奧巴馬訪問 Ghana 加納

奧巴馬訪問 Ghana 加納



奧巴馬去完俄國，再到意大利參加G8會議，last but not least 連梵蒂岡教宗本篤十六世都見了後，就一個屈尾十飛咗去非洲 Ghana 加納 訪問，他沒有選擇他父親誕生的國家 Kenya 肯雅，而揀了 Ghana 加納，下面的 CNN 報導，已有說明。


《CNN》 President Obama reached out to Africa in a speech in Ghana on Saturday, praising the continent's achievements but condemning persistent wars, calling them the "millstone around Africa's neck."

"Despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled," Obama said in a speech to the parliament of Ghana, a West African nation seen as a model of democracy and growth for the rest of the continent.

Obama's visit, the third by a sitting American president, highlighted the stability, political strides and painstaking economic progress that Ghana made in being the first sub-Saharan nation to gain independence, in 1957.

This is in sharp contrast to conditions in other continent hot spots cited by Obama -- Zimbabwe, where the society is in economic and political turmoil; Sudan, where fighting rages in the Darfur region, and Somalia, site of civil warfare. Congo and Liberia have also been in the throes of war.

"Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or the need for charity," Obama said.

"The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth."

Location of Ghana

Obama said the kind of nation-building exemplified by Ghana doesn't have the "drama of the 20th century's liberation struggles," but he believes "it will ultimately be more significant."

"We must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long," he said. "That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans."

Obama pointed to Kenya -- where his father was born -- as an example of unmet potential.

"Countries like Kenya, which had a per-capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born, have been badly outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent. In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair," he said.

"History shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and infrastructure, when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs."

Obama said the United States has committed $63 billion to a global, comprehensive health strategy.

Building on the strong efforts of President George W. Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio.

"We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation -- we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness, and focus on the health of mothers and children," Obama said.

The visit by the first African-American president in the United States sparked a frenzy in the country as street vendors sold miniature U.S. flags, and massive billboards with pictures of a smiling Obama and "akwaaba, " the local word for welcome, were set up in the capital city.

"People in Ghana are printing clothes for this occasion," said Adrian Landry, general manager of a beach hotel in Accra.

"The fact that his father is African and he picked us makes us special," he said. "He is endorsing our strong democracy in Ghana. This is historic."

Before Saturday's speech, Obama said he picked Ghana partly because of its commitment to democracy.

"By traveling to Ghana, we hope to highlight the effective governance that they have in place," he said in an interview with AllAfrica.com.



奧巴馬在加納國會發表完演說之後，就聯同妻女去了 Cape Coast Castle 參觀。


【英文維基百科】Cape Coast Castle is a fortification in Ghana. The first timber construction on the site was erected in 1653 for the Swedish Africa Company and named Carolusborg after King Charles X of Sweden. It was later rebuilt in stone.

In April 1663 the whole Swedish Gold Coast was seized by the Danes, and integrated in the Danish Gold Coast. In 1664 the Castle was conquered by the British and was extensively rebuilt by the Committee of Merchants (whose Governors administered the entire British colony) in the late 18th century. In 1844, it became the seat of the colonial Government of the British Gold Coast.

The Castle was built for the trade in timber and gold, later it was used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Castle, or Castle and Dungeon, to give it its official name, was first restored in the 1920s by the British Public Works Department. In 1957, when Ghana became independent, it passed under the care of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB).

In the early 1990s the building was restored by the Ghanaian Government, with funds from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States Aid for International Development （USAID）, with technical assistance from the Smithsonian Institution and other NGOs.


