20200414

Lunar New Year Message from Chris Patten, HK Governor in 1996

1996年香港總督彭定康農曆新年賀辭
Read by Christopher PATTEN, Cantonese voiceover by CHUNG Wai-ming



(粵語版,經鍾偉明謄改)

各位觀眾︰

每年到咗呢個時候,如果可以嘅呢,大家都會與家人以及朋友喺埋一齊,自然亦會回顧過去多個月來,喺我哋身上發生 嘅重要嘅事︰或者回想嗰啲進展順利嘅事,或者展望來年可能發生嘅事,例如考試、假期、我哋嘅工作等等。

除咗對個人同家庭之外,我哋亦都會對社會整體進行回顧同展望。我哋可以睇到,過去一年,香港喺好多方面都有良好嘅進展。先講嗰啲推動社會發展同維持社會運作嘅各個組織同階層,全部都有好好嘅表現。

首先,我哋舉行了本港有史以來最成功和最民主嘅一次選舉。更多市民登記成為選民,更多市民行使公民權投票。整個選舉過程都係喺非常融洽和諧嘅氣氛之下進行,保持住港人嘅一貫作風。

我哋亦都睇到,中英政府就本港司法制度成功過渡九七嘅問題達成協議。呢項協議嘅簽訂,為香港能夠繼續享有法治,帶嚟樂觀嘅前景,而法治正係香港社會維持繁榮安定嘅其中一項要素嚟。

至於我哋嘅公務員,喺任何時候,都能夠秉承盡忠職守嘅優良傳統,繼續為市民提供最好嘅服務。呢個係世界上最優秀嘅公務員隊伍之一。現時,每一位公務員都能夠以較前開放同向公眾加倍負責嘅態度,從善如流,精益求精,竭誠為每一位香港市民服務。

因此,我相信過去一年,對各個階層嚟講,都係美好嘅一年。我哋亦可以睇到,中英兩國間嘅關係和氣氛有所改善。籌備委員會主任委員錢其琛先生喺中國政府掌管要職,必定可以協助計劃香港嘅未來。去年秋天,錢先生以中國國務院副總理兼外交部部長嘅身分,訪問倫敦,同英國部長級官員舉行咗不少具有實質效益嘅工作會議。

跟住,英國外相聶偉敬喺今年一月回訪北京,此行亦非常成功。我希望呢啲接觸,有助解決過去數年雙方喺在談判桌上遇到嘅一些難題,以及使嗰啲懸而未決的事,能夠一如我哋所想,喺一九九七年年中前獲得解決。

我殷切期望喺未來幾個月,中英之間嘅磋商可以取得更快嘅進展。我哋確實需要做到呢一點。

喺經濟方面,我哋嘅表現好過一啲悲觀嘅預測好多。

本港經濟持續增長,雖然增長速度或者未能夠達到我哋嘅期望。通脹率仍然稍嫌偏高,不過已逐漸回落。至於失業率,雖然係上升咗一啲,但仍然係低過其他地方。咁樣提醒了我哋,必須加強訓練以及再培訓工作,嚟到確保失業人士好快可以搵到另一份理想嘅職業。

我哋衷心希望能夠確保喺香港,所有想工作嘅人都能夠搵到工作,都能夠對香港作出貢獻。對於社會嚟講,呢個係我哋嘅首要任務。

喺社會福利工作方面,我哋亦取得進展。我哋為老人以及殘疾人士提供更多設施。此外,我好高興,我哋終於可以為強制性公積金制度奠下基礎。日後,呢個制度會為老人晚年嘅生活提供經濟上嘅保障。

我哋必須確保老人得到應有的照顧,因為香港今日嘅成就,可以講係佢哋昔日努力嘅成果嚟。

喺成功嘅呢一年完結,我哋展望將來,數一數大約五百幾日之後,即係九七年年中,香港嘅主權就會移交中國。現時距離呢個日子,唔夠五百日,當我明年向大家拜年嘅時候,其間相隔,更加會少過一百五十日添。時間過得好快,而我哋 仍然有好多工作要做。

