talent, value and contribution to the company. Your hard work and positive work attitude must have impressed your boss a lot such that you have got a promotion. As the chance of being promoted is rare, why don’t you just stay on at your company and give it some time to try and see if you would become more interested in the job?
Moreover, as promotion comes with more job responsibilities and requires more sophisticated skills, you might find the job more challenging and exciting. You can take this opportunity to test your ability as well as explore your potential. Meanwhile, you might also find the job more rewarding in terms of salary and work experience. If you have stayed on your job for several more years, you will have a much better resume, in short, an achievement record, which means you will have a bigger bargaining power to negotiate a higher salary. Besides, working with a bigger title at your current company can help you broaden your horizons and build up your professional connection network as you can get to know more closely different kinds of colleagues and clients worldwide. Even if you come away thinking that you do not like the job at all, at least you have tried and gained some valuable work experience such as communication skill and international sense which you would not have learnt from opening a café with friends.
Opening a café requires a large sum of money. As your pay is good, working in your company can help you earn enough money to pursue your dream of opening a café. What’s more, you can always have the chance of opening a café as long as you have enough money. However, if you have given up the job right now, not only will you have a bad resume, but also you will lose the opportunity of developing yourself professionally. It will be very unlikely for you to be able to enter the industry again, not to mention a promotion. Last but not least, opening a café is a kind of business. When the economy is bad, you will have to run the risk of losing money and even closing the cafe. Have you ever thought about any other options that you would have in case your business fails?
Given the above reasons, I would recommend you stay on your current job to gain more professional work experience instead of opening a café with your friends at this stage.
Yours sincerely,
Chris Wong
8: Learning English through Short Stories
You entered the “Stories of Survival” short story competition. The theme of this year’s competition is “Nature: friend or enemy?” Write a story about a hiker who gets caught in a storm while hiking in the mountains.
Nature: Both a friend and an enemy
It is springtime in early March. The sun is shining through the cracks in the clouds and a mild breeze is blowing in the air on a Sunday morning. Zoe wakes up to the radio broadcast in the sitting room which is forecasting some sunny days with a few passing clouds throughout the week. “The weather feels so pleasant!” Zoe thinks to herself. She then calls her best friend Suzy and asks her to go for hiking together. Zoe and Suzy are just average hikers. They usually do the easy hikes for recreational purpose at weekends.
Today, they decide to hike up to the Peak from the University of Hong Kong and then continue the climb up to Mount High West because the scenic views up there is superb. Along the way, the sunshine is creeping in through the shaking leaves on the trees and a stream with clear water is flowing gently down the mountain. The air is crispy fresh. When they are halfway up the Peak, to their amazement, there emerges the spectacular view of the Victoria Harbour between Central and West Kowloon. Zoe and Suzy love the cozy feeling that nature brings.
When they reach the Peak, the weather seems to be changing suddenly. The sky is filled with dark clouds and the wind becomes stronger. Suzy decides to stay under the shelter in the park to have a rest. Zoe insists on going on with her hike to Mount High West and leaves behind Suzy. The path to Mount High West consists mainly of steep, narrow and rocky stairs . When Zoe is in the midway, it suddenly rains heavily and becomes stormy. The stairs are too slippery for her to climb downhill. Zoe cannot move but gets stuck there. She is very scared and trembles severely without any help.
Noticing that the weather is getting worse, Suzy thinks that Zoe might be in danger and calls for the rescue immediately. The search and rescue team flying in the helicopter comes in five minutes and saves Zoe successfully. Luckily, Zoe still survives and only suffers from a little panic attack.
Nature is always changing. It can be both a friend and an enemy to human beings. It can give us a pleasant breezy warm day which is good for our well-being as well as a bad stormy day which is dangerous to our lives. Like a friend, we can enjoy the friendly company of nature; as an enemy, we need to protect ourselves against its threats and attacks. By adapting ourselves to the precarious nature, we can live with nature in harmony and peace.
English language & literature 