Head of RTHK Radio 3-Jim Gould (香港電台第三台節目總監-高誼德)
Interview Transcript:
1) The relationship of Jim and HK.
高誼德與香港的關係
In UK, I used to work for the BBC. After seven years of working, I decide that it was time to travel. I took a year off from BBC to travel and I didn’t get any further.
在英國的時候，我曾經在英國廣播公司工作。工作了七年後，我決定是時候休息一下去旅遊，因此我向公司請了一年假， 然後到了香港後，就沒有離開了。
2) Why did you choose HK?
但你為何選擇香港?
I have been here before and I like it very much. So when I decided to travel, I came to HK again and because I had friends here and somewhere to stay. For the very day I arrived, I went to meet my friends in Foreign Correspondents Club and he said why are you looking at the notice board. I replied “it is because there are some interesting jobs advertising, including one here at RTHK, on the TV site”. I have been working on radio and TV in London.So I phoned and came to see the people. The next day, I went for an interview.
我曾經到過香港並十分喜歡這個地方，所以當我去旅遊時，就決定重遊香港。因為我有不少朋友都居住在此，而且更有地方下榻。 到達香港當天，我約了朋友在香港外國記者會見面。 然後他問我為何望著告示板， 其實因為告示板上貼有香港電台電視部的招聘廣告，吸引了我。因為我曾經在倫敦廣播電視行業工作，所以我就致電香港電台應徵並在翌日面試 。
3) So when did you go to work?
那麼你什麼時候上班?
It was also for particular programme. They needed a producer for a TV program called “The Weekend Politics” which is similar to what I have been doing in my last position in BBC. I was working in Westminster producing political program before.
那個職位是與某一個節目有關，香港電台當時需要為節目(週末時事)聘請製作人，工作性質內容與我當時在英國廣播公司的職位非常類近。當時我主要在西敏寺分部製作公共事務節目。
4) When did you go to work in RTHK?
那麼你什麼時候在香港電台工作?
The day after that. Within three days of arriving. Life was simpler in those days.
就是在面試翌日， 到達了香港三天內就得到了工作，以前的生活相對比較簡單。
5) You never imagine to stay in HK for working?
你未曾想像留港工作?
I did have that idea. I kind of thought I might doing this. That's how it works out so it works well for me and I stayed long time here.
我的確曾有此意，並願意留港工作。我非常滿意工作內容，所以就逗留了香港很久。
6) Why you left HK and came back again?
但為什麼你後來又離開了香港一段時間，然後再次捲土重來?
For family reasons. My parents are elderly and my father was not very well. By that time, I had a young family, nearly time for kids to go to school.
因為家庭的原因，父母年紀老邁，而且父親身體狀況不佳。當時，我的家庭還很年幼，孩子差不多要上學了。
7) Why you have the decision to come back?
但為何決定再來香港?
Because for the whole time of away, I missed HK all the time, most of my friends are here. I kept contact with people here and my colleagues in media business, in RTHK. It turned out the radio newsroom upstairs where we are sitting now needed to hire an editor. Because certain family matters were resolved in UK, I thought it was time to come back to HK with the whole family. It was a little bit strange for the kids because they were taken away from schools.
因為在離港的日子，我非常掛念香港。大部分朋友都居住在香港，而且我與香港的朋友及媒體行業的同事，尤其是香港電台的經常聯絡。後來，電台新聞部需要聘請編輯，正因當時在英國的家庭問題已處理好，所以我認為這是適當時機與家人們回港。這決定確實有點奇怪，孩子們為此需要在英國退學。
8) Can you introduce your hometown?
可介紹一下你的家鄉嗎?
My hometown, the place where I grew up and went to school is in the Southeast of England. The county is called Kent, it refers to the Garden of England. It's in the southeast corner and the climate is quite nice. There are lots of countryside and have some vineyards there.
我成長及上學的地方位於英國東南部，名叫肯特郡，意思指英國的庭園。肯特郡位於東南部，那裏的天氣非常好，也有很多郊野地方及庭園。
I must say I just presented a very nice picture of the county of Kent, although it must be said the town I went to school called Gravesend, which is actually right on the River Thames, in the industrial area. It’s in the edge of London. I like it because I'm very familiar to it. I guess wherever you grew up and went to school, you’re gonna have emotional attachment to it.
我必須要說我剛剛描述了肯特郡很美麗的一面，雖然我上學的地方名叫格雷夫森德，鄰近泰晤士河，是一個工業地區，定位於倫敦的一角。我十分喜歡格雷夫森德，因為我對那處非常熟悉。我相信只要是你成長的地方，你必定對那處充滿感情。
9) Any festivals of UK?
有什麼特色節日?
There are many festivals that take place in UK. Actually one more thing that you may interested in Gravesend, it's actually the burial place of Princess Pocahontas. There's a statue of Pocahontas in the ground of St. George's Church over the River Thames. Festivals, I mean Christmas is the main cultural festival. Probably from the middle of December until the end of December, there's not much activities at work. People are taking holidays, going to visit relatives and similar to HK Chinese New Year.
有很多節日都是在英國舉行。其實還有有一個關於格雷夫森德的地方你可能感興趣，格雷夫森德其實就是寶嘉康蒂公主的埋葬之地，在泰晤士河上的聖佐治大教堂地上矗立著公主的雕像。 關於節日，我相信聖誕節應該是主要的文化節日，大概在十二月中至尾。很多人都不會工作，市民大都放了假，準備回鄉探親，就好像香港的新年一樣。
10) Any pre-Christimas canival?
會否舉行聖誕節前的嘉年華會嗎?
There’s usually a street fair with lots of types of food and drink. It ran about the mid of December.
