TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1934
MORE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS NEEDED
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THE DEMAND FOR SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY WITH THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY IN RECENT YEARS, SAID MR FRED TING, COMMISSIONER FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE.
+THIS IS A SPECIALISED AND DEMANDING JOB AND SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS DESERVE MORE RECOGNITION,+ MR TING SAID.
+THEY ARE REQUIRED IN PRACTICALLY ALL MAJOR MEETINGS AND PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ENSURING THAT PEOPLE SERVING ON GOVERNMENT COUNCILS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES ARE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS FREELY DESPITE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, HE EXPLAINED. IN 1973, SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION WAS ONLY PROVIDED AT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE URBAN COUNCIL MONTHLY OPEN MEETINGS, THOSE OF A SMALL NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, AND PRESS CONFERENCES.
BY 1981-82, THE SERVICE HAD EXPANDED TO COVER MAJOR URBAN COUNCIL SELECT AND SUB-COMMITTEES, AND BY 1982-83, TO COVER ALL DISTRICT BOARDS AND SOME OF THE COMMITTEES.
TO COPE WITH THE GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR THE SERVICE, THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETER GRADE HAD EXPANDED FROM THE 1972 ESTABLISHMENT OF ONE CHIEF INTERPRETER AND THREE PART-TIME SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS TO THE CURRENT ESTABLISHMENT OF ONE CHIEF INTERPRETER, ONE ACTING CHIEF INTERPRETER, SEVEN FULL-TIME AND 10 PART-TIME SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS.
EVEN WITH THIS EXPANSION, THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME
SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS WAS STILL INADEQUATE AND EFFORTS WOULD BE MADE TO RECRUIT MORE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS,
TO COPE WITH THE EXISTING DEMAND, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT A TOTAL OF 10 FULL-TIME SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS WERE REQUIRED. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL IN 1985-86, MORE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS WOULD HAVE TO BE RECRUITED.
MR TING SAID THAT SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION WAS A STRENUOUS BUT VERY INTERESTING JOB.
TO QUALIFY AS A SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETER, A PERSON SHOULD HAVE A UNIVERSITY DEGREE, BE FLUENT IN CANTONESE AND ENGLISH, HAVE AN AGILE MIND, AND ABOVE ALL, BE ABLE TO INTERPRET SPONTANEOUSLY AND ACCURATELY FROM ONE LANGUAGE INTO THE OTHER.
HE OR SHE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN DIVERSE AND SPECIALISED TOPICS, AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO GRASP QUICKLY THE
WHICH COULD BE VERY MAIN POINTS EXCHANGED IN DISCUSSIONS -- TECHNICAL AND QUICK-TEMPOED -- AND TO PROVIDE PROMPT INTERPRETATION.
/MRS BLIZAS DIE