A survey on the translation training needs of adult learners in Hong Kong was conducted in February 2002. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 185 applicants of a Postgraduate Diploma in Translation programme through a standard form (see Appendix I) requesting demographic and education background information, along with a 400-word English essay spelling out the applicant’s reasons for applying. The Statistical Package for Social Scientists / Window 10.1 version was used to perform gross statistics. Advanced statistical procedures were deliberately spared in order to have the rudimentary findings presented, without any technical distortion. These findings provided an objective picture about the nature of translation needs for adult learners in general. Such feedback from people of the real working arena would also shed light on the nature and direction of university translation programme provision.