The 9th Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest Grand Final was held on May 21, 2023 at the University of Macau, co-hosted by the University of Macau, Xiamen University, and the Interpreting Education Evaluation Alliance with assistance of the Macao Translators' Association, and exclusively sponsored by Beijing NewClass Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
Experts from 4 places on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the United States served as judges for the competition. 24 finalists from top universities across the Taiwan Strait were assembled, and after three rounds of fierce competition, one Grand Prize, three First Prizes, eight Second Prizes, and twelve Third Prizes were awarded. Congratulations to all award-winning students, instructors and affiliated universities!
The third prize was presented by Prof. Lee Lai Ching, Director of the International Federation of Translators, Chairman of the Macao Translators' Association, and Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Macao.
The Second Prize was presented by Prof. Chen Jing, Chief Planner of Cross-Strait Interpretation Competition, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures of Xiamen University, Prof. Liao Kaihong, Dean of the School of Translation of Jinan University, and Mr. Dong Liang, General Manager of Beijing NewClass Limited.
The first prize was presented by Prof. Zhang Hongming, Dean of International College of Macau University of Science and Technology.
Students from Beijing Foreign Studies University won the Grand Prize
The Grand Prize was presented by Mr. Wang Gang, Director of the Macao Office of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait. The winner of the Grand Prize, Tang Xuewen, is from the Class of 2021, majoring in Conference Interpretation, at the School of Interpreting and Translation, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Since 2003, NewClass products have been serving BFSU for more than 20 years.
The competition was live-streamed, showcasing NewClass Remote Teaching System on Bilibili and YouTube, showing new business form of the information age and highlighting innovations and attempts in the digital transformation of foreign language education.
One day before the competition, on the 20th, the Roundtable Seminar on Reform and Innovation of Interpretation Training in the Age of AI brought together interpreting experts, interpreting educators and technology development experts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and four regions to talk about the reform and innovation of interpreting training in the age of AI. Mr. Dong Liang, General Manager of NewClass, was invited to attend the roundtable seminar.
As a manufacturer and service provider of digital teaching systems, NewClass will continue to create advanced technological products, adhering to the R&D philosophy of “application is key”.
The following is reprinted from CHINADAILY | HONG KONG：
Link to the original article：https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/332173#Competition-sets-stage-for-translation-skills&showpdf=true
Published: 11:10, May 22, 2023 | Updated: 13:41, May 22, 2023
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Competition sets stage for translation skills
By William Xu in Hong Kong
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Participants and guests from the Chinese mainland and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan pose for a group photo during the Ninth Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest held at the University of Macau on May 21, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Talented students from the Chinese mainland and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were applauded by professional judges and the audience alike for their interpretation skills demonstrated in the grand finale of the Ninth Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest, which was held at the University of Macau on Sunday.
After three rounds of competition, Tang Xuewen from Beijing Foreign Studies University won the grand prize. Gao Xin from Central South University, Shen Hsieh-Tao from Taiwan Normal University, and Li Lingfei from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies were awarded first prizes. Another eight contestants won second and 12 won third prizes in the final.
Making an address at Sunday’s opening ceremony, Ge Wai, vice-rector of the University of Macau, said the thriving tourism industry and the surge in international exhibitions and conferences taking place in Macao have increased the demand for professional interpreters in the city
It was the first time that the contest’s grand finale had been hosted in Macao.
Making an address at Sunday’s opening ceremony, Ge Wai, vice-rector of UM, said the thriving tourism industry and the surge in international exhibitions and conferences taking place in Macao have increased the demand for professional interpreters in the city.
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Ge said he believes that interpretation is vital for promoting economic growth, technological advancements and cultural exchanges, and he hopes the contest can serve as a platform for young talent to showcase their skills and inspire them to pursue their dreams in the industry.
In a prerecorded speech at the ceremony, Gao Anming, vice-president and editor-in-chief of the China International Communications Group and executive vice-president of the Translators Association of China, said that as a prestigious interpretation competition in the country, the Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest aims to foster interactions among university students from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
He said that a number of highly capable interpreters will stand out from the contest and play a critical role in strengthening the nation’s capacity for translation and promoting international communication with their expertise.
The contest was initiated in 2009. This year’s finale was co-hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at UM, the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Xiamen University, a renowned university in Fujian province, the Network on Assessment and Evaluation in Interpreting and the Macau Federation of Translators and Interpreters.
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A total of 24 contestants who had won at regional contests attended the finale on Sunday.
The judging criteria included the ability to extract and transmit information, the quality of interpretation, presentation skills, as well as the quality of communication and overall performance.
williamxu@chinadailyhk.com