近日來，至少3種以上的主要疫苗即將問世的消息接踵不斷（Luiz：其一來自我們的母校牛津大學，Matt：儘管這點跟他毫無關係，瞧他驕傲的勒.....Luiz : 嘿嘿！ ) 近來籠罩在黑暗與死亡的威脅之中，對於這樣的消息，我們可說終於迎來 'light at the end of the tunnel 隧道的盡頭出現曙光→柳暗花明又一村、撥雲見日、苦盡甘來！' 終於有望走出 Covid 新冠病毒的陰霾迎來曙光（Luiz : 台灣嚴格來說不算太糟…Matt : 沒錯！但世界其他各處仍深受其害！)。如果你常聽 CNN 或 BBC 頻道，相信你會常聽到這片語。這句話自1962年被甘迺迪總統引用後，至今廣為流傳。
News abounds recently of no less than 3 major vaccines coming down the pipeline (Luiz: including one from our very own Oxford University Matt: He's so proud! Even though he had nothing to do with it... Luiz: Hey!). Amid all the darkness and death recently, we can say that there is 'light at the end of the tunnel!' There is hope that we will come out of the Covid tunnel and into the light (Luiz: but Taiwan isn't really in the tunnel... Matt: True! But the rest of the world still is!). Listen to CNN or the BBC and you will hear this phrase often. It became popular after being used by President Kennedy in 1962.
有趣的是，支持川普的美國新聞台FOX新聞卻更偏好另一種說法，川普愛用的一句話 : 'rounding the curve 行經彎道'。事實上，你幾乎可以在他每次的談話中聽到這句話。English Sandwich 其實直到近日才常聽到這個片語，不過我們理解這句話的含意。開車過彎時總是比較危險，需要減速慢行且看不清前方道路，不過曲折之後，往往是一條平坦的康莊大道 (Luiz：為何不能是另一個曲折之路呢 ? Matt : 你毀了我的解釋 ! ) 因此，這個片語也近似 'a light at the end of the tunnel 撥雲見日之意'。為何川普較偏愛這句話呢 ? 因為 'light at the end of the tunnel' 暗示我們正身處黑暗之中，而川普堅決否認病毒對美國造成的嚴重影響。對川普而言，沒有所謂暗夜籠罩，'Rounding a curve ' 不過是行經彎道，只要持續前行，不會有什麼大問題，只是蜿蜒而行，事情總會豁然開朗。
Interestingly, Fox News, which is the American news station that favors Trump, has preferred a different phrase, a phrase that Trump also prefers: 'rounding the curve'. In fact, he says it almost every time you hear him speak. We at English Sandwich had not really heard this phrase often until recently, but we know what it means. Going around a corner when driving a car is always more dangerous, you need to go slower, and you can't see the road ahead. After a curve, comes a nice clear straight road (Luiz - why can't there be another curve? Matt - you are ruining my explanation!). So this phrase is similar to 'a light at the end of the tunnel'. Why does Trump prefer it? Because 'light at the end of the tunnel' suggests we are in darkness now, in a tunnel, and Trump has resolutely refused to accept the virus in America is serious. For Trump, there is no tunnel. 'Rounding a curve' suggests driving forward, movement, no big problem, just a curve in the road, and then things get better.
請大家保重！沒錯！ 'light at the end of the tunnel! 我們終將撥雲見日！'
Stay safe everyone - and yes, there IS 'light at the end of the tunnel!'