Two young census officers were injured (受傷) when they panicked (驚慌) and fell down (note 2) a slope after being chased by dogs on Lantau yesterday.
The two, a 21-year-old man surnamed Lee and a 20-year-old woman named Mok, scraped their hands and legs (手腳有瘀傷) and were sent to Mui Wo outpatient clinic. The accident happened at 28 Tung Wan Tau Road near the Methodist Conference Centre at about 3pm.
After interviewing a resident named Leung, the two were walking up (note 3) a 150-meter stretch (一段路程) of stone steps to see another woman, named Lee. But as they approached the house - which has many dogs - one of the animals barked and chased the pair.
They ran but fell down the moss- covered (滿布苔蘚) ramp next to the steps before escaping to the Methodist center.
Lee and Mok, who are from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, are responsible for the Cheung Chau and Mui Wo areas. Another census officer, who asked not to be named, said there is no training for staff on how to protect themselves against (note 4) dogs.
However, they have been told not to confront (對付) dogs. If they sense danger, they are told to flee (note 5) . They are also advised to take along an umbrella and could also ask for an anti-dog device (器具) but they have to apply for it. Lee and Mok had brought anti-dog devices and had been taught how to use them during training sessions that lasted between eight and 16 hours.
A government spokesman said groups of census officers are sent to rural areas (郊區). Once there, they
work in pairs. Yesterday was the second day of the second census phase, which requires officers to conduct face-to-face (面對面) interviews with households that had not submitted questionnaires (問卷) by mail or online.
From good to better English:
(note 1) send someone packing=令人趕快逃跑，又可以解作解雇。A pack=一堆；大量，大堆。Packing=包裝。When Victor told Julian he loved her, it was a pack of lies=當Victor對 Julian說他很愛她的時候，Victor是一片謊言。The car was packed with passengers=車裡擠滿了乘客。
(note 2) fall down=摔倒、失足。The barometer is falling=氣溫正在下降。The curtain falls=幕落。 Night falls=夜色降臨。Fall asleep= 睡著，入睡。 Mo Mo fell ill yesterday and couldn’t come to work= Mo Mo昨天病倒了，不能上班。
(note 3) walk up=走，步行。Walk on air =(因成功)高興得飄飄然。Walk the streets=賣淫。walk of life=職業；身分；階級。
(note 4) protect against=自我保護。Protect=保護，包庇，守護。a protected state=保護國。Protectionism=保護貿易主義。Protectionist=保護貿易主義者。
(note 5) sense danger and flee=感到有危險時馬上逃跑。Flee from=逃避，逃出。flee from temptation=避免誘惑。flee the dangerous place=逃離險地。
Victor’s View: Census workers, most of them students, must take precaution when they visit unfamiliar places. Take care, young folks! You are the pillars of our society.
(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 3 books on English-enhancement and plans to write 7 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)
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