47人案宣判，历史的墓志铭《Epitaph for History: The Verdict of the Hong Kong 47》

历史上有无数多的墓志铭，可历史有墓志铭吗？或许每一段历史的终章和开始，都是一个撰写墓志铭的好日子。

There are countless epitaphs throughout history, but does history itself have an epitaph? Perhaps every ending and beginning of a chapter in history marks a fitting day to write one.

香港民主运动之墓志铭

维甲辰岁，立冬既过，香港47人案宣判，群英受刑。回顾廿五载，自回归始，民主之火微然点燃，盼藉《中英联合声明》之信约，《基本法》之规条，构建自由、法治、民主之盛世。然风雨飘摇，世道易移，局势骤变，志士蹈锋镝以赴国事，遂有初选之举，终罹国法之网。

是役也，英勇无悔，悲壮无言。此一判，非独众人之裁决，实乃香港民主运动之终章。曾经理想，渐归虚无；往昔风华，终付流沙。

铭曰：
廿载求索，徒见荆棘满途；
百万心声，化作江河呜咽。
英杰虽沉，志节长存；
今兮殇别，他年或再曙光。
呜呼哀哉，伏惟尚飨。

Epitaph for Hong Kong’s Democratic Movement

In the year of Jiachen, after Lidong had passed, the verdict was rendered in the case of the Hong Kong 47. Brave souls faced sentencing, marking the close of an era. Reflecting upon twenty-five years since the handover, the flame of democracy was faintly kindled, nurtured by the promises of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the principles of the Basic Law, envisioning an era of freedom, rule of law, and democracy. Yet, amidst turbulent winds and shifting tides, the course of events turned abruptly. Patriots braved danger in pursuit of justice, leading to the primary election, only to be ensnared by the web of national law.

This battle, though fought with valor, ends in silent tragedy. The verdict is not merely the judgment of individuals but the final chapter of Hong Kong’s democratic movement. Dreams once cherished have faded into nothingness; the glory of the past is now lost to the sands of time.

The epitaph reads:
Twenty years of striving, met only with thorns and trials;
The voices of millions, now a river’s mournful cry.
Though heroes fall, their resolve endures;
Today we bid farewell, yet tomorrow may see a new dawn.
Alas, such sorrow—may they rest in peace.

有人说，他们是有可能成功的，如果能够隐忍，不做激烈的抗争，不把35+的口号和占领立法会过半进而瘫痪政府等目标公之于众，选择温和而渐进的模式是更有希望的斗争。回想8964结束后，“他们似乎也是这样说的”，如果学生们保持理智，不去高举自由女神等留下口实，结果可能就大不相同了。

但我说，这只是美好的幻想和意犹未尽的惋惜。自古未有不流血之革命，更不见秘密之民主选举！

Some argue that they might have succeeded if they had exercised restraint, avoided radical resistance, and refrained from openly promoting slogans like “35+” or plans to seize a majority in the legislature to paralyze the government. Instead, they suggest a moderate and gradual approach would have been a more promising strategy. Reflecting on the aftermath of June 4, 1989, they seem to echo a similar sentiment: “If only the students had been more rational, refrained from raising symbols like the Goddess of Democracy that left them vulnerable to criticism, the outcome might have been entirely different.”

But I say, this is nothing more than a beautiful illusion and a lingering regret. There has never been a revolution without bloodshed, nor a democratic election conducted in secrecy！

在大陆生活时，偶然听到香港的一些政治运动，我总会想，为什么他们这么愚蠢，历史的车轮无可阻挡，无论内地政府实际如何，在建国以来国力最强之时，打一场不可能胜利的战争又有什么意义呢？平白搭上自己的性命和人生，为何不留有用之躯，从长计？

但苍天可鉴！东方远有赤壁一战以少胜多定三国，近有淞沪会战国运不熄，邻邦日本西南战争武士道之忠义长存，西有温泉关之全军赴死留希腊胜利之精神，阿拉莫之战誓死不归。

生命的长度从来无法完整计量生命的意义，何为有用之躯？留人类精神之花火，便有用！

When I was living on the mainland, I occasionally heard about some of Hong Kong’s political movements. I couldn’t help but wonder: why are they so foolish? The wheel of history is unstoppable. Regardless of the actual state of the mainland government, at a time when the nation’s strength is at its peak since its founding, what is the point of fighting a battle that cannot be won? Sacrificing their lives and futures for nothing—why not preserve themselves for a longer struggle?

But heaven bears witness! In the East, there was the Battle of Red Cliff, where the few triumphed over the many and reshaped the Three Kingdoms. More recently, the Battle of Shanghai showed the resilience of a nation’s fate. In neighboring Japan, the spirit of loyalty in the Satsuma Rebellion endures through Bushido. In the West, the Battle of Thermopylae stands as a testament to the courage of total sacrifice, and the Alamo as a symbol of dying for a cause without retreat.

The meaning of life has never been measured solely by its length. What, then, is a body of true worth? To preserve the sparks of human spirit—that is worth everything!