Hong Kong Protests Continue, 26 Hurt
VOA News
Last updated on: September 29, 2014 12:31 AM
The Hong Kong government said on Monday it has withdrawn riot police from city streets after pro-democracy protests began to calm down.
In a statement, a Hong Kong government spokesman also called on protesters to leave protest areas as peacefully as possible.
Hong Kong police used pepper spray, tear gas and baton charges in an attempt to disperse thousands of pro-democracy protesters in the center of the global financial hub at the weekend. At least 26 people were injured in the clashes.
The protest spread to the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay and across the harbor to Mong Kok, posing a greater challenge for authorities to contain.
Thousands of people demonstrated around the main Hong Kong government building, ignoring messages from student and pro-democracy leaders to retreat for fear that the police might fire rubber bullets.
The demonstrators are part of a mass civil disobedience movement calling for less political intervention from Beijing in the former British colony, now an autonomous region within the People's Republic of China.
在香港這個全球金融中心(financial hub)的中心有上萬名提出民主化訴求的抗議者，警察為了驅散(disperse)群眾，用了辣椒噴霧 (pepper spray)，催淚瓦斯( tear gas)和一波波的警棍攻勢(baton charge)。至少已有二十六名群眾在衝突(clash)中受傷。
抗議人群一路擴展到繁忙的銅鑼灣(Causeway Bay)購物商圈(shopping district)，’並跨過港口到旺角(Mong Kok)，這對當局者防堵(contain)抗議造成更大的挑戰(pose a greater challenge)。
學生領袖和支持民主化的活動領袖擔憂(for fear that. . .)警方可能將射發橡膠子彈(rubber bullet)，發出撤離(retreat)的訊息，但有萬名群眾不顧警訊，在香港主要的政府大樓周遭示威抗議(demonstrate)。
這波示威抗議是大規模公民不合作(civil disobedience)運動的一部分。在這個現為中華人民共和國自治區(autonomous region)的前英國殖民地，運動主要訴求是少一點來自中國北京的政治干預(intervention)。
Many in the crowd chanted slogans from beneath surgical masks to protect against further teargas.
The clashes came shortly after Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government will launch a new round of talks on electoral reform. He gave no timeframe for consultations.
Pro-democracy activists were outraged after China ruled all candidates for the 2017 vote must be approved by a pro-Beijing committee.
為防止被(protect against . . .)催淚瓦斯攻擊，群眾戴上了手術口罩(surgical mask)，在口罩下仍不斷呼喊(chant)口號。
香港特首(Chief Executive)梁振英宣布政府將對選舉改革展開新一輪對話(a new round of talks)，但不久之後即發生衝突。他並未提出諮詢會談(consultation)的時間表(timeframe)。
在中國決定下的香港2017選舉，所有候選人都必須由立場傾向北京當局的委員會同意後產生，此舉激怒(outrage)了要求民主化的運動人士。
‘With love and peace’
After months of threatening a massive sit-in, organizers of "Occupy Central with Love and Peace'' said early Sunday that the occupation of the streets outside government headquarters had officially begun.
The announcement came hours after riot police in Hong Kong arrested dozens of student protesters who forced their way into government headquarters late Saturday.
Authorities used pepper spray to disperse the protesters and hauled away those who refused to leave the square.
Outside the grounds, a large crowd of fellow students chanted at police and demanded that they stop arresting their comrades.
「讓愛與和占領中環」的主辦者數月來在不斷揚言要舉行大型靜坐(sit-in)活動。在周日稍早，正式宣告開始占據政府主要機構的外圍街道。
香港鎮暴警察(riot police)於周六晚間逮捕了數十名硬闖入(force their way into …)政府機關的學生抗議份子，這個宣告就在事件的幾個小時後發出。
政府當局使用辣椒噴霧來驅散(disperse)抗議者，拖走(haul away . . .)不願離開廣場的群眾。
在外面的廣場上，大批的學生對著警察呼喊口號，要求停止逮捕他們的同伴(comrade)。
Police said several people suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
Thousands of university students abandoned classes all week to take part in the pro-democracy campaign.
Words of caution
Meanwhile, some Hong Kong financial firms advised staff to work from home on Monday or go to secondary offices after demonstrators clashed with police on Sunday, Reuters reported later Sunday.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, whose offices overlook one of the main protest sites, told staff to "be cautious and avoid large gatherings" and advised managers to consider measures, including working from home, at clients' offices or at an alternative location, according to an email from the firm seen by Reuters.
Companies including consultants EY and CITIC Securities International, which are across the street from Hong Kong government headquarters where student activists started the protests, also told their staff to work remotely.
DBS Group Holdings, Singapore's biggest bank, will temporarily suspend services at its branch in the Admiralty neighborhood because of instability in the area, a bank spokesman said.
Pushing matches
At times on Sunday there were angry pushing matches between police armed with pepper spray and shields and protesters.
Pro-democracy protesters were also seen holding their hands in the air and repeatedly marching slowly toward police who fired tear gas outside government headquarters.
One student protestor called on the government to address days of demonstrations.
"I really hope that the government can come out to face the people. We have experienced five days of boycott of classes and two nights occupying here, we are not here to make disorder but to urge the government to face the people and students," the student said.
