Translation of a Taiwanese girl at the HK Protest

腳上的瘀血越來越清楚了，會受這個傷，是我離港警最靠近的一次。

The bruise has become more apparent. I received this injury because one time, I got too close to the Hong Kong Police.

我本來就不會靠近港警。

Originally, I would never have come near the Police.

五年之前雨傘在旺角時，我親眼看到港警在我面前打爆了一個男生的後腦，瞬間人倒地噴血出來﹔另一個香港女生被港警打到骨盆腔粉碎骨折

In the Umbrella (Movement) in Mong Kok five years ago, I witnessed firsthand when the Hong Kong Police beat the back of a boy's head. They hit him so hard that he immediately collapsed, and his head started spurting blood. Another Hongkonger, a girl, was also beaten so harshly that her pelvis fractured into multiple fragments.

絕對不能靠近港警，是我的生存本能

I absolutely must not go near the Police - this is the key to my survival. 

2019年反送中荃灣楊屋道，是當日初次施放催淚彈的地點。在現場港警亦也採用封鎖街頭與街尾包夾包抄的方式逮捕示威者

On the day of the 2019 Anti-Extradition March in Tsuen Wan, Yeung Uk Road was the first place where the Police fired tear gas. The Police also adopted the strategy of blocking the streets to arrest the protesters at the scene.

突然一陣前線義士手足的大喊，在催淚彈迷茫的霧霾與剌痛當中，防暴警從楊屋道與聯仁街方向攻入，示威者群眾的兩端四方都遭包抄衝入，現場所有人皆慌張地只能翻越馬頭霸道的圍牆逃離現場

Suddenly, the front-line protesters screamed. The Riot Police attacked from Yeung Uk Road and Luen Yan Street using the "kettling" (surround manoeuvre)tactic in the midst of the tear gas smog, which caused painful sting to any exposed skin. All the people there panicked. Their only exit route was over a wall, at Ma Tau Pa Road. 

這時在場所有男生們都迅速翻過去，只剩我和另一個港女面對高牆。眼看港警就要衝上來，我腎上腺素激發，反正把自己甩上牆之後再說，腿硬是撞上了牆壁，翻過去的當下人也跟著摔了下去，現場有四名港男共共同接住自由落體的我與另一個港女，眾人再一起逃離

The boys got over the wall quickly. Only a Hong Kong girl and I were left, staring at the high wall. Seeing that the Police would storm the area soon, my adrenalin surged. I had no choice but to try throwing myself onto the wall and worry about everything else later. My legs hit hard, against the wall. I fell off after I flipped over the wall. Four Hong Kong boys caught me and the other Hong Kong girl when we landed badly. Then, we all fled together.

至今我仍不知道他們是誰，我相當感謝他們

As of now, I still don't know who they are. I really appreciate their help. 

荃新天地outlet外變成戰場，情急當中我牽著那名港女的手一起逃跑，許多人奔進了荃新天地商場內和天橋，在群眾當中我緊急踩了煞車

The outlet outside the Citywalk turned into a battlefield. I held the hand of that Hong Kong girl and we desperately ran together, in a panic. A lot of people rushed into the Citywalk and towards the footbridge. In the middle of the crowd, I suddenly stopped running.

「不可以奔進商場和天橋！這是死路！」2014佔領忠考西的經驗帶給我警惕

"Don't run into the shopping mall and the footbridge! It is a dead end!" I knew this from the experience of the occupy Zhongxiao West Road in Taiwan in 2014.

我改方向奔向荃灣大馬路︰大河道北奔跑，一路奔到了購物街大馬路，現場示威者只剩我和那名港女，我們疲憊的在人行道上立刻席地坐下，在炙熱的夏季脫下防毒面罩和頭盔好好呼吸一大口氣。

I changed directions and ran towards the main road - Tai Ho Road North - and stopped when we arrived at the shopping area. The Hong Kong girl and I were the only protesters there. We were exhausted and sat down on the pavement without any hesitation. In the scorching summer heat we took off our gas masks and helmets, so that we could take a big breath. 

「妳……不是香港人？」港女特地用北京話提問

"You...you're not a Hongkonger?" She used Putonghua to ask.

「嗯…我是台灣人。」我疲憊地回說

"Yes...I'm Taiwanese." I replied to her tiredly.

「香港最好的，就是妳不用覺得自己很奇怪。」她喘氣當中回答，手指著防毒面具

"The best thing about Hong Kong is that you don't need to think you're strange." She said as she panted, pointing to the gas mask.

「這個，很好。」我手比出愛心，還在大口喘氣

"This one, is wonderful." I showed a heart with my hands while I was still panting.

大馬路車水馬龍，彷彿剛剛在楊屋道的戰場是另一個世界；現場等待公車的群眾目測起碼50多人左右

The maid road we were on was crowded. It felt like the battlefield at Yeung Uk Road was a whole other world. There were about 50 people waiting for the buses.

這時突然一輛警車經過，我和港女尚在喘氣當中尚還沒有回應過來，這時現場原本在等待公車的民眾已經對著警車破口大罵︰

Suddenly, a Police car passed. The Hong Kong girl and I were still panting and did not know how to react. However, the crowd waiting for the buses started shouting to the car,

「黑社會！！！」

"Triad gangs!!!"

「黑社會！！！」

"Triads gangs!!!"

「仆街！！！」

“Puk Gaai!!!” (Note: a swear word in Cantonese means "drop dead")

這是我這幾天學最快的香港話單字，罵人髒話都最好學。

This is the expression I learned the fastest from these few days. Swear words are the easiest one to learn (in a language). 

這時有一個阿伯對警車揚長而去的方向罵了很長一串的句子，我聽都聽不懂

At that moment, an elderly man swore a long sentence towards the leaving police car. I didn't understand what he was saying.

