Back home to mom

A seven-year-old girl starved (不給食物) and abused (虐待) by her stepmother and whose weight fell to 14.5 kilograms - half the normal weight - has been reunited with her mother.

Her mother, named Lam, pledged (承諾) to take good care of Ying Yu-tung, or Tung Tung, after taking her home to Ma On Shan. "I have a job with a stable income. I would like to thank everyone concerned about [Tung Tung] and I don't need any financial aid (金錢援助) now," she said, adding Tung Tung was at first unfamiliar (不習慣) with the home she left three years ago when her parents divorced.

Her ordeal (苦況) came to light (note 1) after she escaped (逃離) from her father's flat in an upscale (豪華) Guangzhou estate by climbing down from the second-floor balcony and stealing a pack of (note 2) biscuits from a store last Thursday. She was reportedly barred (禁止) from attending school since May and locked (鎖上) on a balcony for two months.

Tung Tung - in a dirty yellow T-shirt - was handed over (note 3) to the Panyu Salvation Management Station, and said she wanted her mother. "I want to stay with my mother. If there is no way to find her, please give me a new father and mother. I don't want the current father and mother," she told mainland media.

The girl said her stepmother sometimes did not give her one meal a day (一頓飯都沒有). "I sleep whenever I feel hungry. [My stepsister] sometimes secretly opens the door. But her mom does not permit her to do so, saying outside was very cold." Lam said she only knew about the abuse from the news broadcasts (新聞報導) and decided to bring her back to Hong Kong.

She broke into tears (note 4) when she met Tung Tung at the temporary shelter in Panyu. She claimed she was banned from seeing her daughter by her 47-year-old ex-husband who is a blasting works (爆破工作) senior engineer in Guangdong.

From good to better English:

(note 1) come to light=曝光。Light=輕、清淡、少量的。As light as a feather=輕如鴻毛。 Light industry=輕工業。Victor’s singing only receives light applause=Victor的歌聲只獲得微弱的掌聲。A light rain=小雨。Light beer=淡啤酒。Light punishment=不重的懲罰。Light reading=輕鬆讀物。A light sleeper=易醒的。The dean sees Victor in a new light=院長用新眼光看待Victor。give the green light=開綠燈。

(note 2) a pack of=一包。a pack of cigarettes= 一包香煙。Wolves hunt in large packs=狼成群覓食。What See Man said was a pack of lies=See Man 講的都是一片謊言。The tram was packed with passengers=電車裡擠滿了乘客。Julian packed clothes into a trunk =Julian把衣服裝箱。We must pack up and get ready to go as the train to Shatin leaves in 10 minutes=我們要把行李弄好準備動身因為去沙田的火車就快啟動了。

(note 3) handed over=送交。The hidden hand=幕後操縱者。An old hand=精通事務的人。My hands are tied=我的權力極其有限。Ivy writes a good hand=Ivy寫得一筆好字。Victor asks for Julian’s hand=Victor向Julian求婚。

(note 4) break into tears=流下淚來。Break=毀壞，弄壞，損壞、違犯，破壞。Break an arm=折斷手臂。Break a vase to pieces=把花瓶打得粉碎。Break the law=違法，犯法。Break a contract=違反合同。Break off an engagement=解除婚約。

Victor’s View: I can’t understand why a young innocent girl should have experienced such an ordeal. People, have a heart please!

(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 3 books on English-enhancement and plans to write 7 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)