八號 Number eight Nr. 8 No. 8 Nr. 8

每年 ， 香港 都 會 打風 。 every year|Hong Kong|always|will|Typhoon hits Every year, Hong Kong will experience typhoons. 以前 ， 每當 有 颱風 嚟 嘅 時候 ， 香港 天文台 都 會 喺 信號 塔掛 起 一個 球形 嘅 標記 ， 所以 香港 人會 叫 颱風 做 「 風球 」。 In the past|"Whenever"|there is|Typhoon|come||||Observatory||||signal|flag|||spherical||marker|||people||typhoon|| In the past, whenever there was a typhoon approaching, the Hong Kong Observatory would hoist a spherical symbol on the signal tower, so Hong Kong people would call the typhoon "typhoon signal". 風球 分為 五個 等級 ， 包括 冇 得 放假 嘅 一號 、 三號 風球 ， 同埋 令 大家 唔 使 返工 返 學 嘅 八號 、 九號 同 十號 風球 。 ||five||||||||No. 3||||||||||||nine||| The typhoon signal is divided into five levels, including the non-day off level one, level three typhoon signal, as well as the level eight, nine, and ten typhoon signals that allow everyone to not return to work or school. 香港 人 工作 繁忙 ， 大家 都 想 放多 一日 假 。 |||||||take more|| People in Hong Kong are busy with work, and everyone wants to have an extra day off. 所以 ， 每次 天文台 話 即將 有 颱風 嘅 時候 ， 大家 都 好 雀躍 ， 希望 個風 可以 打得 勁 啲 耐 啲 ， 達到 八號 風球 就 可以 放假 。 ||||soon||||||||excited||the wind||blow|||||||||| Therefore, whenever the observatory announces an impending typhoon, everyone gets very excited, hoping the winds will be strong and last longer, so that when it reaches No. 8 signal, they can have a day off.

於是 ， 每當 颱風 吹到 嚟 嘅 時候 ， 大家 都 好 關心 佢 嘅 級別 。 |||arrives||||||||||level As a result, whenever a typhoon approaches, everyone pays close attention to its level. 由 最初 掛 起 一號 風球 開始 ， 大家 就 不斷 許願 ， 希望 佢 變成 三號 風球 ， 再 變成 八號 風球 。 From the moment the number one typhoon signal was raised, everyone kept making wishes, hoping it would turn into a number three typhoon signal, and then into a number eight typhoon signal. 不過 ， 香港 有 一個 人人 都 聽 過 嘅 都市 傳說 —— 李氏 力場 。 |||||||||||the Lee family|Force Field However, there is a urban legend in Hong Kong that everyone has heard of - the Lee's Force Field. 呢 道 力場 可以 阻擋 颱風 ， 保護 香港 人 嘅 安危 。 ||force field||block||||||safety This force field can block typhoons and protect the safety of Hong Kong people. 奇怪 嘅 係 ， 呢 道 力場 往往 喺 大家 需要 返工 返 學 嘅 日子 先 會 出現 ， 當 大家 放工 放學 或 放假 ， 力場 就 會 離奇 消失 。 ||||||often|||||||||||||||||||||strangely| The strange thing is that this force field often appears on days when everyone needs to go to work or school, and when everyone is off work or school or on holidays, the force field mysteriously disappears. 所以 ， 通常 掛親 八號 都 係 大家 唔 使 返工 返 學 嘅 時間 。 ||holiday||||||||||| So, usually when an ' eight' is announced, it's a time when everyone doesn't need to go to work or school. 有人 仲話 天文台 同 啲 商人 、 老闆 互相合作 ， 令 大家 繼續 返工 。 |still say||||merchants||to cooperate with each other|||| Some people also say that the Observatory works together with businessmen and bosses to make sure everyone continues to work. 所以 ， 呢 道 力場 就 以 香港 首富 李家 誠 命名 ， 就 叫 李氏 力場 。 |||||||the richest person|the Li family|Sing|named|||| Therefore, this force field is named after Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing, and is called the Li Force Field. 如果 大家 想 放到 打風假 ， 首先 就要 令 李氏 力場 消失 。 |||take|typhoon holiday|||||| If everyone wants to take a typhoon holiday, they first need to make the Li Force Field disappear. 但 可惜 嘅 係 ， 一直 都 冇 人 知道 ， 點樣 先 可以 令 佢 消失 。 But unfortunately, no one has known how to make it disappear.

正正 因為 噉 ， 所以 大家 一邊 想 颱風 升級 嘅 同時 ， 又 唔 想 佢 咁 快 就 升 到 八號 風球 。 ||||||||upgrade||||||||||||| Exactly because of this, everyone wants the typhoon to upgrade but at the same time, doesn't want it to quickly escalate to a signal 8. 因為 如果 個風 咁 早 喺 放工 放學 或公眾 假期 升 到 八號 ， 噉 到 咗 真正 返工 返 學 嘅 時候 ， 佢 就 已經 減弱 返 做 三號 甚至 一號 風球 。 ||||||||or public|||||||||||||||||weakened|||||| Because if the wind escalates to a signal 8 too early during after work, after school, or on a public holiday, by the time it's really back to work or school, it would have weakened back to a signal 3 or even a signal 1. 記得 有 一晚 ， 媽媽 見到 打緊 八號 ， 一心 諗 住 個 風會 打到 聽 朝 ， 可以 放多 一日 假 ， 就 約 埋 一班 朋友 打 通宵 牌 。 |||||playing||||||typhoon|hit|next||||||||||||all night| I remember one night, my mom saw that it was going to be a typhoon signal No. 8, and she thought that the storm would last until tomorrow, so she could take an extra day off work. She gathered a group of friends to play cards all night. 點 知 佢哋 打 到 朝 早 六點 ， 佢 望一望 電視 ， 先 發現 原來 個風 已 經變 返 三號 ！ ||||||||||||||||has changed|| Little did she know that they played until 6 in the morning, and when she glanced at the TV, she realized that the storm had actually downgraded to signal No. 3! 冇 耐 佢 仲 收到 老細 Whatsapp：「 記得 準時 返工 啊 ！ Not long after, she also received a WhatsApp from her boss: 'Remember to come back to work on time!' 結果 佢 要 頂住 一對 大大 嘅 黑眼圈 ， 行路 左搖右 擺 噉 返工 。 |||endure||||||swaying left and right||| As a result, he had to deal with a pair of big dark circles under his eyes and stagger back to work.