不過,如果中英關係良好,我有信心,餘下嘅問題係可以獲得解決嘅。當然,明年稍後,候任行政長官被選出之後,佢會應付好多重要嘅工作,但我相信,無論係邊一位出任第一屆特區政府行政長官,接替我掌管要職,佢都會得到全港市民嘅愛戴同支持。

我相信,我最經常被問及嘅一個問題,亦係我比其他人更多被問及嘅一個問題就係,呢一切行得通嗎?未來的香港,會否繼續好似現在咁成功?會否依舊係一個安居樂業嘅好地方?而我嘅回覆總係樂觀,不過絕對唔係盲目嘅樂觀。如果我話香港無任何困難或者問題,無人會相信。但係,我深信縱使面對種種難題,我哋亦都能夠應付裕如。

有兩個原因令我咁樂觀:

第一個原因,我認為極之重要嘅就係,香港人應變力強,勇於面對挑戰。喺過去四、五十年,佢哋曾遇到種種困難,但係都能夠一一克服。

我哋嘅制度行之有效。我哋決意奉行呢個制度,而只要我哋能堅守而且維護呢個制度,能夠忠於自己,我深信香港將來一定會繼續繁榮昌盛,取得卓越嘅成就。

第二個令我樂觀嘅原因,同樣係十分簡單和明顯。我喺呢度嘅學校、大學、訓練學院、位於青衣同柴灣等地嘅科技學院,見過相當多嘅香港年青人。嗰日,我喺播音室同一班年青人共聚咗一小時,佢哋向我提出咗好多問題,幾個星期前,我喺一個學校集會上,向全體學生致辭。一次又一次,香港年青人嘅特質,使我留下深刻印象。佢哋熱心、開朗、幽默、忠誠,不但立志對工作全力以赴,希望學以致用,仲決意要為香港締造一個更美好嘅將來。

我相信佢哋嘅努力,一定能夠使香港喺未來數十年,喺二十一世紀,取得更卓越嘅成就。

(彭)新春快樂。

Hello.

At this time of year when people are - if they can possibly manage it - with their families and their friends, it's natural for all of us to think back over the previous months at all the highlights: the things that went well, and perhaps to look ahead to what's going to happen in the coming year: the exams, the holidays, the things we have to do at work, and so on.

Well, what we do in our own families we do as a community too, and looking back over the last year in Hong Kong we can see an awful lot that's gone well, for a start, things that have gone well for those institutions, those parts of our community, which actually make things work, which run things.

We had, for a start, the most successful - the most democratic - elections in our history. More people registered to vote, more people exercised their civic right to vote, and the whole thing was carried off with a great deal of good humour and moderation, as you'd expect in Hong Kong.

We've also seen an agreement on the successful transfer of our administration of justice through 1997, which will make a tremendous difference to the possibilities for the Rule of Law; and as we know the Rule of Law is one of the real key ingredients in Hong Kong's well-being.

And all the time we've seen the civil service continuing to do the job they do so well, so magnificently well - One of the best civil services in the world, serving you - the men, women, and children of Hong Kong - doing so in a more open and accountable way than ever before, always willing to learn to do things better if they get the sort of advice on how to manage that.

So it's been a good year, I think, for all those parts of our community. I think we can also point to an improvement in the atmosphere and the relations between Britain and China. Mr Qian Qichen who runs the preparatory committee so is in a key position in China to help to shape our future, Mr Qian Qichen as Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister went to London last autumn and had some good solid working meetings with British ministers.

And then Malcolm Rifkind, his opposite number, the Foreign Minister in the UK, went back to Peking in January and also had a very successful visit, so I hope that will help us to clear away some of the problems we've had on the negotiating table over the last years, and I hope it will help us to work through some of the backlog of issues that all of us want to clear up before the middle of 1997.

I very much hope that we'll see faster progress in the coming months. We certainly need to do so.

Our economy has done much better than some of the gloomiest predictions suggested.