前聯合國秘書長 Kofi Annan 安南，就是一位非洲裔的外交家，他也是來自 Ghana 加納。如今美國有位非洲裔的總統 Barack Obama，黑人的地位，是否有真正，實質，顯著的提升呢？


伸延閱覽：
Obama at Ghana CNN Video
Obama's visit in Ghana CNN.com
Obama at Cape Coast Castle Ghana associatedcontent.com
Obama's Remarks on Slavery at the Cape Coast Castle theroot.com
Ghana 加納 或是 迦納 維基百科
Kofi Annan 維基百科
Cape Coast Castle Ghana 谷歌搜尋
Cape Coast Castle 維基百科
Cape Coast Castle 圖片 谷歌搜尋


我的舊文：
the Human Stain （flim）
還是米竭爾·魯濱遜小姐時她有沒有想過有這一天？

IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY

IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY




逝去之日不可追也！昨日的“是”可能是今日之”非“，但昨日之日，逝去之日，是何等難以忘記呢？






It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday

How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh Outweigh the bad.
I thought we'd get to see forever
But forever's gone away
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
I don't know where this road
Is going to lead
All I know is where we've been
And what we've been through.
If we get to see tomorrow
I hope it's worth all the wait
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.


『前事不忘，後事之師！』、『要以歷史為鑒！ 』等等，都是叫我們不要忘記，『昨日』之事，『逝去』之事。但為何人總是健忘，重覆犯同一錯誤，重蹈覆轍呢？這不是健忘，而是心存僥倖，無咁好彩嘅，希望過關，上次唔得啫，今次可能時機成熟，可以成功。

中辭西曲，在香港有：

《偷閒加油站》 張學友 MP3 原裝清唱版 MP3 JAZZ 版

這一刻　妳若然覺得孤單
忙碌中　偏偏一切在兜彎
但願妳會　找到些空間
同來歌聲裡偷閒
誰人都應該找到加油站


試想想　這一刻躺於沙灘
微風中　天空海闊　是一樣藍
實在世界　有許多空間
(心裡面　許多許多空間)
讓思想可短暫偷懶
(可以偷懶)
誰人都應該找到加油站


讓妳我　忘懷重重期限
(人原是有限　別再增加現有界限)
來思想一個　甜蜜快餐
誰人都應該找到加油站


讓妳我　完全投入平淡
讓簡單的我　回復簡單
誰人都應該找到加油站


在上班的日子，若沒有約成飯局，午飯祇需時十五分鐘完成。若午睡抖返下，偷閒是奢侈的，是費時的，是浪費的，因此很多人會選擇出去，辦一些銀行事務投資事務。有投資股票的朋友，以前還需要跑去股票行銀行進行交收，現在電子化之後減省了顰撲。

伸延閱覽：
It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday ～ G.C. Cameron 版本 Youtube
偷閒加油站（原裝清唱版） mghy.com
偷閒加油站（JAZZ 版） 7yin.com


我的舊文： 中西合璧《吻別～張學友》 的 英文版
兩文三語《愛是永恆》粵語國語版

單靠派糖爭民望的曾蔭權政府

單靠派糖爭民望的曾蔭權政府



任期到2012年的曾蔭權，施政作風首重民望升跌調查，萬事祇以民意調查作準，說好聽的是聽取民意，說不好聽的就是"風派"，是"牆頭草"，一有人提出異議反對，當然立即轉舦，辦事沒有承擔，缺乏長遠目標，據明報報導，近年就分幾次，共派了八百億元的公帑，祇求止著一時，堵塞反對意見。七一遊行之後，明報在七月二日的社評，轉載如下:


【明報社評～抽水政治只會淘空香港】昨日香港回歸12周年，上午有人巡遊慶祝，下午則有人遊行示威。香港是一個自由社會，市民如何體待7．1回歸，可以各適其適，但是，選擇遊行市民的訴求儘管各式各樣，要求加快民主進程，實施雙普選 ，一直是遊行的主軸。事實上，12年來，特區政府 管治出現問題，社會內耗不斷，原因與畸形的政治體制有密切關係。我們認為，在今年底推出的政改方案，不要只是修修補補的制訂2012年立法會和行政長官選舉辦法，應該提出討論調整政治體制，以打破管治上的政治困局。

