Page 87 of 150
158
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before taking the first item on to-day's agenda, Members will, I think, wish me to express the deep sympathy of this Council towards the relatives of those persons who lost their lives, to those who were injured, and to the many thousands rendered homeless as a result of Typhoon "Wanda", which struck the Colony on 1st September.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:--On behalf of the Elected Members, Mr. Chairman, I rise to associate myself with the remarks you have just made in regard to the appalling loss and suffering that some people in the Colony have received from the recent disastrous visit of Typhoon "Wanda". Having had personal experience of the Typhoon, in fact, at the place where I live, I can well understand its devastating force. I am happy to note, however, that public response for aid to those who are in need of help, has been good.
MR. K. A. WATSON:--Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Appointed Members, may I associate ourselves with your remarks. I spent the whole of yesterday at Sha Tin, where the desperate condition of the homeless there, their ruined houses, ruined boats, I think would make anyone, even the most hard-hearted person, extremely sympathetic.
CHAIRMAN:--There is one other matter before we go on to the agenda. I wish to extend our congratulations to Mr. FUNG Hon-chu on his appointment to the Legislative Council.
MR. FUNG HON-CHU: ---Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Applause).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 7th August, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of August 1962.
QUESTIONS.
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question:-
The Wah Kiu Yat Po has produced a complete Chinese translation of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and Regulations. Would the Chairman state whether he would accept it as an official version?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
159
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
If Crown Copyright is not to be infringed, the private translation or reproduction of any ordinance or enactment, for sale or other disposal to the public, requires the prior permission of Government. This is normally given, on application to the department concerned or to the Colonial Secretary, subject to compliance with the following conditions:
(i) that the publication of any such translation does not contain any matter, apart from advertisements, which is not a translation of the matter appearing in the legislation concerned;
(ii) that no Government crest is used on the front cover of the publication;
(iii) that the title of any such publication should make clear that it is an unofficial translation, in whatever language is used, of the legislation; and
(iv) that a disclaimer, in both English and the language of the translation, be inserted below the title, in clear and legible type, preferably within a box frame not less than 3 by 2 inches in size, to the effect that the translation or publication is private, unofficial, and the Hong Kong Government disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy of the contents.
(At this point Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN entered the meeting)
The translation referred to in your question, Sir, was authorized by Government after the newspaper concerned had given a written undertaking to observe these conditions, but, however useful to the public such a translation may be, the difficulties of accurately rendering this and other enactments into Chinese official versions are enormous, and fraught, moreover, with legal pitfalls which I am sure Members will be the first to appreciate. To avoid disputation it is therefore considered that only the English version of any legislation in Hong Kong should be the authoritative text.
DR. LEE:--That is the official attitude, Mr. Chairman. I wonder how they handle this question of legislation in universal organizations, like the United Nations, where so many languages are involved?
CHAIRMAN:--I assume, Sir, that they also must have an authoritative text, but I will make further inquiries into the point, if you wish.
DR. LEE:--Thank you.
Page 88 of 150
160
50
UT
Page 87 of 150
158
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before taking the first item on to-day's agenda, Members will, I think, wish me to express the deep sympathy of this Council towards the relatives of those persons who lost their lives, to those who were injured, and to the many thousands rendered homeless as a result of Typhoon "Wanda", which struck the Colony on 1st September.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:--On behalf of the Elected Members, Mr. Chairman, I rise to associate myself with the remarks you have just made in regard to the appalling loss and suffering that some people in the Colony have received from the recent disastrous visit of Typhoon "Wanda". Having had personal experience of the Typhoon, in fact, at the place where I live, I can well understand its devastating force. I am happy to note, however, that public response for aid to those who are in need of help, has been good.
MR. K. A. WATSON:-Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Appointed Members, may I associate ourselves with your remarks. I spent the whole of yesterday at Sha Tin, where the desperate condition of the homeless there, their ruined houses, ruined boats, I think would make anyone, even the most hard-hearted person, extremely sympathetic.
CHAIRMAN:-There is one other matter before we go on to the agenda. I wish to extend our congratulations to Mr. FUNG Hon-chu on his appointment to the Legislative Council.
MR. FUNG HON-CHU: ---Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Applause).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 7th August, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services
Department for the month of August 1962.
QUESTIONS.
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question:-
The Wah Kiu Yat Po has produced a complete Chinese translation of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and Regulations. Would the Chairman state whether he would accept it as an official version?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
159
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
If Crown Copyright is not to be infringed, the private transla- tion or reproduction of any ordinance or enactment, for sale or other disposal to the public, requires the prior permission of Government. This is normally given, on application to the department concerned or to the Colonial Secretary, subject to compliance with the following condi-
tions:
(i) that the publication of any such translation does not contain any matter, apart from advertisements, which is not a translation of the matter appearing in the legislation concerned;
(ii) that no Government crest is used on the front cover
of the publication;
(iii) that the title of any such publication should make clear that it is an unofficial translation, in whatever language is used, of the legislation; and
(iv) that a disclaimer, in both English and the language of the translation, be inserted below the title, in clear and legible type, preferably within a box frame not less than 3 by 2 inches in size, to the effect that the translation or publication is private, unofficial, and the Hong Kong Government disclaims all responsi- bility for the accuracy of the contents.
(At this point Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN entered the meeting)
The translation referred to in your question, Sir, was authorized by Government after the newspaper concerned had given a written undertaking to observe these conditions, but, however useful to the public such a translation may be, the difficulties of accurately rendering this and other enactments into Chinese official versions are enormous, and fraught, moreover, with legal pitfalls which I am sure Members will be the first to appreciate. To avoid dis- putation it is therefore considered that only the English version of any legislation in Hong Kong should be the authoritative text.
DR. LEE:-That is the official attitude, Mr. Chairman. I wonder how they handle this question of legislation in universal organizations, like the United Nations, where so many languages are involved?
CHAIRMAN :—I assume, Sir, that they also must have an authorita- tive text, but I will make further inquiries into the point, if you wish.
DR. LEE:-Thank you.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.