TNAG-2591-FCO40-3779-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 75

Mr Porten,

Auspicious, indeed!

J30/4

i

PS/Mr Datten. Datten.

Covering Confidential ihr Rickett,

This reflects the views of

Our and MK G's test sinologists

Hal Mr Patten DATE: and I recommend Hal Mr batten

goes for Option A.

100

مال

To see Mr Porter's cromonas below. It is now a ferir accomplis prenik.) (It is Option A seems fine, expecially

Since it is already in

wrs. It's a

pity that it doesn't sound a bit

KAKAR

Hush like

Battering Donald wondered

Alm

FROM:

N J Cox

Hong Kong Department 30 April 1992

Whalte ter

were amey

Pochett

301.v

7

Mr Ri

Ricketts

CHINESE NAME FOR GOVERNOR-DESIGNATE

variants based on

Pai (? Sp?) - RE

Character he maut wird is on the back of & last page. This may be on cul-de-sac - and I an

happy with A walen any

вале врави

1. It is worth taking the trouble to get this right, and last spartan there is a long tradition of our doing so eg correcting of gaming the Chinese tendency to translate the name of a Victorian sufgut envoy, Napier, with the characters Laboriously Vile. Hong Kong have given it careful thought. Miss Brooks' (RAD)

minute of 28 April is also helpful.

2. As agreed, I informally sought a third opinion from Mr Galsworthy and Mr Paul (UKRep JLG), who are both good

Chinese linguists: Mr Paul speaks Cantonese as well as

Mandarin.

altamatur.

ср

$4.5.

3. Our shared view is that as Option A (Pang Ting-hong;

Mandarin: Peng Dingkang) is already quite well-known, and

widely used by the Hong Kong media, one would need a strong

reason to change it. Its only draw-back is that the last syllable has no phonetic connection with Mr Patten's name.

Miss Brooks and I think that if one were starting from scratch Option C (Pang Tun; Mandarin: Peng Dun) would be best, sounding quite like "Patten", particularly in Cantonese. But we agree with Mr Galsworthy and Mr Paul that the advantages are not good enough to outweigh the

disadvantages of change.

For example the second character...

HKCD 016/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

13 MAY 1992

DFSK OFFICKE

NC2ACV/1

Coving Confidential

STHY

Tron Tame

ав

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