Interpreters say the word
By Haoyi
Photos by Yao Fan

An interview with Prof. Jack Lonergan, University of Westminster UK, Director of the EU-funded Asia Link Project, "Interpreting Asia Interpreting Europe"

随着中国与世界各国联系的日益紧密,要架起沟通的桥梁,翻译人才的培养就显得尤为重要.6月21日至26日欧盟-亚洲联系项目与厦门大学口笔译资格证书考试中心合作,共同举办了英语口译技能强化培训班.24日,欧盟-亚洲联系项目的主任Jack Lonergan教授抵厦,以下是他与记者就该项目和翻译人才的培养进行的一场对话.

Q: I hear you've been to Xiamen many times? What brings you here?
A: Xiamen is a wonderful place. I call it "the Seafood Capital of China". I'm here to work on a project with our long-term partner ACIT, the Accreditation Centre for Interpreters and Translators, Xiamen University.

Q: When did you first start collaborating with Xiamen University?
A: I first came to Xiamen in 1996 as part of a project funded by the British Council which involved Xiamen University, one of the leading universities in China for interpreter training. As a result of our excellent work together, we co-authored a book, Interpreting for Tomorrow . This textbook has won a second prize in the 2002 Ministry of Education Award for Best Textbooks in China. This is the first textbook in China with a skills-based approach to interpreter training. Before, textbooks all focused on topics such as population, education, finance, international trade, etc. So our book has been a huge success. It's used not only in Chinese universities, but also in the University of Westminster in London.

Q: So to follow up your previous success, you started this new project?
A: Exactly. I managed to get funding from the EU for this new project. It is a Europe-aid project to Asian countries. Europe now has a new focus on Asia. Our project, Interpreting Asia Interpreting Europe, started in January 2004 and will last 18 months. It aims to further the economic, business and diplomatic relations between China, Vietnam and Western European nations by offering better training to interpreters who work in government offices, businesses and commercial institutions.

Q: I hear there's a saying amongst the interpreters themselves that the first and second world wars were likely to have been started by interpreters, through bad interpretations which caused misunderstanding. That really tells us how important interpreters are in cross-culture communication, doesn't it?
A: Yes, indeed. But what most people don't understand is that being able to speak two languages doesn't necessarily mean you are a good interpreter. Interpreting is a highly skilled job. You have to have proper training to become an interpreter.

Q: Is this what your project is all about - training interpreters?
A: Yes. We are running training courses for interpreters and more importantly, trainers of interpreters who will go out to train more interpreters. HRD, human resources development, is one of the main objectives of the project. When the snowball gets bigger, more and more well-trained interpreters from China and Vietnam will provide better communication services for businesses and government agencies in the two countries in their interaction with Europe and the rest of the world.

Q: You mentioned China and Vietnam as partners. Which countries in Europe are involved, since this is not just Interpreting Asia, but also Interpreting Europe?
A: We have four core partners: the University of Westminster UK, the Dublin City University Ireland, Xiamen University China and the Hanoi University of Foreign Studies Vietnam.

Q: Of all the universities in China why have you chosen Xiamen?
A: Why not Xiamen? I've known Xiamen for a long while. I know Beijing very well too. I have very good connections with CCTV and various Chinese ministries. But I believe Xiamen University is the best centre for Chinese interpreter training in China. I've worked with colleagues from ACIT ever since I first came to China. I've been very impressed by how much they've done: running accreditation tests, WTO interpreter training courses for the EU and various other projects. In my opinion, what's particularly impressive in ACIT is that they have a very strong team which has worked together for over ten years. I think it's the best team of interpreter trainers I've ever met and now it's grown stronger.

Q: How big is the project? How much money have you got?
A: We've got over a quarter of a million Euros, that is over 2.7 million RMB. Most of the money will be spent to cover travel, accommodation and subsistence. We move people around to exchange expertise. We meet in the four countries of the partners. In May for instance seven people from Xiamen and seven from Hanoi met in London with the European partners for an HRD training course. At this moment partners from the UK, Ireland and Vietnam are meeting in Xiamen. We are having a wonderful time here. Though it's a bit hot, we love the food, the campus, and we really enjoy meeting the trainees. You've got some really good people here in Xiamen. After Xiamen, we'll be looking forward to our next project meeting in Dublin in January 2005.

Q: How nice to be able to travel around. Do any of the trainees get a chance to go to your next training in Ireland?
A: Well, that's a good idea, actually. We'll certainly work at it. It would be nice to send more talented people for training.

Q: I wish I could be the lucky person!
A: You never know. Come to the next ACIT training. The chance could be yours.

My Xiamen



I'm Alice. I work in a logistics company in Xiamen. I enjoy life in this cozy city.

1. How long have you been in Xiamen?
I have been here for five years.

2. What do you like best about life here?
I enjoy the beautiful scenery and the cozy atmosphere of this city.

3. What's your job here? How do you like your job?
I'm working in a logistics company in charge of customer service. I quite enjoy it.

4. How do you spend your spare time in Xiamen?
My spare time is usually spent with friends playing badminton, attending some fitness classes and watching movies. When I'm alone, I will listen to music.

5. If there was one thing that you could change about Xiamen, what would that be?
The price of resident houses is too high. I wish it could be lower.

6. What's your favorite restaurant?
Pizza Hut located at Lujiangdao.

7. What do you like best about Xiamen?
The local citizens are generally well-educated and well-mannered, and they often give their seats to the needy on the buses.

8. Compared with other big cities in China, what do you think are the differences between Xiamen and them?
The biggest difference is the efficient transportation system. You don't have to spend a lot of time on the buses so that you can have more time to enjoy your life.

9. What's the last great book you read?
It's a collection of novels called Buds.

10. What's your favorite quotation or piece of advice?
Whatever you do, do your utmost.