■香港迪士尼須持續提供新設施和獨特體驗，應對區域內日益增加的競爭。 資料圖片【原文】香港迪士尼城堡明年初將進行大翻新（renovations）。這是在全球迪士尼中，首次（first-of-its-kind）對其傳統的城堡形象進行改造，代之以更為華麗的尖塔城堡，預計工程將於2019年內完工。
世界旅遊業發展經驗證明，在激烈的競爭中，主題樂園須（vital）不斷創新，持續提供新設施和獨特（unique）體驗，才能吸引源源不斷的（steady stream）遊客。新城堡不僅可以強化香港迪士尼樂園的魅力，也可讓整個（entire）旅遊業從中獲益，鞏固香港作為區內最重要旅遊中心之一的地位。
靈感來自14位公主
12月8日，香港迪士尼樂園公佈其擴建翻新方案。據介紹，其設計靈感來自14位迪士尼公主的故事，約14個的高身尖塔將展現不同人物角色的特色，與港人勇於追尋夢想的精神（spirit）相呼應，亦展現香港融合多元文化（multiculturalism）及夢想的特色。
可以想見，這一群新穎的尖塔城堡將會構成香港迪士尼獨特的風采與魅力（special charm），成為其獨一無二的標誌形象。
要圍繞其基本文化元素，不斷地擴建和翻新改造，給遊客豐富的全新體驗，是世界上所有長盛不衰的主題樂園之成功經驗，迪士尼樂園也不例外。
例如，東京迪士尼的成功，就包含了兩方面因素：一是「一切都是動態的」，有聲有色、變幻無窮，新奇刺激的場景令遊客眼花繚亂、心驚肉跳；二是「永遠也建不完」，開園至今，東京迪士尼每年都在不斷更新硬件與軟件，月月有新設計、天天有新花樣（special charm），使它始終保持巨大的魅力，吸引了源源不斷的遊客。
去年淨虧損達1.71億
香港迪士尼由於面積細小等先天不足等原因，而擴建發展的步伐又比較緩慢，給遊客的新鮮感越來越少，在上海迪士尼等周邊主題樂園的激烈競爭（competition）之下，2014年的入場人數達到750萬的峰值後逐漸下滑（drop），2016年跌至610萬。
此外，去年淨虧損金額達到1.71億港元，較2015年淨虧損1.48港億元擴大，甚至還有較大規模裁員（lay-offs），顯示出其正面臨發展的困境。
要突破這個瓶頸（bottleneck），維持香港迪士尼的魅力，除了強化管理，提高服務素質，對表現形式的大膽創新，重新設計和改造城堡這個標誌形象，突出濃厚的香港特色，這是很有必要的。
同時，相關工程要爭取盡快完成，及時投入使用，這樣才能在激烈的（fierce）競爭中站穩。 （標題及小標題為編輯所加） （摘錄自香港文匯報社評9-12-2017）
Disneyland's new "spires" aspire to bring tourist spree
【譯文】The Hong Kong Disneyland's castle will undergo renovations in early 2018. The transformed castle will be first-of-its-kind in terms of design, and will feature new grand elements such as spires. Renovation works are due to complete by 2019.
Tourism sectors around the world have proven time and again that continuous innovation is vital to theme parks amidst fierce competition. In order to attract a steady stream of tourists, new facilities and unique experiences must be introduced regularly. The new Disney castles will not only boost the attractiveness of Hong Kong Disneyland, but also benefit the entire tourism industry, and strengthen Hong Kong's position as one of the most important tourist hubs in the region.
Inspired by 14 princesses
According to the renovation plans announced on 8 December, the new castle's design was inspired by the stories of 14 Disney Princesses, featuring 14 thematic spires that represent each of the Princesses. The new design echoes with the local spirit of pursuing dreams courageously, and also demonstrates to the world Hong Kong's cosmopolitan character and extraordinary multiculturalism.
It is foreseeable that the new Disney castle with its novel spires will become a unique symbol of Hong Kong Disneyland's special charm.
The world's most successful theme parks all share something in common - on top of their core themes and elements, they all offer visitors new experiences by constantly expanding and renovating. Disneylands around the world are no exception. For instance, Tokyo Disneyland's success can be attributed to two qualities: The first is dynamism: visitors are constantly overwhelmed by the ever-changing and immersive attractions.
The second is its unlimited expansion, with brand new hardware and software updates. The combination of both qualities has guaranteed its appeal, pulling in steady streams of visitors every year.
Huge deficit recorded 2016
Limited by its small size and slow expansion, the attraction of Hong Kong Disneyland is gradually declining. Competition in the region has intensified since the opening of its Shanghai counterpart－visitor numbers of Hong Kong Disneyland began to drop after peaking at 7.5 million in 2014. By 2016, the number had already fallen to 6.1 million.
Meanwhile, it suffered a HK$171 million deficit for the same year, worse than the HK$148 million loss in 2015. Together with the large-scale lay-offs reported, it is apparent that the theme park is facing a serious challenge.
The reimagined Disney castle will perform a pivotal role to break the bottleneck. Its transformation, by synthesising with the local culture, could inspire a new wave of innovation in Hong Kong Disneyland. Together with improvements in management and services, the theme park's attraction can sustain.
At the same time, the renovation works must also be completed as soon as possible, so as to remain relevant amidst fierce competition.■Jeffrey Tse [ywc_jeffrey@hotmail.com]
Learning Point－English Numerals
日常生活所接觸到的數目多以阿拉伯數目字顯示，要把複雜數目轉以英文表達時，往往令同學費煞思量。
例如文中提到1.71億元，同學可能需要一點時間才能轉換成英文。
其實英文每一千分撇就會以不同字表達，若同學多加利用，轉換英數時就可更得心應手：
．Thousand 千
．Million 百萬
．Billion 十億
．Trillion 萬億
Exercise
1. HK$5,000,000
2. HK$7,500,000,000
3. HK$132,000,000,000
4. HK$35,400,000
5. HK$986,540,000
Answers
1. HK$5 million
2. HK$7.5 billion
3. HK$132 billion
4. HK$35.4 million
5. HK$986.54 million