I am a native Chinese (Mandarin) speaker and have been living in England for the past 9 years. During this time I have gained a good understanding of the English language and culture. I am also married to a native English speaker and this has helped me to further refine my English ability.

I have been interested in translation for a long time, helping to do basic translation when I first came to UK in 2004, and more recently at the Bradford and Bristol Chinese Church (sermons). I am also interested in language differences more generally, and find it instructive to compare two such different languages when doing translations. English and Chinese developed far apart and belong to different language groups which make translation and interpretation a real challenge. I feel that translating between these languages helps me develop a deeper understanding and knowledge of both cultures.
Currently I am studying for an MA in Translation at Bristol University, and have completed or am undertaking modules in Applied Translation, Theory of Translation and Computer-assisted translation. The latter has been particularly helpful tool in aiding the translator bringing a wealth of information and techniques to bear on the translation process. In addition to the widely available machine translation there is specialised software specifically aimed at translators such as SDL Trados and WordFast Pro that combines programmatic intelligence with the capabilities of the professional. This accelerates and improves the accuracy of translation task as I have found using these tools extensively in my MA program. This academic work helps underpin my existing practical experience in translating between Chinese and English.

My background of working in China as an agricultural officer first showed me how people in an unequal society can suffer and how correctly addressing their needs can narrow the equality gap. My work involved using my interpersonal skills and professional knowledge on behalf of the government, in helping the local communities of poor farmers with minimal education improve their health, knowledge and financial circumstances. The farmers often adopted poor practices such as using banned pesticides or using permitted chemicals in excessive amounts on their crops. They also did not make optimum use of their land and resources, and often the root of many of these problems was the loss of traditional farming techniques coupled with the arrival of modern methods which they tried to adopt, but did not properly grasp or execute. This was compounded in some cases by suspicion or distrust of outsiders. I was able to bridge this gap by being able to speak the local dialect, by using my government training to impart my knowledge and experience to them in grounded practical ways that could help them immediately, and by sympathising with them because I knew from my own farming heritage the difficulties they faced. I was able to explain how for example significantly reducing pesticides use actually helped them to save money, improve the quality of their produce and even paradoxically increase yields by reducing the harm to pollinating species of insects. I also could suggest ways they might improve their income by farming alternative “crops” such as silk worms, or explain how a single wrong step in an apparently lucrative crop such as tobacco could render it nearly worthless.

By maintaining a professional attitude at all times I could develop the farmers by constantly improving their knowledge and methods which could have many beneficial direct and indirect effects. I did not try to be judgemental or talk down to them, or exploit my position of trust and authority for personal gain.

Looking ahead, my motivation for studying to obtain a qualification is to improve my performance as a translator to a professional level, and steer myself towards a new career as a translator. I hope that it will also present opportunities for me in work where formal qualifications are required in addition to translating experience.