Hong Kong government officials have set their sights on yet another type of economy after promoting various economies, including a panda economy and a night economy. The new kid on the block is a low altitude economy. I was not familiar with a low altitude economy until Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu set his sights on developing it during his recent annual policy speech. To set your sights on something means to decide to achieve something and try very hard to achieve it. A new kid on the block means a new arrival of something or someone to a group or area.
A low altitude economy basically means airspace activities under 1,000 metres (3,280 feet). The most basic activity is the use of drones to deliver small packages. Air taxis flying at low altitudes are also considered part of a low altitude economy. Hong Kong is only at the planning stage of a low altitude economy. I think it will take years before Hong Kong can get a low altitude economy off the ground. To get something off the ground means to start something or to proceed in a successful way. Mainland China’s low altitude economy is already off the ground.
Amazon started using drones in 2022 to deliver small packets in some parts of the US. But in the US, it’s called drone delivery, not low altitude economy. I hope Hong Kong’s low altitude economy will succeed but I cannot imagine drones delivering small packages to Chungking Mansions or flying taxis over Central’s high-rise buildings.
香港政府官員繼推廣不同的經濟發展，包括熊貓經濟與夜經濟之後，又再把目標放在（set their sights on）另一種經濟上。這個後起之秀（new kid on the block）就是低空經濟（low altitude economy）。我對低空經濟（low altitude economy）毫不熟悉，直至行政長官李家超在他的年度施政報告中矢志（set his sights on）要發展它。To set your sights on something 是指立志、決心要達成某事，並會努力實現。A new kid on the block 是指一個剛加入團體或初到貴境的新秀，又或在團體或地區新亮相的某樣新事物。
A low altitude economy就是一千米（三千二百八十呎）以下的空中活動，最基本的活動是使用無人機去運送細小包裹。低空飛行的空中的士也被視作低空經濟（low altitude economy）之一。香港只處於低空經濟（low altitude economy）的籌劃階段，我認為這需要很多年的時間，香港才能令低空經濟（low altitude economy）真正「起飛」（off the ground）。To get something off the ground 是指去開始某事，或去促成某事成功。中國內地的低空經濟（low altitude economy）就已經上了軌道（off the ground）。
亞馬遜公司在二零二二年開始，便在美國一些地區使用無人機去運載細小包裹。但在美國，這叫做無人機送貨，而不是甚麼低空經濟（low altitude economy）。我希望香港的低空經濟（low altitude economy）會成功，但我想像不到無人機送貨到重慶大廈，又或飛行的士穿越中環高樓大廈時會是怎個模樣。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
