SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1978
COMMUNICATION
THE OPERATIVE WORD IN WORK OF CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS
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COMMUNICATION IS THE OPERATIVE WORD IN THE WORK OF A CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER.
FOR THE WORK NOT ONLY ENTAILS TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS - FROM ENGLISH INTO CHINESE, OR THE REVERSE - BUT ALSO KNOWLEDGE OF THE VARIOUS DIALECTS USED BY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PROVINCES.
AS MRS. PAK CHAN WAH-KING, SENIOR CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, DESCRIBES IT THE WORK OF A CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER CALLS FOR A HIGH DEGREE OF KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION OF BOTH LANGUAGES.+
WITH THE GROWING USAGE OF CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC. THE MORE THAN 240 CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS SECONDED TO 31 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ARE PLAYING A MORE CHALLENGING ROLE.
EXAMPLE
MR. LEE YUEN-YAU, CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER OF THE NEW TERRITOR IES ADMINISTRATION'S YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE, HAS TO LEARN TO SPEAK HAKKA TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH VILLAGERS.
EXAMPLE
MRS. JOSEPHINE WONG, CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER OF THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT, ALSO ACTS AS A COUNSELLOR IN TRYING TO COMFORT APPLICANTS FOR LEGAL AID WHO ARE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED AND FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE IR FRIENDS OR RELATIVES HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
MANY OTHER UNEXPECTED AND MORE CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ARISE WHEN THESE OFFICERS OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AUTHORITY CARRY OUT THE IR DUTIES TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.
+EVEN WITH TRANSLATION ITSELF, A CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER HAS TO KEEP ABREAST OF KNOWLEDGE IN VARIOUS FIELDS SO THAT ONE LANGUAGE CAN BEST BE TRANSLATED INTO THE OTHER,+ MRS. PAK POINTED OUT.
+ IN ADDITION, SHE SAID, THE OFFICER HAS TO READ MANY CHINESE NEWSPAPERS IN ORDER TO HANDLE PROMPTLY AND EFFICIENTLY PRESS COMMENTS CONCERNING THE SERVICES OF INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS.+
MANY CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS ALSO WORK UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE TO MEET DEADLINES, MRS. PAK SAID.
*THIS HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE PREPARING THE CHINESE VERSION OF IMPORTANT POLICY STATEMENTS SUCH AS THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY SPEECH AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BUDGET SPEECH.
+WE HAVE ONLY A VERY SHORT TIME, AND VERY OFTEN, WE ARE HELD UP BY NEW AND TECHNOLOGICAL TERMS WHICH WE HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS BEFORE. AND WE HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL BECAUSE EVEN ONE VERY MINOR ERROR MAY AFFECT THE MEANING OF THE WHOLE STATEMENT.+