不過 ， 有 啲 工種 係 風雨不改 都 要 返工 嘅 ， 爸爸 就 係 呢種 。 |||job types||in all weather||||||||this kind However, there are some jobs that require you to go to work regardless of the weather, and my dad is one of those. 記得 上次 打風 ， 明明 已經 掛 咗 八號 風球 ， 爸爸 都 係 要 返工 。 I remember the last time there was a storm; even though a No. 8 typhoon signal had already been issued, my dad still had to go to work. 嗰 時 出面 橫風 橫雨 ， 好多 樹同 物件 都 俾 風吹 到 上 路面 ， 令 交通 受阻 。 |||crosswind||||||||||||| At that time, there was strong wind and heavy rain outside, and many trees and objects were blown onto the road, causing traffic congestion. 爸爸 由 屋企 搭返 公司 本身 只 需 半個 鐘 車程 ， 但 嗰 次 竟然 搭 咗 成 兩個 鐘 ！ |||||||need|||||||||||| Dad usually needs half an hour to get to work from home, but that time it actually took him two hours! 到 放工 嗰 陣 ， 仲因 為 好多 交通工具 暫停 服務 而 返 唔 到 屋企 。 ||||still because||||suspend|||||| By the time work ended, many modes of transportation had suspended services, making it impossible to get home.

前幾日 ， 香港 又 打風 喇 ！ a few days ago|||| 為 咗 可以 推遲 小測 ， 我同 媽媽 一樣 ， 心入面 不斷 希望 可以 掛到 八號 風球 。 |||postpone||||||||||| In order to postpone the exam, I, just like my mom, keep hoping that a No. 8 typhoon signal can be raised. 朝早 七點 ， 我 起身 準備 返 學 嗰 陣 ， 聽到 出面 啲 風吹 到 呼呼 聲 。 ||||||||||||||whoosh| At seven in the morning, when I got up to prepare for school, I heard the wind outside making a howling sound. 我 記起 天文台 話 今日 會 打風 ， 心入面 就 不斷 諗 住 ： 八號 ！ |remember||||||||||| I remembered the observatory saying that it would be windy today, and I kept thinking: No. 8! 八號 ！ 八號 ！ 然後 打開 電視 一望 ， 結果 只 係 三號 風 。 Then I turned on the TV and took a look, and it turned out to be only wind number three. 唉 ， 始終 都 係 鬥唔 過 李氏 力場 。 ||||not able to compete||| Sigh, after all, I can't compete with the strength of the Lee family. 好彩 噚 晚 我 冇 諗 住 一定 放假 就 通宵 打機 。 |last|||||||||| Luckily, last night I didn't think I would definitely take a day off and play games all night. 不過 媽媽 就 一臉 失望 噉 望 住 電視機 左上角 嘅 三號 風球 符號 —— 睇 嚟 佢 噚 晚 又 同 朋友 通宵 打 麻雀 喇 …… |||||||||top left corner|||||||||||||||| However, my mom had a look of disappointment as she stared at the number three typhoon signal symbol in the upper left corner of the TV – it seems she also stayed up all night playing mahjong with her friends last night...

雖然 爸爸 「 八號 」 風球 係 冇 假放 ， 不過 幾日 之後 ， 我 發現 佢 將 希望 寄託 喺 另 一個 「 八號 」—— 佢 好 專心 噉 望 住 電視 ， 對住 一隻 印有 「8」 字 嘅 馬匹 大聲 吶喊 ！ ||||||holiday|||||||||entrusting||||||||||||||printed with|||horse||shouting Although Dad's typhoon number '8' was not a false alarm, a few days later, I found out that he had placed his hopes on another '8' - he was very focused on watching the television, shouting loudly at a horse with the number '8' printed on it! 八號 馬 同 其他 馬 一齊 跑 ， 佢哋 跑 得 越 嚟 越 快 ， 爸爸 就 叫 得 越 嚟 越 大聲 。 The number '8' horse ran together with the other horses, and they were running faster and faster, while Dad shouted louder and louder. 原來 爸爸 同 我 一樣 咁 鍾情 於 「 八號 」！ ||||||in love|| It turns out that Dad loves the '8' just as much as I do! 但 結果 「 八號 」 都 係 令 我哋 大失所望 …… |||||||very disappointed

我 諗 ， 大家 都 係 返去 繼續 努力 做 嘢 ， 唔 好 再 對 「 八號 」 有 咁 多 幻想 喇 …… I think everyone should just go back and continue working hard, and stop having so many fantasies about 'Number 8'...