A prestigious forum on teaching the art of translation and interpreting began today at Beijing's esteemed Tsinghua University. The first high profile professional forum of its kind, it will close on July 28.

 

Organized by the Translators Association of China and sponsored by CASIO (Shanghai), the forum has brought together over 200 participants, including illustrious names from Chinese ministries as well as translators and researchers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.

 

 

Huang Youyi delivers a speech.

 

Comprehensive discussions are covering topics such as: translation teaching goals, course curriculums, textbooks concerning translation instruction, translation teaching methodology, evaluation standards and how to mentor successful translation majors.

 

Experts gathered for the forum echoed one another in stressing the need to foster high-level translation talents. With China's recent reforms and open door policies intense communication has been taking place between China and other countries. There is a constantly increasing demand for high-level translation professionals and stricter requirements are being placed on translation work.

 

In recent years, translation majors have been appearing everywhere. Translation departments, colleges and translation research institutes have been sprouting up madly. China has carefully cultivated qualified, talented students. In 2006, a BA degree in Translation in some universities was allowed a trial run by the Ministry of Education. Moreover, in January 2007 the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council agreed to set up a Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI).

 

 

However, traditional Chinese foreign language pedagogy lags behind modern international translation teaching methodology. Currently Chinese translation instructors are challenged with both creating a workable methodology and a contemporary curriculum to suit the growing need.

 

Huang Youyi, vice president for both the International Federation of Translators and the China International Publishing Group (CIPG), said that MTI should be intimate with the China Aptitude Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI), thus marrying the degree to the vocation. CATTI is used now as a national qualification test for translators and interpreters.

 

Besides the main forum, there are also three branch forums covering various translation concepts: creating successful translation majors, translation teaching methodology, and translation theories combined with the practical art of translation.

 

(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua, July 27, 2007)