The Rhythm of the Law
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. PETER'S NT HOME - 19:00
Cluttered study. PETER opens a bag and pulls out a framed sketch - the cartoon portrait of Peter that Emily drew. He holds it up, tilting towards the light.
PETER (V.O.): June 2024. Emily said she spent a lot of effort on it.
He sets the portrait gently on the desk. Then he reaches into the bag again and finds his guitar sheet music with lyrics in Chinese and English.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, that's the song I wrote for HKILT.
Peter reads the lyrics. He begins to hum. A few words escape his lips.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The song is raw and real. Emily said she loved it.
He puts the sheet music next to the portrait. Side by side.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My gift. Her gift. Two languages. One friendship.
A peaceful smile spreads across his face.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm going to attend a HKILT seminar tomorrow. My agenda is to remember Emily.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. STUDIO - DAY (2014)
Peter (60) is holding a guitar.
PETER (V.O.): Emily has asked me to talk about legal translation in the IP context.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Law is difficult to understand. IP is lawyers' law.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I can imagine a legal translator's laments.
Pausng.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The law isn't ugly. It's just...rhythmically challenged. It needs a beat.
Peter strums a gentle chord .
PETER (Singing): 陪住你, 挨落去...
PETER (V.O.): Cantonese itself is melodic.
He begins to strum a simple, folksy melody.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What should be lyrics of the chorus?
Peter (Singing):冇乜嘢係唔掂, 翻譯就當唱首歌...
PETER (V.O.): Yes, not just translating terms and expressions, but also the feeling of the law!
INT. STUDIO - DAY (2024)
Peter is holding a guitar.
PETER (V.O.): Emily has asked me to write a song for the Hong Kong Institute of Legal Translation.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I think the lyrics of the song has to be in Cantonese and English.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The theme of the song has to be about the Institute.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the Institute's name is mouthful, not to mention rhyming it with 香港法律翻譯學會.
Peter gets lost in translation.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To overcome this challenge, I've to translate "The Hong Kong Institute of Legal Translation" into "HKILT".
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Legal translaton isn't just about accuracy. It's about resonance. It's about creating the rhythm in the law.
RETURN TO THE PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Emily passed away in April 2026. I won't pretend that I'm not heartbroken.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Emily has translated herself into the discipline of legal translation (English-Chinese).
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Do we need to be physically present to shape the future?
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows Peter's guitar sheet music with chords and lyrics in Chinese and English alongside with Emily's a colourful drawing of Peter - a smiling guitarist.
PETER (V.O.): Statutes are rewritten. Judgments are overturned. But the rhythm of the law - that pulse between justice and mercy, between precedent and change - that rhythm outlives everyone.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Beneath every law is a humun need. The rhythm of the law is found in the silence between texts - where the human heart still speaks.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The rhythm of the law is not in the words. It's in the spaces where two languages meet - and one heart understands another.
The END
FADE OUT
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