The new director of Radio Television Hong Kong was yesterday met on his first day at work with calls to resign (note 1) and a warning of possible strike action (工業行動).
Staff members also rolled out (note 2) a black carpet as Roy Tang Yun-kwong arrived at the station's Kowloon Tong offices, which were adorned (裝飾) with placards.
Some read: "Appointment of an administrative officer is an Arabian nights fantasy (空想)" and "We do not want an administrative officer ... We want an editor-in-chief."
About 30 RTHK staff dressed in black (穿黑色衣服) were there to meet him as were several members of the Civic Party and Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, the latter two protesting at the appointment of an officer with no broadcasting experience.
"All RTHK staff and the public have the right to express their views (note 3). I understand that the staff have opinions over the appointment, but as director of broadcasting my job is to cooperate with our staff," Tang said, adding he was not embarrassed (尷尬) by the protest.
"In the RTHK charter (憲章), the sixth regulation says clearly that RTHK enjoys editorial freedom. Although it is just six words [in Chinese], the spirit of editorial freedom (note 4) is very clear," he said.
He also said public confidence in the station was established through 83 years of its history and he will do everything possible to ensure it is not diminished (減退).
RTHK Program Staff Union chairwoman Janet Mak Lai-ching said Tang's background as a civil servant puts him in conflict with (note 5) his new post.
"His 24 years as an administrative officer has given him a mindset (想法) that matches the government's policies. RTHK, as a public broadcaster, needs to monitor (note 6) the government's policies. This leads to contradiction and conflict," she said.
From good to better English:
(note 1) with calls to resign=要求他下臺。Call=召集，徵召；號召；喚醒。Call a meeting=召集會議。Victor calls that mean= Victor以為那是小氣的。Call to mind=想起。Call the tune [shots]=發號施令。
(note 2) rolled out=鋪上。Roll out也可以解做推出。Roll=滾動，溜轉, 卷捆。Julian rolled the string into a ball=Julian把線卷成一團。Years roll on=歲月流逝。roll the bones=閒談；吹牛。
(note 3) express their views=表達意見。Express=表示，表現，表達。express regret=表示遺憾。Express oneself=表達自己的意思。An express ticket=快車票。
(note 4) editorial freedom=編輯自主權。
(note 5) in conflict with=有衝突。Conflict=衝突，矛盾，抵觸。a conflict of opinions [views]=意見的衝突。 a conflict of laws=法律條文的相抵觸。 undergo an inner conflict=思想上產生矛盾。 come into conflict with Bo Bo=和Bo Bo衝突。 in conflict with Mo Mo= 和Mo Mo有矛盾。
(note 6) monitor=監察，檢驗，檢查；調節；探索，追蹤 （admonishes, cautions, or reminds, especially with respect to matters of conduct）。
Victor’s View: It seems impossible for a government bureaucrat to lead a team of journalists as their value systems can’t be further apart.
(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)
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