XN000022-1981-06-21 — Page 3

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 1981

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RIGHT PEOPLE IN DEMAND AS SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS

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PEOPLE WITH BI-LINGUAL FLUENCY, WHO ARE QUICK-MINDED AND TEMPERAMENTALLY SUITED FOR THE JOB, ARE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND AS OFFICIAL SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS,

WITH THE GROWTH IN GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND THE RECENT

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE WORKLOAD FOR SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS IS LIKELY TO INCREASE MORE THAN THREE-FOLD, SAID MR Y.P. CHENG, CHIEF OF THE GOVERNMENT'S SIMULTANEOUS

INTERPRETATION UNIT.

STARTING WITH FOUR INTERPRETERS IN 1972. WITH ONLY HIMSELF ON A FULL-TIME BASIS AND THE OTHERS WORKING PART-TIME THE INTERPRETATION UNIT NOW HAS FOUR FULL-TIME WORKERS, ASSISTED BY SIX WHO WORK PART TIME, MR CHENG SAID.

BUT THIS IS ALREADY INSUFFICIENT TO DEAL WITH CURRENT NEEDS, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW LOOKING FOR MORE FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS.

MR CHENG ESTIMATED THAT THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS REQUIRING SUCH WORK WOULD RISE FROM 250 LAST YEAR TO 850 BY THE END OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR,

AMONG THE INTERPRETERS NOW IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE IS MR ALEX CHAN WHO, WITH HIS COLLEAGUES, DOES THE ENGLISH AND CANTONESE INTERPRETATIONS AT THE LEGISLATIVE AND URBAN COUNCILS, VAR JOUS COMMITTEES AND DISTRICT BOARDS, AND AT PRESS CONFERENCES.

BEFORE JOINING THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION UNIT, ALEX CHAN SERVED AS A COURT INTERPRETER. THE WORK HE DID THEN WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE DOES NOW.

+ IN ADDITION TO A FLUENT COMMAND OF BOTH LANGUAGES NEEDED FOR PRECISION, SPLIT-SECOND INTERPRETATION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER, WE ARE OFTEN REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH SPECIALISED SUBJECTS AND WE MUST HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THEM IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT OUR WORK PROPERLY AND EFFICIENTLY, HE SAID.

OFTEN, THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO TEMPERAMENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRAINS WHICH ARE PART OF THE DEMANDING REQUIREMENTS OF THE BUSINESS.

+SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO THE MEETING PLACES, AND AFTER STRENUOUS MENTAL APPLICATION FOR SEVERAL HOURS, WE FIND OURSELVES SO TIRED AS TO LOSE OUR APPETITES,+ MR CHAN SAID.

BUT NONE OF THE INTERPRETERS WORKING IN THE UNIT HAS EVER RESIGNED DESPITE THE STRAIN OF THE WORK.

THE WORK OFFERS THEM MUCH SATISFACTION IN BEING ABLE TO BRIDGE THE COMMUNICATION GAP BETWEEN THE EXPATRIATES AND LOCAL PEOPLE, HE SAID.

SAID MR CHENG: +THEY'RE ALL DOING A GOOD JOB AND I'M HAPPY WITH THEM.+

/THE GOVERNMENT