Since September 1984, when the joint declaration was announced, the ships have continued to ply the harbor as busily as before; the young people and Westerners continue to crowd the shopping district, with its windows full of tempting goods from around the world; and the sound of mahjong continues to rise and fall from the upstairs tearooms... on the surface, nothing seems to have changed.
一九八四年九月，中共與英國的聯合聲明發表後，香港碼頭船隻仍往來頻密，貨物彷彿永遠卸不完；中環街頭年輕人、外國人熙來攘往，櫥窗陳列著來自世界各地的誘人商品；茶樓杯盤狼籍、麻將聲此起彼落……，表面看來，香港一切如昔。