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of the Whole Council to study and report upon the feasibility of introducing a system of simultaneous translation at Council meetings. The Ad Hoc Committee recently held its first meeting and I understand that it intends to conduct an experiment in the use of simultaneous translation using English and Cantonese, provided the services of suitable interpreters can be obtained.
In reply to the last part of the question, correspondence sent to the department in Chinese is given the same consideration as correspondence received in English. As I mentioned in answer to the first part of the question, replies are provided in Chinese to a very large extent.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, may I say that I am horrified by the last sentence of the first paragraph of your answer. I am aware that a motion was passed in this Council several years ago that there should be a Chinese explanatory pamphlet issued to all applicants for all Council licences, and yet apparently the Department is only now undertaking the translation into Chinese of the regulations pertaining to the licences.
CHAIRMAN: -Sir, I think I am right in saying that the pamphlet has been translated but I will certainly check on it. What I am referring to is letters which go out to applicants for licences, which contain various spaces for conditions which have to be complied with. These may vary in each particular case, and it is in these cases that it is sometimes difficult to provide stereotyped Chinese translations.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, thank you for your answer. Pardon my remark, Sir, in my last question that I was horrified, but I withdraw that remark and I am glad that the pamphlets are issued in the Chinese language. Mr. Chairman, I would ask you in elucidation of the first sentence of your reply, what about first letters and warning letters to persons unlikely to read English, are they sent in Chinese or English, and if in English, with a Chinese translation or not?
CHAIRMAN:-I think generally, Sir, that the replies are sent in English with a Chinese translation as far as possible, but there may be some cases in which it is not possible, but as I think I explained in an answer on the same subject some months ago in this Council, we have not got the number of staff capable of working on such translations.
MR. BERNACCHI :-If indeed this Council or the Department of which you are head has not got enough translators, could provision in the Estimates be made for more translators because I think this is a matter which goes to the root of administration in Hong Kong.
CHAIRMAN: —Sir, that assurance was given in the reply which I made at a previous meeting.
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MR. BERNACCHI:-One last question, for I think the original questioner has some supplementaries, and that is the Ad Hoc Committee. Perhaps rather than provided the services of suitable interpreters can be obtained, I suggest that provided the co-operation of suitable interpreters can be obtained. I, Sir, am a member of that Sub-Committee and although perhaps the interpreters will receive an honorarium, it is the co-operation, not the services, which we require.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, do I understand correctly that with regard to the first part of my question, that the Chinese translation is only attached when the Council deems it to be necessary?
CHAIRMAN: --If the Council deems it to be necessary?
MR. HU:-If the department or you deem it to be necessary.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, if the letter is received in Chinese it is answered in Chinese, save that in a few cases, it may not be possible to do so.
MR. HU-Mr. Chairman, your answer to my first question is 'no', not all the documents and material of this Council and of the Urban Services Department written in English have a Chinese translation attached. It is only attached when it is necessary.
CHAIRMAN: It is attached in as many cases as possible, Sir.
MR. HU: --Thank you. Mr. Chairman, do you agree with me that the language barrier is a great hardship to the common people in the Colony.
CHAIRMAN: I am sorry, Sir, I missed your question. Would you repeat it please.
MR. HU: Do you agree with me Mr. Chairman, that the language barrier is a great hardship to the common people in the Colony.
MR. CHAIRMAN:-I agree that it may be a difficulty, Sir.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, with regard to the second part of my question, I would like to know when such an experiment will be conducted and will you give us the approximate time.
DR. Woo: Mr. Chairman, I am the Chairman of this Ad Hoc Committee. Final arrangements have not been made yet because it is dependent upon the number of interpreters that are available to us.
MR. HU-Will that experiment be conducted before the end of this year?
DR. WOO:--The Ad Hoc Committee is trying to arrange the experiment in the Legislative Council Chamber. Whether we can use that Chamber, I don't know.
