20150602-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——The English language in Hong Kong is dying !
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——The English language in Hong Kong is dying !
2015-06-02
I have two accounts with a very large bank in Hong Kong. Whenever I phone the bank to do phone-banking, a recorded message would give me the option (choice) to select English, Cantonese or Putonghua. I always select English. There is also an option for phone-banking customers to talk to a real person if necessary. Before, when I opted (chose) to talk to a real person, the customer service representative would always begin by speaking in English because I had selected the English option. But now, the customer service representative always begins by speaking in Cantonese even though I had selected English from the language options.
What is the point of giving me a choice of languages when only the recorded messages are in the language I choose? Most people who select the English option don't speak Cantonese. Imagine their surprise when, after selecting the English option, they need to talk to a real person but the customer service representative who answers the phone says: "My name is Angie, how can I help you?" in Cantonese. Whenever this happens to me, I always remind the person that I had selected the English option. They then always switch back to English, but the English of some customer service representatives is so bad that I find it easier to speak to them in Cantonese.
If you phone-bank, it means you do things, such as money transfers from one account to another, on the phone. Most people prefer doing it on the internet, which is called internet banking. I prefer phone-banking because I always worry that crooks (thieves, bad people) will hack into my account if I do internet banking. To hack into your account is to get into your account by using illegal means to find out your password. Internet banking also does not give customers the option to talk to customer relations representatives. It is a clear sign that the English language in Hong Kong is dying when customer relations representatives answer phone calls in Cantonese even though bank customers had selected the English option.
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我在香港一間很大規模的銀行裏有兩個戶口。每次我打電話去銀行做電話理財（phone-banking），那段錄音訊息都會給我英語、廣東話或普通話的選項（option），我總是選取英語。顧客若有需要跟真人對話，電話理財（phone-banking）亦有此一選項（option）。從前，當我選取了（opted）跟真人對話，客戶服務員總會先以英語開始說話，因為我選了英語這一選項（option）。但如今客戶服務員總是先以廣東話開場，即使我在語言選項（options）中已經選擇了英語。
若果只得錄音訊息是屬於我所選取的語言，給人語言的選擇又有何意義？大部分選取英語選項（option）的人，根本不懂得說廣東話。試想像一下他們有多訝異，當選取了英語後，他們要跟真人對話，那位接線的客戶服務員卻以廣東話道：「我叫Angie，請問有咩可幫到你？」每當有這樣的情況發生我身上，我便總會提醒那位服務員，我剛才選取了英語選項（option）。他們便都轉而說英語，但有些客戶服務員的英文真的很差，我用廣東話跟他們交談還更容易呢。
若你phone-bank，即是電話理財，例如在電話上做戶口轉帳。大部份人偏好網上理財，就是internet banking。我偏好電話理財（phone-banking），因為我常常擔心若我做網上理財（internet banking），會有騙子（crooks）入侵（hack）我的戶口。To hack into your account就是以非法手段找到你的密碼，登入你的戶口。網上理財（internet banking）亦未有提供與客戶服務員對話的選項（option）。當銀行顧客已經選擇了英語選項（option），客戶服務員卻以廣東話接聽電話--這正正反映一個很明顯的跡象，就是香港的英語正步向死亡。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-06-02
I have two accounts with a very large bank in Hong Kong. Whenever I phone the bank to do phone-banking, a recorded message would give me the option (choice) to select English, Cantonese or Putonghua. I always select English. There is also an option for phone-banking customers to talk to a real person if necessary. Before, when I opted (chose) to talk to a real person, the customer service representative would always begin by speaking in English because I had selected the English option. But now, the customer service representative always begins by speaking in Cantonese even though I had selected English from the language options.
What is the point of giving me a choice of languages when only the recorded messages are in the language I choose? Most people who select the English option don't speak Cantonese. Imagine their surprise when, after selecting the English option, they need to talk to a real person but the customer service representative who answers the phone says: "My name is Angie, how can I help you?" in Cantonese. Whenever this happens to me, I always remind the person that I had selected the English option. They then always switch back to English, but the English of some customer service representatives is so bad that I find it easier to speak to them in Cantonese.
If you phone-bank, it means you do things, such as money transfers from one account to another, on the phone. Most people prefer doing it on the internet, which is called internet banking. I prefer phone-banking because I always worry that crooks (thieves, bad people) will hack into my account if I do internet banking. To hack into your account is to get into your account by using illegal means to find out your password. Internet banking also does not give customers the option to talk to customer relations representatives. It is a clear sign that the English language in Hong Kong is dying when customer relations representatives answer phone calls in Cantonese even though bank customers had selected the English option.
＊ ＊ ＊
我在香港一間很大規模的銀行裏有兩個戶口。每次我打電話去銀行做電話理財（phone-banking），那段錄音訊息都會給我英語、廣東話或普通話的選項（option），我總是選取英語。顧客若有需要跟真人對話，電話理財（phone-banking）亦有此一選項（option）。從前，當我選取了（opted）跟真人對話，客戶服務員總會先以英語開始說話，因為我選了英語這一選項（option）。但如今客戶服務員總是先以廣東話開場，即使我在語言選項（options）中已經選擇了英語。
若果只得錄音訊息是屬於我所選取的語言，給人語言的選擇又有何意義？大部分選取英語選項（option）的人，根本不懂得說廣東話。試想像一下他們有多訝異，當選取了英語後，他們要跟真人對話，那位接線的客戶服務員卻以廣東話道：「我叫Angie，請問有咩可幫到你？」每當有這樣的情況發生我身上，我便總會提醒那位服務員，我剛才選取了英語選項（option）。他們便都轉而說英語，但有些客戶服務員的英文真的很差，我用廣東話跟他們交談還更容易呢。
若你phone-bank，即是電話理財，例如在電話上做戶口轉帳。大部份人偏好網上理財，就是internet banking。我偏好電話理財（phone-banking），因為我常常擔心若我做網上理財（internet banking），會有騙子（crooks）入侵（hack）我的戶口。To hack into your account就是以非法手段找到你的密碼，登入你的戶口。網上理財（internet banking）亦未有提供與客戶服務員對話的選項（option）。當銀行顧客已經選擇了英語選項（option），客戶服務員卻以廣東話接聽電話--這正正反映一個很明顯的跡象，就是香港的英語正步向死亡。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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