近年來，政府在管治上的問題，部分涉及領導風格，不過，主要與現行政治體制未能營造一個健康的朝野權責關係互動有關。

政治內耗香港內傷 深層原因在體制
回歸以來，歷經「董下曾上」，在曾蔭權治下，本來以為他的公務員出身，嫻熟公務體制運作，有助改善董建華治下執行力較弱的缺點，但是連串事態所顯示曾蔭權的領導風格，暴露出政府從決策到執行都有問題，例如：去年政府招聘副局長和政治助理風波，體制程序以至薪酬安排都出了問題；去年政府利民紓困，在寬免外傭稅的安排思慮不周，變成擾民措施；去年施政報告提到增加生果金，卻要長者接受審查，引起軒然大波；金融海嘯衍生雷曼迷債事件，暴露香港對於金融產品的監管漏洞百出；到今年薪酬趨勢調查，出現爭議，一度出現警隊要脅遊行以爭取權益的場面。

這些事例，顯示官員在一些不算複雜的政策，也思慮不周，與過去政務官制訂政策的面面俱到、滴水不漏比較，出現倒退迹象。為何演變至此？前任立法會主席范徐麗泰離任時，認為政府官員忙於救火，疏於制訂政策。范太這個觀察，或許說出了政府施政慌亂的因由。

一般相信，司局級官員都不甘心忙於撲火而疲於奔命，但是近年政府推出政策時，都挖空心思爭取民意，政治化妝師當道，官員對於「政治公關」的關注，尤甚於政策質素的"良窳"。一些原本幹練的政務官所犯的低級錯誤，或許與此捨本逐末的施政風格有關。 Space 附加 [良窳] 解作：精粗、好壞。

若領導風格導致施政質素欠佳，不難改善，因為只是個人問題，但是香港政局目前的困局，領導風格只屬小節，深層原因是體制問題。政府的政策，都要得到立法會多數通過，而現行政治體制，政府有責無票，立法會有權無責，政治困局因此形成。

以往政客和政黨打着為民請命的旗號，奪取政治利益和權力；近年，政府施政往往被民意牽着走，每當有市民或利益團體聚衆施壓，政府就屈服，例子比比皆是。

除了公衆向政府「抽水」，近年政府也加入「抽水政治」的行列。例如政府動輒派糖，除了去年和今年兩個財政預算案的例行派糖，其間做了兩次利民紓困措施，耗費公帑約300億元，另外則是增加了生果金金額。政府在不到一年半時間內，大大小小派糖5次，目的當然是希望透過籠絡市民，爭取支持，提高民望。由此可見，「抽水政治」已非政客和政黨獨享，包括政府在內的其他人也操作很熟練了。

「抽水政治」是目前香港這個畸形政治體制的現象，市民、利益團體、政客、政黨甚至政府，都在抽水，以祈取得實質或無形的政治利益。但是任誰都知道，抽水政治是不負責任的，也是短視的，所衍生後遺症和代價，最終要由整體社會承擔。

另外，回歸以來，直到最近才由經機會提出所謂拓展6項優勢產業，在此之前，本港一些優勢逐漸失去，經濟上也無新的增長點，主要靠中央給予政策支持，才維持目前的局面。目前的情况，與政府領導不力、社會內耗不斷、政治體制出現的朝野不健康互動關係所形成的政治困局有關。

因此，要破解這個困局，就必須大刀闊斧改革政治體制，使權責相符，建立起負責任的政治文化。在這個前提下，行政長官和立法會選舉辦法，無論如何調整，都是假議題，因為無論選舉辦法怎麼改，都改變不了目前朝野權責關係互動的本質，只會隨着各個陣營議席的消長，在程度上稍有不同而已。香港只有建立起健康的朝野權責互動關係，才可以破解目前的政治困局。這個才是本港政治改革的真議題。