英國在十二月中的時候，通常會有街頭市集售賣著不同種類的飲食。
11) You have been in HK for so many years. What do you like most about HK? Because you have been worked in HK for nine years and back to England, and you still came back to HK, so what impressed you most?
你已在香港很多年了，你最喜歡香港的什麼? 因為你在香港工作了九年，後來又回到英國。但其後你又再次來港，所以香港究竟有什麼吸引你的地方?
I like the way that you can live in a modern city and yet you are surrounded by country parks, like fabulous countryside and beaches and you can access very easily.
我喜歡香港的地方在於你處身於現代城市，但同時又被郊野公園包圍著，例如美麗的鄉郊及沙灘，而且很容易就能四處去。
12) So this is the main reason?
所以這就是主要原因?
It's the same in London. Big city, if you live in London, Tokyo, Osaka, it took you very long time to get to the countryside or go to the seashore. But for HK, it's very easy and quickly. Another thing I like very much about HK is the very interesting friendly Cantonese culture. HK is very Chinese but it’s also very international, and you can meet all kinds of people here and it's easy to make friends.
這與倫敦一樣。如果你居住在大城市，例如倫敦、東京、大阪等，你就知道這需要很長時間才能去到郊野或者海旁。但在香港就變得非常容易，而且另一個我很喜歡香港的原因就是其友善的廣東文化。香港是華人社會，但同時又很國際化，你能夠認識來自不同地方的人，並十分容易結交朋友。
13) Christmas atmosphere in HK is very strong. So what will you do during Christmas?
香港的聖誕節氣氛十分濃厚，你又會如何慶祝聖誕節?
It depends. Sometimes we’ll make christmas meal at home. Probably this year,we go to make out in friend’s restaurant in a group.
通常我們都會在家一起煮聖誕大餐，而今年我們就可能成群結隊去朋友的餐廳慶祝。
14) How many years you did for Operation Santa Claus?
你籌辦愛心聖誕大行動多少年?
Five years.
五年了。
15) It's a charity work and how you feel about it?
你對於這個慈善活動有什麼感受?
It's great and it's Radio 3 main public engagement exercise because we are involved with beneficiary organizations, donors, big corporate entities who donate to Operation Santa Claus and lots of community organizations in schools who raise funds on individual level. Groups of people getting together, having a good idea and helping to raise the annual fund for Operation Santa Claus. We’ll be able to make a big difference with NGOs who came to us with ideas and special project which they bid for. Of course we have the committees which study a bit.
感覺良好，因為這是第三台舉辦的公眾活動。當中參與的有慈善團體、善長人翁及捐款的大企業，以及不少以個人名義籌款的在校團體。每年都會有一大班人聚在一起並構思如何增加籌辦基金，我們會與非政府組織 一起合作，亦有委員會負責籌辦活動。
16) How about this year?
今年會否舉辦?
This year is obviously a bit difficult because of the social unrest. Unfortunately, a lot of the events we are involved with, have to postpone.
今年就相對困難了。因為社會動盪的關係，很遺憾不少活動都因此需要延期。
17) As the national flower of UK is red rose, so is it often to see?
英國的國花是紅玫瑰，所以是否十分常見?
I think about UK, most of the people living in houses rather than the apartments. If you have a house, you probably have a garden as well. And gardening is a kind of national passion pass time, and you will relax to grow flowers in the garden and roses are very popular. I like attractive flowers but I'm never good at gardening.
在英國不少居民都是住在大宅而非公寓，如果你有一間大屋，很多時都會配有花園。 而園藝是國民的興趣，休閒時在花園裏種植，而玫瑰就是非常普遍的一種花。我喜歡美麗的花朵，但是自己就不擅於園藝。
18) Any slangs?
俚語介紹?
There is a word that only emerged in the past three years and it's a combination of Britain and Exit, and that makes “Brexit”, the United Kingdom or England leaving the European Union, which had been a member for the past forty years. It’s very controversial and it's quite a headache, frankly speaking. Little bit about UK perhaps, because most countries are the product of histories and UK got a quite colourful history. Once upon a time we had an Empire all around the world and there is an expression that the sun never set on the British Empire. I remembered Emily Lau saying before the handover, you know why that is, it’s because the God does not trust the British in the dark. But of course that's all in the past, and the imperialism is a very controversial issue and that's in the past. There are no more British Empire. But one of the benefits is the people who live in countries which used to be connected with United Kingdom, lots of people moved to UK so UK itself is much more multicultural place than it was before, which enriches the life of the country.
最近有一個潮語是三年前才開始興起，由「英國」和「脫離」二字組成一個名詞叫Brexit，意思是指英國作為40年成員國之一，正式退出歐洲聯盟。英國脫歐這個舉動帶來很大爭議性，國家是歷史的產物，而英國具備獨特的歷史色彩。因為從前英國被稱為橫跨全世界的大不列顛帝國，同時亦有「日不落帝國」的美譽。 我還記得劉慧卿議員在英國移交主權前解釋日不落帝國源於上帝從不相信黑暗中的英國人，不過具爭議性的帝國主義和大不列顛帝國都已成歷史，但帶來的其中一個好處就是很多曾居住在英國殖民地的居民都移居定都英國，讓英國成為多元文化社會。
19) The difference and similarity of culture between HK and UK?
英國與香港的文化上有何差異?
I think they are both pretty a hard working places. People study hard, works hard, try to make a good living for family. If you have talent, you can succeed.
我認為兩者都是一個人民都很勤奮的地方，尤其是在學業和工作方面，都十分努力，但求一個安穩的家。而且只要你有才能，就定能成功。