「妳知道那個人說甚麼嗎？」港女笑著說

"Do you know what he's saying?" She asked me with a smile. 

「我不知道」我還在大聲喘氣

"I don't know." I was still panting loudly.

「他說，別以為警察現在可以囂張！以後就糟了」

"He said, Don't think that the police can get away with acting so arrogantly now! There will be consequences! "

她笑了，我也笑了

We both smiled.

「我也覺得天橋很可怕」港女這麼說。

"I think the footbridge is horribly scary too." She said.

「上去之後，前後封住就很容易被抓了。」我用北京話回答

"After you go up there, it's so easy to get arrested if they block both sides," I responded in Putonghua.

「又回到楊屋道了。」港女掏出手機看到訊息後回說

"Back to the Yeung Uk Road again. " She said after checking her phone and reading a message.

「我們再回去吧？楊屋道」港女問我。

"Let's go back again? To Yeung Uk Road." She asked.

我露出一陣微笑，畢竟是曾被稱為台灣衝組的我，究竟也跟不上香港女生的步調和堅強啊……不管是如何的讚嘆，如今無論如何也是要捨命相陪才是

A faint smile flickered across my face. Though I was once known as a member of the Taiwanese vanguard, I cannot keep pace with the Hong Kong girls and be as tough as them...No matter how much I admire them, the only thing I can do now is to fight with her until the end.

「好，回去吧，楊屋道！」我堅定的說

"Sure, let's go back to Yeung Uk Road!" I said it determinedly. 

我和她一起遠離戰場的觀光街區裡穿梭重返戰場，途中路過許多市民街區。有的群眾拍手鼓勵，義士到來並奔往他處，更有一名年輕男生站在街頭轉角處，突然遞出飲料說，請各位手足(街頭勇武派稱呼)喝

We left the sightseeing area and passed areas with many residents on our way back to the battle zone. Some of them applauded, to encourage the frontliners when they passed by. A young boy at the corner of the street suddenly offered some beverage to us and told us that they were for all the Sau Zuk (手足), a term referring to the valiant protesters (Yung Mo, 勇武派) at the frontline. 

港女立刻伸手拿走一杯之後立刻奔走，就像馬拉松大賽的補給站一樣地神態自若

After accepting a beverage, the Hong Kong girl sprinted away. She looked like a marathon runner passing by a supply station. 

我看著她在街頭穿梭和市民共體一線的樣子，我突然覺得香港雖然是個法治絕境，但作為社會運動卻是一塊令人心生忌妒與欣羨之地；知道自己與家鄉和都市共同連成一線，儘管戰鬥也知道自己是為何而戰，就算之後訴求沒有達成但香港人真的輸了嗎？我不覺得，沒有一個地方的抗爭能夠這麼高比例贏得同樣出身市民的歡迎和支持

I looked at her, travelling through the streets and becoming one with the residents of the local community. I suddenly had the thought that although the rule of law in Hong Kong is diminishing quickly, the social movements in Hong Kong are so enviable: knowing that you, your hometown, and your city are united; knowing so clearly what you are fighting for. Even if the demands are not answered, even if the goals are not accomplished, could you really say the Hongkongers lost? I don't think so. There is no other place where a resistance movement has won such a high proportion of the fellow residents' support and welcome.

我竟然開始不理性地羨慕香港的勇武派，「不怕犧牲，只怕我的犧牲被棄之如垃圾」這是幾乎所有國際衝組的心聲

I I can't help feeling irrationally envious of the valiant frontliner (Yung Mo) of Hong Kong. "We're not afraid of sacrificing ourselves, we are only afraid that our sacrifices will be treated like garbage" This thought is echoed in the hearts of almost all vanguard around the world.

重返回到荃灣戰區後，遇見其他正在建立路障的示威者們，這時港女和其他男性示威者打招呼，並指著我大聲喊說：「這個！是台女！台女啊！！」

After we got back to the Tsuen Wan battlefield, we encountered some protesters who were setting up the roadblocks. The Hong Kong girl greeted the other male protesters, and pointed at me shouting "That girl! She's a Taiwanese girl! A Taiwanese Girl! "

「我喺台灣黎既！」這是我唯一會說的一句香港話

"Ngo Hai Toi Waan Lai Gei!" (I'm from Taiwan!) This is the only sentence I can speak in Cantonese.

眾港男們聽到後立刻奔過來：「台女！是真正的台女耶！」剎那間讓我措手不及，因為我不是很能夠聽得懂香港話

All the Hong Kong Boys dashed to me straight away, "Taiwanese girl! Oh, a real Taiwanese girl!" I was caught off guard, because I don't quite understand Cantonese.

「謝謝妳啊，有些香港人都不願意站出來了。」

"Thank you. Even some Hongkongers are not willing to come out."

「小心啦，不可以被抓。」

"Please be careful, don't get arrested."

「有雨衣嗎？」

"Do you have a raincoat?"

「台灣女生覺得香港男生怎麼樣？」

"What do Taiwanese girls think of Hong Kong boys?"

各種問題都出爐了，當下令人無法招架也十分熱情

There were all kinds of questions, I didn't know how to handle them all, but I could feel their enthusiasm. 

多麼希望，這時候的我們相遇是在交誼廳裡，而不是荃葵青遊行抗暴現場，而今夜，卻才剛剛要開始而已。

At that moment. I really wished that we were meeting each other in a (culture exchange) lounge, and not at the battlefield of Tsuen Wan March. Unfortunately, tonight had just begun.

(待續)

(to be continued)

#荃灣

#Tsuen Wan

Original post: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10211900818470796&id=1681403224