選舉辦法只是假議題 改制破困才是真議題
因此，我們建議，年底推出的政改方案，不應該只是提出2012年行政長官和立法會的選舉辦法，而是要檢討整個政治體制，提出適合本港的政治架構方案。

在政治上，中央不願香港出現不受控制的局面，完全可以理解。但是讓香港透過民主選舉機制，建立朝野權責良性互動關係，實施類如政黨輪替的執政模式，形成一套穩定、負責任政治的政治體制，才可以真正落實一國兩制、港人治港，也才可以擺脫政治困局的折騰，不至於在內耗不斷之中積弱下去。有關改變肯定涉及修改《基本法》，中央不宜貿然否決，宜全盤考量，再作定奪。


正如明報社評，利用錢來平息異議爭端，收買別人收口，而『靠派錢賣民望，非香港人之福。』這個議題，連我自己都記不清，講過說過幾多遍，是我深痛惡絕的，以香港人身份絕不願意見到。可惜2009年七月一日，之後到 2012年七一，共三年之內，恐怕還將會有不少的 repetitions 重覆再重覆。


七一的遊行有個別團體、人士、個體，喊出：『曾蔭權下臺！』聲音，之後幾天都沒有見到聽到，駐港的中央機構出來挺曾，或者起碼傳句話保曾。人民銀行行長周小川，祇是來簽處文件，令香港成為首個境外人民幣結算城市。


怎知在七月五日的明報新聞標題：『被問會否選特首 梁振英﹕遲點再講！』的新聞報導，並指出 C.Y. Leung 是無寶不落，一向絕少參加參與社區的活動，近來卻大見積極參加，加強親民形象。這是否意味中央兩手準備，一旦曾蔭權腳痛，就捧 C.Y. Leung 登其大寶，還是靠嚇的呢？


因為 C.Y. Leung，由回歸前，到回歸後，一向的形象就是、都是、皆是、百份百，絕對 follow 阿爺指示，唯命是從。用陰謀論來看，呢一招睇來會好有效，當沒有政治人才，選民唯有選一個 Less Evil 比較少惡的候選人，這是近代政治的悲哀，雖然香港連這一丁點民主都還未有！


C.Y. Leung 這劑藥，能否幫助得到曾蔭權，把喊出倒曾的閉口，變成噤若寒蟬，到寫文時，還讀到週日的雷曼苦主，還喊叫：『曾特首下臺！』 不過，民主黨就急急和七一遊行叫曾蔭權下臺的團體，劃清界線。


【明報專訊】民主黨主席何俊仁稱，人數沒預期多，但指當初公開講估計10萬人上街，其實是想鼓勵市民出來。他強調現時的人數不算太差，出來的人是相當堅定的一批，政府若輕視今次遊行，是愚蠢的判斷。他形容，政府延後具爭議的政策及決定，為遊行降溫，暫時要遊行「爆發」，還要等待機會。

何又表示，「倒曾」聲音與他們無關，只是部分遊行群衆比較激烈，他強調曾蔭權下台解決不到問題。但他希望互相有不同表述之馀，都可以團結，不要自己打自己，因為大家的共通點都是爭取民主。


何主席急忙指出民主黨絕沒有要求曾蔭權下臺。



伸延閱覽：
抽水政治只會淘空香港 須建立負責任權責關係 Yahoo新聞
遊行人數雖少於預期管治困局仍苦無出路 Yahoo! 新聞
泛民心雄曾估30萬人上街誤信「六四轉七一」效應 香港新浪網
被問會否選特首 梁振英﹕遲點再講 香港新浪網
唐英年：正視市民七一訴求 Yahoo 新聞

Terms of Endearment 常在我心間

Terms of Endearment 常在我心間



因為 Forget Paris 忘情夜巴黎，而尋找追看 狄寶娜穎嘉 Debra Winger的電影，先前已介紹過，An Officer and a Gentleman 港譯：衝上雲霄。這位有雙迷人的大眼睛女星，連眼睛懂得演戲的女星，還有 Terms of Endearment 這部電影。