We've continued to grow, although not perhaps quite as fast as we'd all like. We've seen inflation edging down, although it's still - I'm afraid - a bit too high, and we've seen unemployment - alas - going up a little (not as high as in other places) and reminding us of the absolutely crucial importance of us doing more in training and retraining to ensure that people if they lose a job - are only out of work for a very short while before they can get back into rewarding employment.

We really - it's our number one priority in the social area - we really want to ensure that everybody who wants to work in Hong Kong can do so, can make their contribution.

We've made progress too on the social side, more facilities for the elderly, more for the disabled, and I'm delighted that we've finally got in place the building blocks for our mandatory provident fund, which is going to be the source of financial support for the elderly in the future.

We really should make sure that the elderly get the fair deal which they're entitled to. After all, they made Hong Kong what it is today.

We look ahead from that pretty successful year, and we look ahead I suppose over 500 days - to the transition to Chinese sovereignty in the middle of 1997 - less than 500 days now - and when I speak to you this time next year it'll be less than 150, so time is galloping past, and there's still quite a bit to do.
But I'm reasonably confident that - given the better atmosphere between Britain and China we'll sort out the remaining problems. There's, of course, a big job to do for the Chief Executive Designate when he or she is chosen later in the year, and I know that whoever gets that crucial job, following me as the head of the first SAR government - I know that whoever gets that job - will be able to count on the goodwill and support of the whole community.

I suppose that I'm asked more than anybody else, and it's the most frequent question I get, I'm asked: Is it all going to work? Is Hong Kong going to continue to be as successful and decent and good a place to live in the future, as it is today? And I answer - I answer optimistically. Not mindless optimism. Nobody believes you if you deny that there are any difficulties or problems, but I think we can take those in our stride.

I answer optimistically for two reasons:

First of all, and for me it's a very important reason, first of all because of the resilience, the courage, of the people of Hong Kong, who've taken an awful lot of more difficult things in their stride in the last forty of fifty years.

We've got a system here which we know works. We're committed to it, and provided we stick to it, provided we're prepared to stand up for it, provided we're true to ourselves, then I'm sure that Hong Kong will continue to be very, very successful in the future.

The second reason why I'm optimistic is equally simple and equally clear. I see an awful lot of the young people of Hong Kong. I see them in schools, and universities, in training institutes, in technical colleges like Tsing Yi and Chai Wan. I saw a group the other day in a broadcasting studio and they asked me questions for about an hour. I addressed - a couple of weeks ago - a whole school at their assembly and I am struck over and over again by the quality of the young people of Hong Kong - enthusiastic, cheerful, humorous, committed, determined not just to do their best in their own careers, not just to make the most of the education and training they're getting, but determined to build an even better future for Hong Kong than its past.

I think that they will help to shape a marvellous city in the 21st century - in the decades that lie ahead.
Sun Chun Fai Lok.

(書面語版:政府新聞處)
各位觀眾︰

每年到了這個時候,如果可以的話,大家都會與家人和朋友聚在一起,自然亦會回顧過去一年來,發生在我們身上的重要事情︰或是想那些進展順利的事,或是展望來年會發生的事,例如考試、假期、我們的工作等等。

除對個人和家庭外,我們亦會對社會整體進行回顧和展望。我們可以看到,過去一年,香港在許多方面都有良好的進展。先說那些推動社會發展和維持社會運作的各個組織和階層,全都有很好的表現。

首先,我們舉行了本港有史以來最成功和最民主的一次選舉。更多市民登記成為選民,更多市民行使公民權投票。整個選舉過程都是在非常融洽和諧的氣氛下進行,保持着港人的一貫作風。

我們亦看到,中英政府就本港司法制度成功過渡九七的問題達成協議。這項協議,為香港能夠繼續享有法治,帶來樂觀的前景,而法治正是香港社會維持繁榮安定的其中一項要素。

至於我們的公務員,在任何時候,都能秉承盡忠職守的優良傳統,繼續為市民提供最好的服務。這是世界上最優秀的公務員隊伍之一。現時,每位公務員都能夠較以前開放和向公眾加倍負責的態度,從善如流,精益求精,竭誠為每位香港市民服務。