Page 127 of 382
Page 126 of 382
230
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
of the Whole Council to study and report upon the feasi- bility of introducing a system of simultaneous translation at Council meetings. The Ad Hoc Committee recently held its first meeting and I understand that it intends to conduct an experiment in the use of simultaneous transla- tion using English and Cantonese, provided the services of suitable interpreters can be obtained.
In reply to the last part of the question, correspondence sent to the department in Chinese is given the same con- sideration as correspondence received in English. As I mentioned in answer to the first part of the question, replies are provided in Chinese to a very large extent.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, may I say that I am horrified by the last sentence of the first paragraph of your answer. I am aware that a motion was passed in this Council several years ago that there should be a Chinese explanatory pamphlet issued to all applicants for all Council licences, and yet apparently the Department is only now undertaking the translation into Chinese of the regulations pertaining to the licences.
CHAIRMAN: -Sir, I think I am right in saying that the pamphlet has been translated but I will certainly check on it. What I am referring to is letters which go out to applicants for licences, which contain various spaces for conditions which have to be complied with. These may vary in each particular case, and it is in these cases that it is sometimes difficult to provide sterotyped Chinese translations.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, thank you for your answer. Pardon my remark, Sir, in my last question that I was horrified, but I withdraw that remark and I am glad that the pamphlets are issued in the Chinese language. Mr. Chairman, I would ask you in elucida- tion of the first sentence of your reply, what about first letters and warning letters to persons unlikely to read English, are they sent in Chinese or English, and if in English, with a Chinese translation or not?
CHAIRMAN:-I think generally, Sir, that the replies are sent in English with a Chinese translation as far as possible, but there may be some cases in which it is not possible, but as I think I explained in an answer on the same subject some months ago in this Council, we have not got the number of staff capable of working on such translations.
MR. BERNACCHI :-If indeed this Council or the Department of which you are head has not got enough translators, could provision in the Estimates be made for more translators because I think this is a matter which goes to the root of administration in Hong Kong.
CHAIRMAN: —Sir, that assurance was given in the reply which I made at a previous meeting.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
231
MR. BERNACCHI:-One last question, for I think the original questioner has some supplementaries, and that is the Ad Hoc Com- mittee. Perhaps rather than provided the services of suitable interpre- ters can be obtained, I suggest that provided the co-operation of suitable interpreters can be obtained. I, Sir, am a member of that Sub- Committee and although perhaps the interpreters will receive an honorarium, it is the co-operation, not the services, which we require.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, do I understand correctly that with regard to the first part of my question, that the Chinese translation is only attached when the Council deems it to be necessary?
CHAIRMAN: --If the Council deems it to be necessary?
MR. HU:-If the department or you deem it to be necessary.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, if the letter is received in Chinese it is answered in Chinese, save that in a few cases, it may not be possible to do so.
MR. HU-Mr. Chairman, your answer to my first question is 'no', not all the documents and material of this Council and of the Urban Services Department written in English have a Chinese transla- tion attached. It is only attached when it is necessary.
CHAIRMAN: It is attached in as many cases as possible, Sir.
MR. HU: --Thank you. Mr. Chairman, do you agree with me that the language barrier is a great hardship to the common people in the Colony.
CHAIRMAN: I am sorry, Sir, I missed your question. Would you repeat it please.
MR. HU: Do you agree with me Mr. Chairman, that the language barrier is a great hardship to the common people in the Colony.
MR. CHAIRMAN:-I agree that it may be a difficulty, Sir.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, with regard to the second part of my question, I would like to know when such an experiment will be con- ducted and will you give us the approximate time.
DR. Woo: Mr. Chairman, I am the Chairman of this Ad Hoc Committee. Final arrangements have not been made yet because it is dependent upon the number of interpreters that are available to us. MR. HU-Will that experiment be conducted before the end of this year?
DR. WOO:--The Ad Hoc Committee is trying to arrange the ex- periment in the Legislative Council Chamber. Whether we can use that Chamber, I don't know.
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