這是 狄寶娜穎嘉 Debra Winger 其中一部力作，但她連一項金像獎金球獎，也撈不到，因為有演母親的 莎莉麥蓮 Shirley MacLaine 搶盡風頭。


故事以人生的酸、甜、苦、辣，來詮釋母女復雜、親情、關係的溫馨小品，當年以黑馬姿態贏，得了奧斯卡最佳影片、最佳導演、最佳改編劇本、最佳女主角、最佳男配角，共五項金像獎，金球獎都拿了四項。


Terms of Endearment 港譯：常在我心間


Starring:
Shirley MacLaine as 母親 Aurora Greenway
Debra Winger as 女兒 Emma Greenway Horton
Jack Nicholson as 母親男友 Garrett Breedlove


Directing :James L. Brooks







內容講述一對深愛著對方的母女，母親 阿羅拉 和 女兒 艾瑪，但她們之間卻一直存在著隔閡和沖突，以致 女兒 艾瑪，為了使自己盡量，脫離母親的影響，用去了三十年時間。但直到患病臨終之際，她才發現自己對母親的親情，是無法讓她釋懷。





綜合 英文 維基百科 IMBD Rotten Tomato：
The movie tells the story of a mother/daughter relationship and both women's inconclusive search for love. It opens with the newborn Emma in her cradle, sleeping. Her mother, Aurora, comes in to check on her infant and does not believe that her child is alive and safe until the baby is awakened and starts to cry.

In the beginning Aurora as a worried, newbie mother who checks on her baby every five minutes in the middle of the night and imagines the worst. In the baby's bedroom, she stares at the crib of her infant daughter and imagines crib death. She shakes her baby out of its quiet and peaceful sleep, causing the infant to wail - and Aurora to claim: "That's better."

Later, as a young adult, Emma rebels against Aurora's attentions, and against her advice marries literature student Flap Horton . As the independent-minded, individualistic Emma is getting in the car with her family to move from Houston, Texas to Des Moines, Iowa, away from her managing mother

In the heartbreaking, unexpected, tragic, cathartic and touching finale, Emma is hospitalized and dying of cancer. She is slowly reconciled with her mother during her terminal illness.

Won: Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Directing – (James L. Brooks) Academy Award for Best Actress – (Shirley MacLaine) Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – (Jack Nicholson) Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – (James L. Brooks) Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama – (Shirley MacLaine) Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - (Jack Nicholson) Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture – (James L. Brooks) 我見： 憑記憶總之一句:『好睇! 好睇! 好好睇！』其他 Comment:『無嘞！』 In 1996, a sequel called The Evening Star was filmed, featuring MacLaine and Nicholson reprising their original roles. 後記： Casting 固然強勁，狄寶娜穎嘉，莎莉麥蓮，積尼高遜，都有份量，有時真喺都要睇命水，有好演戲對手互動，固然能夠逼出好戲闘戲搶戲，到攞獎時就成為強勁對手。 上面的"畫頭 trailer" 前段聚餐中，坐在演媽媽 莎莉麥蓮右方的男演員，才發覺有 Danny DeVito，不知他是跑龍套的閒角，還是沒有對白的咔哩啡，因為沒有記得他在戲裡的角色。還有 John Lithgow 好像是路人甲，都有幾句對白。再查返 IMBD ，原來兩位都是 Casting 榜上有名的配角。 至於演 Emma 的賤丈夫原來是 Jeff Daniels，再重看片段，莎莉麥蓮 的排名是在 狄寶娜穎嘉之後，結果攞獎的卻是她，看來我要搵吓，仲有冇 DVD，VCD，在市面出售了。 伸延閱覽: Terms of Endearment 片段 Youtube Terms of endearment 維基百科 Terms of Endearment Rotten Tomatoes Terms of Endearment IMDB.com 我的舊文： Forget Paris 港譯: 忘情夜巴黎 An Officer and a Gentleman 衝上雲霄