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還有近日有報道指H7N9在港出現，呼籲市民小心。究竟是病菌強大了，還是人類的扺抗力弱了，這真可以說是雞與雞蛋的問題。而英文亦有chicken and egg（雞與雞蛋）這個短語。
用chicken and egg（雞與雞蛋）來形容兩件互相關聯的事，因為不知道或不能決定哪一件先發生，哪一件伴隨而來，哪一件是原因，哪一件是結果。請看例子：
It's really a chicken and egg situation. Football is a popular sport because there are many commercial sponsors or there are many commercial sponsors for football because it is a popular sport.
這是雞與雞蛋的問題。足球是流行的運動因為有許多商業贊助，抑或是足球有許多的商業贊助因為這是流行的運動。
He has been appointed team manager because he has been working hard. It is not a chicken and egg problem. He works hard not because he is the manager.
他會被委任為經理因為他一直努力工作。這不是雞與雞蛋的問題。他努力工作並不因為他是經理。
因果難辨 惡性循環
在一些不能決定哪一件事是原因，哪一件事是結果的時候，可以說Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (哪一件先發生，是雞還是雞蛋？）
The company has attracted many investors and its business runs well. But which came first, the chicken or the egg? It's hard to tell.
公司吸引了很多投資，而生意亦做得不錯。真的不知道哪一件先發生，正如是雞還是雞蛋? 這真的難說。
The children do not like their music teacher. They say he is rude to them. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
那些孩子不喜歡他們的音樂老師。他們說音樂老師待他們不好。哪一個是因，哪一個是果？
不過，chicken and egg除了表示因果難辨之外，還有另一重意義。如果說一個問題是一種惡性循環，難以解決，也可以用chicken and egg來形容。
If people do not buy local productions, there will be a lack of financial support for local business to improve and this will lead to a further decline in customers. It's hard to solve the problem because it is a chicken and egg situation.
如果人們不買本地產品，本地商業就不會有資金改善，令顧客人數進一步減少。這問題很難解決。這種雞或雞蛋的情況，惡性循環。
這樣的情況常常見到。因即是果，果即是因。雞先蛋先，惡性循環，打破困局很困難。■ Lina CHU
[ linachu88@netvigator.com ]
逢星期三見報
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