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WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
HE SAID THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO EXPAND THE DRAFTING DIVISION WHICH WAS A SMALL UNIT, BUT WE MUST BE CERTAIN THAT THE MACHINE WE HAVE CREATED IS RUNNING PROPERLY BEFORE WE MOVE INTO TOP GEAR+.
+ THE CHINESE LANGUAGE SCHEME MAY APPEAR DAUNTING BECAUSE OF THE SHEER NUMBER OF ORDINANCES IN ENGLISH,+ MR THOMAS SAID, +BUT WE ARE NOT DISHEARTENED WITH SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.+
NOTING THAT MASTER XUAN ZANG OF THE TANG DYNASTY HAD TRANSLATED 72 SCRIPTURES WHICH CONTAINED 1 335 VOLUMES AND OVER 13 MILLION CHARACTERS, MR THOMAS SAID THE DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSLATING INDIAN SCRIPTURES INTO CHINESE MUST HAVE BEEN NO LESS DAUNTING THAN TRANSLATING HONG KONG ORDINANCES.
+WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ONCE, CAN BE DONE AGAIN. AND WE DO NOT STAND ALONE, AS MASTER XUAN ZANG DID, FOR WE HAVE THE RESOURCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG BEHIND US,+ HE SAID.
SPECIAL COMMISSIONER FOR LAW TRANSLATION RECOMMENDED
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE DISCUSSION PAPER ON LAWS IN CHINESE HAS RECOMMENDED THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COMMISSIONER TO ASSUME OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSLATING LAWS INTO CHINESE, THE HON F.K. HU SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
LEADING THE COUNCIL'S ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION PAPER AS CONVENER OF THE GROUP, MR HU SAID THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS FELT THAT A SPECIAL COMMISSIONER SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSLATION WORK IN ADDITION TO A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS.
MEMBERS ALSO FELT THAT A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COMMITTEE SHOULD BE SET UP TO MONITOR THE STANDARDS OF THE TRANSLATION PROJECT.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT MEMBERS WERE DIVIDED ON THE DETAILED STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS.
MR HU GAVE DETAILED SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PROCEDURE OF THE TRANSLATION WORK, SAYING THAT TRANSLATIONS SHOULD BE PRODUCED BY THE LAW DRAFTING DIVISION OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND SENT TO THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER FOR SCRUTINY AND AMENDMENT WHERE NECESSARY.
HE SAID
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