戴麟趾爵士論香港的特別地位

戴麟趾爵士 1915-1988

有網友在Facebook貼出 前港督(1964-71) 戴麟趾爵士(Sir David Trench )， 在1971年卸任前訪問美國， 途經夏威夷大學東西中心， 向學者發表的演說， 題為Hong Kong and Its position in the Southeast Asia Region 的部份紀錄。

不知道他是怎樣得來的，真確性如何，我也沒法求證，大家不妨以開放態度視之。

網友附上粵語中譯，我只是略改一下為白話書面語。不過懂英文的讀者，還是看原文吧：

如果香港不是政治情況如此特殊， 30年前老早就獨立。

If HK was not situated as she is politically, she would have been independent 30 years ago.

香港沒有代議政制， 第一個原因，是中國講明不想香港走向代議政制及自治。

HK does not have the whole paraphernalia of representative Government... the first reason is that China has made it pretty clear that she would not be happy with a HK moving towards a representative system and internal self-government.

香港既然身處如斯局面 - 香港受制不是香港人所願。

But placed where she is and composed as she is - and with China thinking as she does - she has to be either firmly under an old-style colonial government or lose her identity - and that is not what Hong Kong's people want.

如果可以將香港拖出公海100海里， 情況就完全不同 (就算不一定是好了一些)。

If HK could be towed 100 miles out to sea it would be quite a different, and not necessarily a better place.

但正因為不能這樣， 每樣政策都受鄰近中國這個事實所影響。中國的態度，會令香港很難有一個比較安穩的將來。

But since it can't be, every single policy is coloured by China's nearness, China's attitudes, and the consequent difficulty of being certain of an assured future.


我的極短評：

戴麟趾擔任港督，經歷有史以來，僅次於第二次世界大戰淪陷於日軍，香港最動盪的歲月-----1967年暴動。他感概尤深，語重深長。

香港以往的成功，在於1997之前與中國的分離關係；
香港現在的衰敗，在於1997之後和中國的合一關係。
講完。