Around the turn of the new millennium, two Englishmen became captivated by the people, the culture and language of the People’s Republic of China.
The short of it…
Around the turn of the new millennium, two Englishmen became captivated by the people, the culture and language of the People’s Republic of China. After ten years of obsessive research and study, we are now posted at either ends of the country with what still only feels like a cursory knowledge of the rich culture that defines the Middle Kingdom.
We have made it our aim to work along with our Chinese friends in improving the standard of English here, particularly concerning the written word. Our recent projects have included work for various companies in the medical, media and textile industries. In the run up to the Olympics we also took part in a major project for Chinas Ministry of Railways whereby we translated and proofread signs in railway stations across the country.
The long of it…
If you had happened to be in Tunxi railway station, Anhui province, one rainy day back in the July of 2001, you would have noticed that something was out of place. There in the ticket hall, in front of the timetable, were two twenty-something Englishmen with perplexed looks on their faces. We had decided to go to Kunming and subsequently boarded the next available train. According to our reading of the timetable, we would arrive at 5pm the following day. The next day as 5 o’clock neared we packed up our things and stood between carriages awaiting our arrival. Strange glances began to be thrown our way from both service people and passengers alike. As the train hurtled on, and 5pm came and went, we were compelled to ask in a mix of broken Chinese and gestures at what time we would arrive. Soon we realised our error: we had misread the timetable completely and would not reach Kunming for another 24 hours!
Our limited language abilities had been causing us other problems: we only knew how to say Beef Fried Rice, leading us to eat more or less the same meal three times a day for several weeks. Often we had been stuck in bus stations and subways unsuccessfully trying to match characters in our guidebooks to those found on signposts and maps.
All of this led us to set out on two missions: First, we would do whatever it took to master Chinese. Second, we became determined to promote the English language in China. Reaching the first goal was a matter of enrolling in language courses, buying some study materials and working our socks off. The second was not so straightforward. After all, was it not naive to imagine that we could have an impact on the state of English in a country of over one billion people? Was it right to impose our language on a nation that already had a perfectly functional language of its own?
Our fears were quickly alleviated as we travelled from city to city and attempted to get to know the people that form modern day China. Not only did we find them warm, friendly, and approachable, but also curious about our own culture. We were bowled over by just how many people were passionately learning our language. Wherever we went we made new friends who were attempting to improve their language skills and we were constantly met with questions about grammar, customs and innumerable aspects of Western culture.
On top of this we have also stood awed, as have so many others, whilst watching China’s rapid rise on the world stage. On a daily basis foreigners are arriving to be part of this development. We believe that improving the accuracy of English, from that featured on the skyscrapers of China’s mega-cities to the small signs and menus of the millions of enterprises all across the country, will contribute to this growth.
We are now posted in Beijing and Shenzhen and have assembled a small, yet skilled team of likeminded translators, proofreaders, and language enthusiasts to join our campaign. When we accept a project we spare no effort in carrying it out to completion. We have come a long way from that railway station in Tunxi, but in many ways our journey has only just begun…
他们真好啊！
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