Translating to bring China, world closer

Officials and scholars vowed on Friday to promote exchanges and communications between China and foreign countries through accurate and vivid translation to enable the world to better understand China in the new era.

They made the remark at a seminar on translation and international communication sponsored by the China International Publishing Group. At the event, the first batch of books of the "Interpreting China Book Project" was also launched.

Noting translation is an important work of promoting exchanges among human civilizations, Lu Cairong, deputy director of the CIPG, said that China's foreign translation and publication work helps present the cultural essence of the Chinese civilization.

Li Xin, deputy director-general of the Department of Foreign Expert Services of Ministry of Science and Technology, called on further leveraging the unique role of foreign experts in foreign translation and publication to improve the country's capability of international communication.

As translators have transformed from introducing foreign countries to Chinese audiences to presenting Chinese stories to the outside world, Huang Youyi, former editor-in-chief of the CIPG, said such practices require totally new translation methods.

He underlined the need to understand the popular international discourse as well as foreigners' thinking pattern and reading habits to promote smooth communication between China with others.

David Ferguson, who is a honorary chief English editor of Foreign Languages Press of the CIPG and has been editing China's political works for more than 10 years, said to do a better job translators need to gain a deep understanding of Chinese thoughts and systems.

Some people may find it challenging to translate a magnitude of political terms with Chinese characteristics, he said, adding that translators should take a holistic approach and develop a systematic thinking as those terms are not isolated ones but inter-connected.

For instance, Ferguson said China has put forward the new development philosophy and one of its aspects is to pursue open growth, which is inter-connected with the Belt and Road Initiative that also features openness.