2.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1983
SIR EDWARD MET WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LAW SOCIETY'S ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES, MR BRIAN TISDALL: THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SOCIETY, MR JOHN MILLER; ITS PRESIDENT. MR T.S. TONGI AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION, MR HENRY LITTON, QC.
ABOUT 700 GUESTS ATTENDED THE DINNER.
LANGUAGE OFFICERS' VITAL ROLE STRESSED
*****
THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW PROVIDING A FULL-YEAR'S BASIC TRAINING FOR ITS NEWLY-RECRUITED CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS TO PREPARE THEM FOR THEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
SPEAKING TODAY AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST FORMAL
COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING COURSE FOR NEWLY-RECRUITED CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY POINTED OUT THAT THOUGH MANY OF THEM MIGHT WORK AWAY QUIETLY IN SOME REMOTE OFFICES, THEY WERE IN FACT THE SILENT HEROES BEHIND THE SCENES, PLAYING NO LESS IMPORTANT A ROLE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE THAN ANY OF THE FRONT-LINE OFFICERS.
MR BRAY TOLD THE 28 CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE COURSE THAT ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE GOVERNMENT'S WORK WAS CARRIED OUT BY OFFICERS OF OTHER GRADES IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, ITS POLICIES, INTENTIONS AND MESSAGES WERE CONVEYED TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION THROUGH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.
+SINCE CHINESE BECAME AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE, THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL AND IMPORTANT DOCEUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE TRANSLATED HAD INCREASED CONSIDERABLY. A HIGH STANDARD OF TRANSLATION IS EXPECTED BY BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE MUST HAVE OFFICERS LIKE YOURSELVES WITH SUITABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND ADEQUATE TRAINING, HE SAID.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE, MR FRED TING SAID THAT BEFORE THE BASIC TRAINING COURSE WAS SET UP, NEW RECRUITS WERE POSTED TO DEPARTMENTS AND WERE MORE OR LESS LEFT TO LEARN THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE THEMSELVES.
THERE WERE IN-SERVICE COURSES CONDUCTED WITH THE HELP OF THE EXTRA-MURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, BUT THEIR SHORT DURATION DID NOT PERMIT THE CURRICULUM TO COVER AS MUCH GROUND AS WAS DESIRABLE AND NECESSARY FOR NEW RECRUITS.
IN ADDITION, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT SCOPE FOR SENIOR OFFICERS TO PASS ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE TO THE IR JUNIORS,
+WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SECTION IN SEPTEMBER 1981, WE HAVE NOW BEEN ABLE TO ATTEMPT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND SYSTEMATIC TRAINING PROGRAMME WHICH AIMS AT ACQUAINTING OUR NEW RECRUITS, AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR CAREER, WITH THE VARIOUS TYPES OF WORK THAT THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO.
+THE AIM OF THE COURSE IS TO DEVELOP THROUGH PRACTICAL WORK THE NECESSARY TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION TECHNIQUES WHICH WILL ENABLE THEM TO CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES MORE EFFICIENTLY, + HE SAID.
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