Legal wheels in motion in 'tug of love' toddler case

“Dean Fung English”

By Victor Fung

Legal wheels in motion in 'tug of love' toddler case Legal proceedings (法律程式) are under way （進行）for the return of an abducted （綁架）child to her Hong Kong mother after translated documents were handed over （交付） to French prosecutors. But James Middleton, an ex- Hong Kong police officer with expertise （專業知識） in locating crooks （騙子）who Interpol cannot find, said unless the father can be charged with an immigration or fraud offense, "I have to say at this stage (note 1) the status quo sits with the father and the odds are not good (note 2)  for the mother." At her flat in Mui Wo yesterday, Alyssa Cruz, an English language teacher who invoked（行使） the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, said she would fight to get back her two- year-old daughter, Lana Desiree Cruz Lopez. It occurred days after Lopez admitted assault（毆打） occasioning bodily harm to Cruz, for which he was bound over (note 3) for 12 months for the sum of HK$1,000. Birthday gifts for Lana now remain unopened (note 4) at her home and a cake sits in the freezer（冷凍櫃 ）awaiting her return. According to Cruz, she has physical evidence of beatings (note 5) she received in the two years she lived in France with Lopez and Lana. Pointing to a burn scar (note 6) on her right forearm, she said: "We were cooking rice and he got angry. He threw the casserole at me but told his parents it was an accident." Meanwhile, Swire Hotels said it will open three new restaurants in the second half of this year: PUBLIC and Ground PUBLIC in Taikoo Place and The Continental in Pacific Place.

From good to better English:

(note 1) at this stage=在此階段。stage=講臺、舞臺、時期、驛站；the disease now occupies the centre of the medical stage=這種病現在是醫學界的注意中心。

(note 2) the odds are not good=前景並不看好。odds=不平等、勝算、不和；the odds are against you=形勢對你不利；a good reason=正當的理由。

(note 3) bound over=簽保。Boundary=限度、邊界、區域；bound one's desires by reason=以理性約束欲望；he is over anxious=他太焦急了。

note 4) remain unopened=仍然未開封。remain=剩餘、逗留、擱置；remain at one's post=留在崗位上；unopened=沒有拆開的、封著的。

(note 5) physical evidence of beatings=毆打物證。physical= 物質的、身體的、自然的；evidence=形跡、證據、明顯；beatings=攪打、脈搏、拍打、打漿。

(note 6) a burn scar=燒傷疤痕。burn=燒傷、燒製、烙上；burn the midnight oil=做到深夜，開夜車；scar=傷痕、創傷、斑疤。

Victor’s view:

It must be heart-broken for a mother to be separated from her child. We should be grateful for the time we spend with family members, no matter how short it is.

please pray for me

May was a bad month for me. I lost my job, broke my leg (falling off from my bike), went to Chengdu to find a long-lost friend but failed and my English writing class size dropped to one from five people. But I am grateful. I am still alive and you guys keep cool! Victor

Alert sounds as MERS cases surge

“Dean Fung English”

By Victor Fung

Alert sounds as MERS cases surge Monday, May 05, 2014 Hong Kong may soon see imported cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (中東呼吸綜合症) after a significant increase （急增）in the number of infections worldwide, the Hospital Authority warned. More than 200 cases were confirmed （證實）last month, compared to a previous monthly average of just 15 cases, according to authority chief Leung Pak-yin. Medical staff were also contracting the SARS- like virus （新沙士病毒）, Leung added. He did not rule out (note 1) Hong Kong having cases in the future and urged （敦促） travelers to stay away from (note 2) camels. "The treatment for the MERS virus is not very effective（有效）," Leung said. He said it is necessary to take anti-infection measures at source (note 3). The Department of Health also announced yesterday that three suspected（懷疑）cases were all negative for the MERS virus. The first case involved a 70-year-old man with underlying illnesses (note 4) who traveled to the Mid-east. He developed a cough during the trip but his condition improved after self-medication（自行用藥）. Leung said miscommunication (note 5) might have been a factor in an unrelated fatal medical blunder (note 6). Meanwhile, using a magic paintbrush and his vivid imagination, Sorcerer Mickey will light up the night with dazzling colors at the launch of “Disney Paint The Night”, the new nighttime spectacular coming to Hong Kong Disneyland in October 2014. The parade will mark Hong Kong Disneyland's newest chapter after the completion of its three-part expansion project last year.

From good to better English:

(note 1) rule out=排除。rule=規則、定律、統治、尺；rules of decorum=禮法；the ruled class=被統治階級；out from under=脫離危困境。

(note 2) stay away from=遠離。stay=停留、持久、站住、堅持；stay where you are=請原位勿動；away=離開、不在、不斷，立刻。

(note 3) at source=從源頭上。source=來源、原因、血統；he source of wealth=富源；trace to its source=追根尋源。

(note 4) with underlying illnesses=潛在的疾病。underlying=下層的、基礎的、隱晦的；the underlying mortgage=第一擔保；illnesses=病、不健康；triumph over illness=戰勝疾病。

(note 5) miscommunication=誤傳；錯誤傳達、理解錯誤；software developers need to conform to such conventions to prevent miscommunication=軟體發展者需要遵循這些標準以避免溝通的障礙。

(note 6) a fatal medical blunder=一個致命的醫療事故。fatal=必然的、毀滅性的; medical=醫學的、醫藥的、內科的；blunder=失策、疏忽、弄糟。

Victor’s view:

Figures don’t lie. It is alarming to learn that cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome have increased from 15 to 200 a month. We must keep alert.