一元復始，萬象更新。送走了紛紛擾擾的二○一三年，港人在煙花和歡呼聲中迎來二○一四年。繼往開來，新年願望應是今年勝舊年，然而香港未來一年將面對種種挑戰，種種考驗，注定又是不平靜的一年。

回望二○一三年，大概可以用一個「亂」字形容。樓價居高不下，貧富差距持續擴大，退休生計缺乏保障，水貨客和雙非問題引發中港矛盾升溫，周邊城市後來居上，香港競爭力每況愈下……面對內憂外患，弱勢港府空有滿腹宏圖大計，始終無扭轉乾坤。

展望未來一年，情況依然未可樂觀。美國聯儲局正式啟動退市，意味資金流出及利息隨時上升，香港自然難以獨善其身。尤其是對於高處不勝寒的樓市來說，勢必受到加息衝擊，一旦樓價急跌而影響金融穩定，進而波及整體經濟，可能為香港帶來嚴重災難。

經濟前景出現變數，政治爭拗更是令人擔憂。港府去年底正式啟動政改諮詢程序，標誌政改決戰全面開打，港府高官聲稱「對話總比對罵好，辦法總比困難多」，恐怕只是一廂情願。萬一政改衝擊與樓市調整同步而至，香港再能消幾番風雨？

Ushering out the old and greeting the new,Hong Kong is to face more problems

In a new year, all things rise anew. After bidding farewell to the troubled 2013, Hong Kong people welcomed 2014 with fireworks and cheers. As a New Year resolution, many people would wish for a year better than the last. However, Hong Kong will face all sorts of challenges and tests in the coming year, which is destined to be yet another eventful one.

When we look back on 2013, it can be described with one word: chaos. Property prices stayed lofty, the wealth gap continued to widen, retirement still lacked protection, the issues of grey goods traders and babies born in Hong Kong to Mainland parents intensified the conflicts between the city and its motherland, neighbouring cities surpassed us as our competitiveness steadily deteriorated…… In the face of all these internal and external problems, although the weak Hong Kong government has ambitious plans on its mind, it does not have the capability to bring about a radical change in the situation.

Looking ahead into the coming year, things still look gloomy. The Federal Reserve of the United States has officially started to pull out from the market, meaning capital will flow out and interest rate may rise anytime. As it is difficult for Hong Kong to be immune, its sky-high property market will definitely be stricken by the increase in interest rate. The fall of property price will affect financial stability and further hit the whole economy, possibly bringing a serious disaster to Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong's prospects are uncertain, political disputes are even more worrying. At the end of last year, the government officially kicked off the consultation on constitutional development, signaling the beginning of a political reform battle. The senior government officials’ claim that “dialogue is always better than face-off; solutions are always more numerous than problems” is probably just wishful thinking. If the impacts of constitutional reform and property market crash were to hit at the same time, how would Hong Kong be able to cope?

重要生字

usher out the old and greet the new 辭舊迎新

wealth gap 貧富差距

bring about a radical changein the situation 扭轉乾坤

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