Bulletin Summer 1979

Publications of Professor D. C. Lau Q. Has the Chinese Language Research Centre formulated any plans to help standardize Cantonese pronunciation? A. The Centre is very anxious to do what it can to help standardize Cantonese pronunciation. A Cantonese glossary is under preparation at the Centre. The glossary, based on Kuang Y ü n (廣 韻） and Chi Y ü n (集韻） of the Sung Dynasty and Lu Teh-ming's Notes on the Classics (經典 釋文） of the T'ang Dynasty and using books such as S. L. Wong's A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced According to the Dialect of Canton (粵音韻彙） as supplementary reference, will indicate clearly the Cantonese pronunciation of all entries. The Centre will also cooperate with the Department of Extramural Studies of this University in producing cassette tapes of recordings in Cantonese of the Three Hundred T'ang Poems and other well-known anthologies. These tapes will be of use to readers who wish to learn correct pronunciation. Q. Let us now turn to a broader question. H o w do you view dialect, Cantonese being one, in the context of the nation's language and culture? A. From the cultural point of view, much importa should be attached to dialects and dialects should be preserved, because many of them do have a longer cultural tradition than Mandarin or pu tong hua. It would be a pity if dialects, which epitomize their own cultural traditions, were to die out. In other parts of the world a new trend is becoming apparent : greater importance is attached to dialects and regional accents than before. Take broadcasting in Britain for example. Thirty years ago, only those who spoke standard English were admitted into the profession; but in recent years, the wind has completely changed, and those with a slight regional accent stand a much greater chance of being recruited. However, from the political point of view, demand for a standardized spoken and written language for the whole nation is inevitable, and 6