XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 34

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1986

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INTERPRETATION FACILITIES, TRAINING TO BE REVIEWED

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THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION WILL SOON EMBARK ON A REVIEW OF EXISTING FACILITIES AND THE TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR INTERPRETERS SO THAT INTERPRETATION TRAINING CAN BE FURTHER EXPANDED AND IMPROVED, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE, MR PATRICK LAU, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON WEST, MR LAU SAID THE CHIEF CONFERENCE INTERPRETER, WHO WAS NOW ON ATTACHMENT OVERSEAS TO STUDY THE LATEST METHODS OF TRAINING IN INTERPRETATION, WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE ABOVE ON HIS

RETURN.

HE SAID THIS WAS ONE OF THE IMMEDIATE TASKS RELATED TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE WHICH CALLED FOR THE SERVICES OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION.

+FOLLOWING THE RATIFICATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE DETAILS OF A NUMBER OF PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS IN ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT AND CONTACTS BETWEEN OFFICIALS OF HONG KONG AND CHINA HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY.

+TO SERVICE HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS, VISITS AND CONFERENCES ATTENDED BY OFFICIALS FROM CHINA, IN NOVEMBER 1985 THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION ESTABLISHED THE PUTONGHUA INTERPRETERS POOL,+ HE SAID.

+CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS WHO HAVE GOOD PROFICIENCY IN PUTONGHUA AND SKILFUL IN INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION WORK WERE DRAFTED INTO THE POOL TO PERFORM PUTONGHUA INTERPRETATION, HE ADDED.

MR LAU SAID TO COPE WITH THE GROWING DEMAND FOR QUALITY PUTONGHUA INTERPRETATION SERVICES, THE DIVISION INTENDED TO RECRUIT EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS WHO WERE PROFICIENT IN PUTONGHUA, ENGLISH AND CANTONESE, WHILE TRAINING OF SERVING MEMBERS OF THE PUTONGHUA INTERPRETERS POOL WAS INTENSIFIED.

HE ADDED THAT THE DIVISION ALSO HAD CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS WHO WERE PROFICIENT IN OTHER DIALECTS INCLUDING SHANGHAI, CHIU CHOW, TOISHAN, HAKKA, AMOY, HAINAN AND HOKLO TO SERVE CLIENT DEPARTMENTS FROM TIME TO TIME IN INTERVIEWS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DID NOT SPEAK CANTONESE.

MR LAU NOTED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME IN 1982 HAD MARKED A NOTABLE IMPETUS ON THE DEMAND FOR TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES IN GOVERNMENT.

/MR LAU