今天下午，香港政府宣布引用《紧急情况规例条例》订立《禁止蒙面规例》，10月5日零时起生效实施。Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam today (Oct. 4) announced the city has used the colonial-era Emergency Regulations Ordinance to bring in a regulation banning the use of face masks at protests. Violators of the law will face a year in prison or a large fine.The law, which will be discussed by the Legislative Council when it returns in 10 days, will take effect from midnight tonight. Under it, police will be able to stop anyone wearing a mask and ask them to remove it.Lam explained the decision in Cantonese, the lingua franca of the city, and also made the following remarks in English:
表示“（地方性）法规”，英文解释为“An ordinance is an official rule or order, especially from a local government.”如：ordinances that restrict building development 限制楼房建设的法规。
表示“（母语不同的人之间使用的）通用语，交际语”，英文解释为“a language used between people whose main languages are different”举个🌰：
English is the lingua franca in many countries.
英语在很多国家是通用语言。
Protests arising from the Fugitive Offenders have continued for nearly four months now. Over this period, protesters’ violence has been escalating and has reached a very alarming level in the past few days, causing numerous injuries and leading Hong Kong to a chaotic and panic situation. We are particularly concerned that many students are participating in these violent protests, or even riots, jeopardizing their safety and even their future.
jeopardize /ˈdʒɛpəˌdaɪz/ 表示“使处于危险境地；危及，损害”，英文解释为“to put something such as a plan or system in danger of being harmed or damaged”举个🌰：
She knew that by failing her finals she could jeopardize her whole future.
她知道考试不及格会影响自己的整个前程。
As a responsible government we have the duty to use all available means to stop the escalating violence and restore calmness in society. As the current situation has clearly given rise to a state of serious public danger, the chief executive in council decided at a special meeting this morning to invoke the power under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance and make a new regulation in the name of prohibition of face covering regulation, which is essentially an anti-mask law, something which has originally been introduced in a number of jurisdictions around the world and discussed here in Hong Kong.
表示“诉诸（法律、规定等）”，英文解释为“if you invoke a law, rule etc, you say that you are doing something because the law allows or forces you to”举个🌰：
The judge invoked an international law that protects refugees.
法官援用了一项保护难民的国际法律。
表示“司法权；审判权；管辖权；管辖区域”，英文解释为“the right to use an official power to make legal decisions, or the area where this right exists”举个🌰：
The committee has jurisdiction over all tax measures.
这个委员会有权制定所有税收措施。
We believe the new law will create a deterrent effect against masked violent protesters and rioters, and will assist the police in its law enforcement. The security for security will later explain in greater details the provisions and the secretary of justice will speak on legal matters.
表示“制止物，威慑物，威慑力量”，英文解释为“something that makes someone less likely to do something, by making them realize it will be difficult or have bad results”，如：the deterrent effect of prison sentences 监禁的威慑作用。
熟词僻义，可数名词，表示“（协议或法律中的）规定，条款，条件”，英文解释为“a condition in an agreement or law”举个🌰：
The agreement includes a provision for each side to check the other side’s weapons.
协议有项规定，允许双方互查武器。
I would like to emphasize the decision to invoke the ERO is a difficult but also a necessary one for public interest. Let me make four points in conclusion:
1. Although the ordinance carries the title emergency, Hong Kong is not in a state of emergency and we are not proclaiming that Hong Kong is entering a state of emergency. But we are indeed in an occasion of serious danger, which is a stated condition in ERO for the Chief Executive in Council to exercise certain powers. And I would say that we are now in rather extensive and serious public danger. It is essential for us to stop violence and restore calmness in society as soon as possible. We hope that the new legislation can help us to achieve this objective.
2. The second point I want to make is that the objective of this regulation is to end violence and restore order and I believe this is now the broad consensus of Hong Kong people.
3. The third point is this regulation targets rioters or those who resort to violence. That’s why the regulation contains defense and exemptions to cater for legitimate needs to wear a mask. And we believe that by so doing, we have struck a necessary balance.
4. The regulation is a piece of subsidiary legislation, subject to negative vetting. So when Legislative Council resumes on the 16th of October, the regulation will be tabled in the Legislative Council for members’ discussion.注：禁蒙面法属于“附属法例”（subsidiary legislation），即符合“先订立后审议”（negative vetting）的原则。
熟词僻义，作动词，table a proposal/question/motion etc，表示“提交议案/问题/动议等”，英文解释为“to formally present a proposal etc for other people to discuss”举个🌰：
He tabled a motion for debate at next month’s committee meeting.
他提出一项动议，在次月的委员会会议上辩论。
Finally let me reiterate that I and my principal officials will continue our dialogue with the public for it is the best way to find solutions to some of the deep-seated social problems in Hong Kong and to allow Hong Kong to move forward.- END -
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