因此,我相信過去一年,在社會的這些方面來說,都是美好的一年。我們亦可以看到,中英兩國間的關係和氣氛有所改善。錢其琛先生作為籌備委員會的主任委員,定可代表中國政府協助計劃香港的未來。去年秋天,錢其琛先生以中國國務院副總理兼外交部部長的身分,訪問倫敦,與英國部長級官員舉行了不少有建設性和具實際效益的工作會議。

接着,英國外相聶偉敬於本年一月回訪北京,此行亦非常成功。我希望這些接觸,有助解決過去數年雙方在談判桌上遇到的一些難題,以及使那些懸而未決的事,能夠正如我們所希望的一樣,在一九九七年年中前獲得解決。

我殷切期望在未來數月,中英之間的磋商可以取得更快的進展。我們確實需要做到這點。

在經濟方面,我們的表現較一些悲觀的預測好得多。

本港經濟持續增長,雖然增長速度或許未能達到我們的期望。通脹率仍稍嫌偏高,但已逐漸回落。至於失業率,雖然是上升了一些,但仍較其他地方為低。這提醒了我們,必須加強訓練及再培訓工作,以確保失業人士很快便可找到另一份理想的職業。

我們衷心希望能夠確保在香港,所有想工作的人都能找到工作,都能對香港作出貢獻。對於社會來說,這是我們的首要任務。

在社會福利工作方面,我們亦取得進展。我們為老人及殘疾人士提供更多設施。此外,我很高興,我們終於可以為強制性公積金制度奠下基礎。日後,這個制度將會為老人晚年的生活提供經濟上的保障。

我們必須確保老人得到應有的照顧,因為香港今天的成就,可以說是他們昔日努力的成果。

在這成功的一年完結時,我們展望將來,展望大約五百多日後,即在一九九七年年中,香港的主權便會移交中國。現時距離這個日子,不到五百天,當我明年同樣時間向大家拜年時,其間相隔,更會少於一百五十天。時間過得很快,而我們仍有不少工作要做。

不過,如果中英關係良好,我有信心,餘下的問題可以獲得解決。當然,今年稍後,候任行政長官被選出後,他/她將須應付很多重要的工作,但我相信,無論是誰出任第一屆特區政府行政長官,接替我掌管要職,他/她都會得到全港市民的愛戴和支持。

我相信,我最經常被問及的一個問題,也是我比其他人更多被問及的一個問題就是,這一切行得通嗎?未來的香港,會否繼續這樣成功?會否依舊是一個安居樂業的好地方?而我的回覆總是樂觀的,但絕不是盲目地樂觀。如果我說香港沒有任何困難或問題,沒有人會相信。不過,我深信縱使面對種種難題,我們亦能應付裕如。

有兩個原因令我這樣樂觀:

第一個原因,一個我認為極重要的原因是,香港人應變力強,勇於面對挑戰。在過去四、五十年,他們曾遇到種種困難,但都能一一克服。

我們的制度行之有效。我們決意奉行這個制度,而只要我們能堅守並維護這個制度,且能夠忠於自己,我深信香港將來定會繼續繁榮昌盛,取得卓越的成就。

第二個令我樂觀的原因,同樣是十分簡單和明顯的。我在這裏的學校、大學、訓練學院、位於青衣和柴灣等地的科技學院,見過相當多的香港人。那天,我在播音室和一班年青人共聚了一小時,他們向我提出了許多問題,數星期前,我在一個學校集會上,向全體學生致辭。一次又一次,香港年青人的特質,使我留下深刻印象。他們熱心、開朗、幽默、忠誠,不但立志對工作全力以赴,不僅希望學以致用,還決意要為香港締造一個更美好的將來。

我相信他們的努力,定能使香港在二十一世紀,在未來的日子,取得更卓越的成就。

祝大家新春快樂。

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