"Most sorrowful regret" - By Kourtney Woo

長達三年零八個月的抗爭，以一句“most sorrowful regret"來作結。

在人質事件受害者及其家屬接受菲方的「道歉」後，各大香港媒體對“most sorrowful regret"進行不同的解讀，但大多數人都認為“regret"不是道歉，即使加上了“most sorrowful"，充其量也只是表達到菲方對此事發生的悲痛。以下為一則《蘋果日報》的報導:

【本報訊】經過3年8個月，菲政府始終不肯向受害者及家屬正式道歉，只對事件表示「most sorrowful regret」，而非「apology」。有資深英文教師表示，regret只表示對事件極度遺憾及難過，apology才是正式道歉及承認自己做錯事。

只表示遺憾無承認責任

資深英文教師伍經衡（Richard Eng）表示，apology是正式道歉，包含承認自己做錯的意思。regret只表示遺憾及難過，沒有承認責任的意思； sorrowful意即悲痛，兩詞放在一起只加強遺憾及哀傷語氣，沒承認責任。政府新聞稿將most sorrowful regret繙譯成「最悲痛的歉意」，但「歉意」只代表「唔好意思，好抱歉，好似你話『好抱歉我今次嚟唔到』」。Richard Eng又指01年美國前國務卿鮑威爾於中美南海撞機事件發生後，曾說「we regret that」，「We've expressed sorrow for it, and we're sorry...but it can't be seen as an apology, accepting responsibility」，顯示 regret不等同正式道歉。
浸大政治及國際關係學系副教授陳家洛稱，菲方用詞符合一直不肯正式道歉的態度；按國際慣例，港菲可各自表述意思。

Source: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20140424/18699135

我大緻上認同文中對“most sorrowful regret”的理解。老實説，我實在也看不到菲方的道歉信裏有承擔到其責任，不過另外有不少報導指到港的菲律賓內閣部長與人質受害者及家屬的會面時有向他們道歉，因此港府官方文件把“most sorrowful regret"翻譯成「最悲痛的歉意」也許是想息事寧人吧。

不過，以下是菲律賓對相關事件的報導：

Almendras: No public apology from PH gov’t but expression of ‘sorrowful regret’

Thursday, April 24, 2014
THE Philippine government did not issue a public apology but expressed its "sorrowful regret and sympathy" over the 2010 tragic Luneta hostage-taking incident more than three years ago, a Palace official said Thursday.
Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said that Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima came up with a letter given to all the 21 families and victims of the August 2010 hostage taking incident.
"The PNP chief…expressed sorrowful regret and sympathy, and explained what was the police action based on, what was the opinion why it went wrong. To some families it was very important," he said in a media briefing in Malacanang after his trip to Hong Kong on Wednesday when the issue was finally resolved.
But he admitted that he himself, being the senior government official who flew to Hong Kong, did not make an apology on behalf of President Benigno Aquino III nor of the Philippine government."Some people would actually say that the letter of General Purisima is also a form of apology because there were certain paragraphs in that letter that were purposely structured to explain certain things and answer certain questions," Almendras said.
"Did I apologize for President Aquinio? I did not say anything to that effect but I expressed certain emotions and certain things relative to that but it was not an outright… I have no authority to say 'I am sorry in behalf of the Republic of the Philippines' but we made sure that we address the issues po," he said.
"I guess that we go back to the most important thing. The most important thing is the families have already accepted it, na hindi ho masama ang loob nila," he added.
Almendras said that a token of solidarity was also being extended to the families of the victims of the hostage crisis.
But he did not divulge the amount, saying it was confidential.
He said most of the contents of the agreements between the Philippines and Hong Kong, including the families of the victims, were confidential.
Not a single peso or Hong Kong dollar came from either the Philippine or Hong Kong governments for the token of solidarity, he said.
The amount came from "businessmen, ordinary citizens, people who cared, even people who were close to certain people in organizations," he said, adding that the victims' families will receive the token within the week.
The Cabinet Secretary apologized for the secrecy surrounding his series of trips to Hong Kong because "there was a lot of emotion and a lot of sensitivity to families and persons who were involved."
"There were 21 victims, 21 families, 21 lives, 21 different perspectives, 21 different opinions," he said.
"Hindi po one size fits all. Every single consideration po, every member of the family or every victim's family had to be put in place," he added.
With the resolution of the hostage-taking incident, Hong Kong lifted the sanction that require Philippine officials and diplomatic passport holders to apply for visas when visiting Hong Kong, as well as the "black" travel alert that warned Hong Kong citizens against travelling to the Philippines.
Almendras said the issue is now closed. "Once and for all, completely, absolutely, tapos na ito," he said.
He also thanked Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who accompanied him in Hong Kong, for his help.
Eight tourists from Hong Kong were killed during the August 2010 hostage taking perpetrated by a dismissed police officer, who was also slain in the incident. (SDR/Sunnex)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2014/04/24/almendras-no-public-apology-ph-gov-t-expression-sorrowful-regret-339615

從文章的內容中不難發現，菲政府面對著其人民的時候依然堅持是次訪港並沒有以國家或總統的名義認錯，更表示最重要的是受害人接受聲明就可，可見菲政府其實是毫無悔意 ，"most sorrowful regret"跟本不是如官方翻譯般， 為菲方的「最悲痛的歉意」。更離譜的是看到一則留言指香港人接受這次道歉證明他們抗爭只為了錢，跟公義並沒有關係。作為香港人及目擊著人質事件發生的我，對這一篇報導當然是感到憤怒，但再想深一層，認為事件的受害者及其家屬接受「道歉」也許是因為他們累了，不想再為此事糾纏下去。面對如此無賴的政府，即使他們口説道歉，但心裏根本不認為自己有錯，這樣的道歉還有意義嗎？與其不停爭取無誠意的道歉，倒不如讓事件吿一段落，不要再在受害者的傷口上灑鹽了。

突然想起了一句歌詞：「放過你是放過自己」。我依然相信，公道自在人心。