上周有消息称，三个刚完工的住宅大楼在从未有人入住的情况下将被拆除，这让我顿时产生了似曾相识的感觉。1974年初，我是新成立的廉政公署执行处的第一批新招募人员之一。
When news broke last week that three newly completed housing blocks were to be demolished without ever having been occupied, I suffered an immediate attack of deja vu. In early 1974, I was in the first wave of recruits to the Operations Department of the newly established Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
运气好的是，我的第一个岗位是被分配到处理旧工务司署的团队。那是我的引路人，让我得以一窥本地建筑行业中腐败和劣质工程的广阔世界。可怕的是，尽管经过了半个世纪的根除努力，有些做法似乎几乎没有任何改变。
As luck would have it, my first posting was to the team dealing with the old Public Works Department. That was my introduction to the wide world of corruption and shoddy work in the local construction industry. The terrible thing is that some practices seem to have hardly changed at all despite half a century of efforts to eradicate them.
我们当年发现的常见问题是地基挖得不够深，或者混凝土强度不达标。钢筋似乎存在特定问题：数量不够、太短、太细或位置不对。有时它们在这四个方面都存在缺陷。
Common problems we found in those days were foundations not dug deeply enough or concrete not up to strength. There seemed to be a particular issue with steel reinforcement bars: there were not enough of them, or they were too short, too thin or in the wrong place. Sometimes they were deficient in all four aspects.
安达臣道项目就是这类事件的典型例子。长实集团的一家子公司成功中标观塘的一处住宅用地。这里原本规划建设六栋共计2,930套“首置盘”，其中至少1,000套将按照房屋局的要求，以大幅折扣出售给符合资格的买家。
The Anderson Road project is a classic example of the genre. A CK Asset subsidiary was successful in the tender for a residential site in Kwun Tong. There were to be six blocks comprising 2,930 flats for starter homes, at least 1,000 of which were to be sold at a significant discount to eligible buyers as required by the Housing Bureau.
结果发现，所有六栋楼的钢筋都不合格，工程已于两年前停工。上周的一项公告称，其中三栋楼可以挽救，修补工作正在进行中；而对于另外三栋楼来说，拆除重建是最具成本效益的解决方案。
In the event, steel bars in all six blocks were found to be inadequate and work stopped two years ago. An announcement last week said three of the blocks were salvageable and remedial work was in hand; demolition and new construction was the most cost-effective solution for the other three.
就在此消息传出几天前，有类似报道称，政府正在调查赤柱新豪华住宅项目“One Stanley”涉嫌钢筋不足的指控，该项目在过去六个月里售出了约24套住宅。
The news broke just days after a similar report that the government was investigating allegations of insufficient steel bars at a new luxury residential project at One Stanley, some 24 of which had been sold in the last six months.
就在上个月，我们得知玛丽医院耗资135亿港元（合17亿美元）的新医疗大楼的全面启用已被推迟，因为发现全部28台电梯均存在缺陷，其中只有4台可以通过微小修理迅速投入使用。关于东涌东港铁站建设中的建筑材料也一直存在质疑。
It was just last month that we learned that full commissioning of a new HK$13.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) medical block at Queen Mary Hospital had been delayed as all 28 lifts were found to be defective and only four of them could be made operational quickly with minor repairs. There have also been questions about the building materials in the construction of the Tung Chung East MTR station.
面对这些事件，相关当局并非无所作为。廉政公署展开了调查，并导致安达臣道和玛丽医院案中的人员被捕和起诉。赤柱的开发商建灏地产已提供额外保修。
The relevant authorities have not been idle in the face of these events. There have been investigations by the ICAC leading to arrests and prosecutions in the Anderson Road and Queen Mary Hospital cases. The Stanley developer, K&K Property, has offered an additional warranty.
然而，这些措施基本上都是亡羊补牢。整个社会已从这些案件中蒙受了其他损失。本应可供入住的首置盘现在将推迟数月甚至数年才能准备就绪，导致预期的住户居住条件不足的时间延长。
However, such measures are essentially closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Society at large has suffered other costs from these cases. Starter homes that should have been available for occupation now will not be ready for months or even years, leaving the intended occupants inadequately housed for longer.
香港作为世界级城市的声誉在豪华住宅买家（其中一些来自海外）中受损。在开展修补工程期间，整个社区都被剥夺了享受薄扶林新医疗设施的好处。
Hong Kong’s reputation as a world-class city has been damaged among the buyers of luxury homes, some of whom are from overseas. The whole community has been denied the benefit of the new medical facilities in Pok Fu Lam while remedial works are performed.
所有这些案件中令人不安的是缺乏诚信和专业精神。这些项目在执行过程中都内置了保障措施。有定期检查、材料测试和质量抽查，但不知何故，这些严重的失误仍然漏网而过。我们有为数太多的专业人士（包括公务员）都在做最低限度的事情，而不是竭尽全力。
What is disturbing in all these cases is the lack of integrity and professionalism. The projects all have safeguards built into execution. There are regular inspections, tests on materials and checks of quality, but somehow these serious lapses still find their way through. Far too many of our professionals, including public servants, are doing the minimum necessary rather than exerting themselves to their full capacity.
这是一个文化问题，优质的领导力必须成为解决方案的一部分。所有这一切都是为了引出问责的概念，我们在所有这些以及类似案件中都被承诺过问责。坦白说，我们在空谈问责方面变得非常在行，而在实际表现上则逊色得多。
This is a cultural problem, and quality leadership must be part of the solution. All of this is by way of introduction to the concept of accountability, which we have been promised in all these and similar cases. Frankly, we have become very good at talking about accountability and rather less impressive in actual performance.
我们已经引入了一套在某些情况下剥夺基层官员薪金加薪的系统，并且我们正在引入适用于部门首长的新的问责安排。从理论上讲，我们自2002年以来就实行了主要官员问责制，但我们似乎已经把它遗忘了。我上一次听到有人提及它已经是很久以前的事了。这很奇怪，因为问责适用于各个层面，但它应该从高层开始，而不是从底层开始。
We have introduced a system to deny rank and file officers salary increases in some circumstances, and we are introducing a new arrangement for accountability applying to heads of departments. In theory, we have had a system of ministerial accountability since 2002, but we seem to have forgotten about it. It has been a long time since I last heard references to it. This is odd as accountability applies at all levels, but it should start at the top, not the bottom.
鉴于大埔火灾调查的结果——这是数代人中最大的一场灾难，造成168人丧生——预计将很快公布，我们必须把这一点做好，这一点至关重要。调查委员会的听证会揭示了几个部门和局在履职方面的缺点。问责必须是我们采取后续行动的基础，而不仅仅是一个口号。
It is vital that we get this right given that the results of an investigation into the Tai Po fire – the worst disaster in a generation, with 168 lives lost – are expected to be released soon. The committee of inquiry’s hearings revealed shortcomings in the performance of several departments and bureaus. Accountability must be the basis on which we take follow-up action, not just a slogan.