Work resumes on Monday in Hong Kong, and demonstrators are seeking to blockade parts of the city to protest recently revealed election guidelines from Beijing.
China's role in election
China said Hong Kong residents can elect their next leader in 2017, but they can only choose from a pool of only three candidates vetted by Beijing.
Demonstrators are calling for authorities to release protesters who have already been arrested and for true universal suffrage.
Pro-democracy advocate Edward Chin said, "So it's not the real democracy and they (Beijing) still want to remote control Hong Kong. But at the same time they are slowing planning about the reclaiming of Hong Kong prematurely."
On Sunday, Leung spoke to protesters for the first time since students began boycotting classes early last week. He pledged to soon hold talks on election reform, but did not give specifics.
Even if Leung hosts talks, it is unclear what difference that would make, as Beijing has already shown that it has the final say in such matters.
中國已經表明，香港居民(resident)可以在2017年選舉出下一任首長，但只能從通過北京審查(vet)的三位候選人中做選擇。
示威群眾要求(call for. . .)政府當局釋放被捕的抗議人士，並且落實真普選(universal suffrage)。
支持民主化的運動人士Edward Chin表示：「這不是真的民主，北京仍想要遙控(remote control)香港。同時，北京也一步步地計畫提早(prematurely)收復香港。」
學生自上周初開始罷課(boycott classes)，周日是梁振英第一次對抗議群眾喊話。他保證(pledge)盡快展開對選舉改革的對談，但卻沒提出明確辦法(specifics)。
但即使梁振英主持了對談，也還看不出可能的改變。北京已表明在這事務上有最後的決定權(the final say in . . .)。
China has largely been silent about the protests, blocking any discussion of them online.
But on Sunday Beijing weighed in, saying it opposes all types of illegal behavior that undermine social stability.
In his remarks Sunday, Leung said the government would take “resolute” action against pro-democracy protesters if they refuse to stop what he called “illegal” efforts to blockade city streets.
But democracy activists in Hong Kong and members of the Occupy Central With Peace and Love Movement pledged to block the city’s financial district.
中國一方面封鎖網路上對抗議的討論，對此波抗議行動也大致保持沉默。
但周日北京首度介入，發表意見(weigh in)，表示反對各種會削弱(undermine)社會穩定性的違法行為。
梁振英周日在聲明中表示(in his remarks)，如果支持民主化的抗議群眾不停止他所謂「非法」封鎖市區街道的作為，政府會「堅決」(resolute) 對抗議者採取行動(take action against . . .) 。
但民主運動人士與「讓愛與和平占領中環」的活動成員誓言要封鎖香港的金融區(financial district)。
Protesters undeterred
Benny Tai, a co-founder of Occupy Central, [said] that while police are responding with more force than they have in the past, protesters are not deterred.
“We will continue our fight," Tai said. "We continue our action. Even if we cannot achieve it within a short period we will stand firm.”
Joyce is a student at the University of Hong Kong. She said she joined the protests because the government has left them with no other choice.
“We have tried many methods to ask for the government to listen to our opinion, but it turned out they are not doing that," Joyce said.
When Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, the territory was guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and freedoms under a form of rule that is called “one country, two systems.”
Residents in Hong Kong already enjoy freedoms that do not exist in China, but many feel the situation is eroding.
Language Notes 
baton charge (n phr) 警棍攻擊 *baton 
警棍；(樂隊指揮的)指揮棒
disperse (v) 驅散；消散 *本字有及物和不及物的用法： “The police dispersed the crowd.” (警察驅散群眾。) “The crowd dispersed peacefully.” (群眾和平地解散了。)
hub (n) 集散中心
contain (v) 防堵，圍堵
retreat (v) 撤退
civil disobedience (n phr) 公民不服從
chant (v) 吟唱；不斷地喊 (口號)
consultation (n) 諮商、磋商會議
outrage (v) 激怒
force one’s way into . . . (v phr) 強行進入
comrade (n) 同志；活動的夥伴
suspend (v) 中止；暫停
blockade (v) 封鎖，阻擋
pool (n) 一群(有特定工作或作用的)人
vet (v) 資格審查 *vet另外兩個常用意思是「老兵」和「獸醫」，分別是兩個字簡化來的：veterinarian「獸醫」，veteran「老兵」
suffrage (n) 投票權 *universal suffrage是「普選」;universal這裡不是指「宇宙的」，而是指「全面的、普遍的」，universal value 即為「普世價值」
the final say in . . . (n phr) 在 . . . 有最後的發言權
weigh in (v phr) 介入(紛爭)
deter (v) 使卻步，使退卻
erode (v) 受到侵蝕
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, select the text below to reveal the hidden answers.
1. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
2. He misses his comrades from his days in the Army.
3. Doctors are struggling to contain the epidemic.
4. The public were outraged by the decision.
5. They were attacked and forced to retreat.
6. The river blockaded the spread of the forest fire.
7. The security camera was installed to deter people from stealing.
Source：http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-to-launch-new-talks-on-electoral-reforms/2465039.html
編譯：簡嘉呈
館藏介紹
英語宅急便 
