董建華寫信請辭行政局議員之職，港督彭定康當日的回信由政府部門附了中譯發給報刊去用。原信甚為得體，盡見港督心思；中譯雖然達意，畢竟蒼白了一點；通篇沒有適當的公文用語，顯得不倫不類。時代不同了，傳統的書牘格式和辭藻未必完全合用，再寫「緬想興居，極深馳系。湘省近事，迭以電陳，度已備邀英察」云云，似嫌迂腐。但是，港督信上"I"來"you"去，譯成「你」來「我」往，實在難看。避掉這堆白話，當見清貴之氣。港督說："Thank you for your letter of today''s date. Whealked earlier this year, I said that I hoped that you would stay on the Executive cil for as long as you felt able to do so. As you know, I have always valued and respected your advice even, indeed particularlly, when our views differed, since you always gave that advice holy, impartially and ierests of Hong Kong. But we bhat a point might e when you felt that the tensioween your appoi as Vice-chairman of the Preparatory ittee and your pla ExCo became too great. I respect your judgement that you feel that that time has now e, and I therefore accept ynation from the Executive Coucil..." 政府的中譯云：「頃接今日來信，內容備悉。今年較早時，我曾與你商談。當時我說，只要你覺得能力所及，我希望你能一直在行政局留任。我向來很重視你的意見，相信你也知道：即使彼此看法不同，我對於你的不同見解尤為重視，因為你提出意見時，完全出於至誠，大公無私，並以香港的利益為依歸。但我們都了解，你身為行政局議員，又獲委任為籌委會副主席，終有一天，身兼兩職的壓力會大得難以應付。你認為現在已是退出行政局的時候，我尊重你的判斷，只好接受你的請辭。」
原信確有不少英文說法很不容易譯成像樣的中文，「今年較早時」是一例；「商談」當有賓語為宜；「能力所及」似嫌看低董氏才幹；「一直」也不甚妥。姑且試譯此段如下：「今日來信收悉，謝謝。月前晤談中齒及深盼先生應接有暇，盡量留任行政局之職；此議實因平素甚為重視高見，雙方觀點相違之時尤然，蓋先生從來坦誠進言，不偏不倚，以香港利益為重也。然言談間彼此亦深知身兼籌委會副主席及行政局議員之職，勢必格外吃力，終致不勝其荷。先生既感辭職合時，自當依照尊裁，准予所請。」官方譯本二百字有餘；這樣擰緊螺絲，減至一百四十幾字，讀來果然緊湊了些。