Personal Statement for MA Interpreting and Translating in University of Bath

Out of both my keen interest in English and my gift in language studies, I have been performing quite well in English since my childhood. Deeply influenced by Zhang Lu, the chief translator of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, I enjoy the charm of English interpreting and wish to be an interpreter like her. So, naturally I chose English as my professional orientation when being enrolled in Jilin University in 2014. Through my college studies, my spark of passion for English translating was ignited which never withered but kept thriving with each passing day. Therefore, after deliberation, I made my decision to obtain more systematic know-how of English translating and interpreting by pursuing further study of it on a higher-level platform.

I believe I have made adequate preparation both academically and non-academically for more challenges of future study. In retrospect, as I spared no efforts in studying all the specialized courses offered by the university, I have established a comprehensive English knowledge framework, drawn a clear picture of the values, culture, history, traditions as well as other general knowledge about western countries, and thus laid a solid theoretical foundation for English related practice. As a result of my diligence and effective way of learning, I have earned high marks in most of the major courses, and obtained the Certificate of TEM-4(Test of English Majors – Band 4), TEM-8, CATTI Secondary Translation Certificate, BEC Advanced Certificate and so forth. Conscientious study has won me the third-class scholarship in the 2017-2018 academic year, and more importantly, built up my expertise in understanding the Chinese and English languages, cultures and customs. All this gives me greater confidence in my interpretative work in future.

In addition to the above, as I wished to engage in interpreting after graduation, I participated in much activities on it in my spare time to deepen my understanding of this profession and thus better prepare for future career. It was worth mentioning that I participated in the school-level research project with the topic of A Comparative Study of New Words in English and Chinese Networks. This topic focused on English-Chinese new words appearing in the Internet and major newspapers and periodicals media from 2000 to 2017, and their corresponding English-Chinese translations, which aimed to enable English learners to better understand the similarities and differences between the English and Chinese new words, more clearly grasp the characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures, and also provide inspiration for English-Chinese translation. During the process, I realized that a translator cannot close himself and was always ready to accept new things from outside world and update knowledge all the time. Besides, my graduation thesis A Study on Ray Huang as Self-translator–In the Case of 1587, A Year of No Significance analyzed and evaluated the original and translated versions and finally got a high score of 87 in graduation reply. Through the academic research, I think I have equipped with the abilities of being a good translator, such as serious attitude towards translation, critical thinking as well as the ability to process masteries efficiently. Under this circumstance, I believe I am getting closer to a professional and qualified interpreter.

I always cherish the idea that one should learn to meet practical needs. So, in my work in Songyuan Foreign Language School as an English teaching assistant, I tried hard to grasp every opportunity to enhance my practical intelligence and improve my interpreting skills. My main work was to translate between foreign teachers and students in class. So many times of modification in lesson plans, so much effort in preparation before class, so much practice in attention to my language, manners, teaching methods, etc., all these experiences have witnessed me growing from a green hand who only knew about teaching and interpreting theories to an experienced interpreter who has made some achievements. I appreciate this experience quite much not only because it gave me a practical experience of being an interpreter, but through all the preparations, challenges, exchanges with colleagues, interactions with students, etc., I was able to be more mature, sedate and professional. More importantly, it made me realize that to be a qualified interpreter, one should never stop pursuing excellence, which encouraged me to march forward on this path.

Upon graduation from you, I will return China and seek a position as an inter-office conference interpreter at HUAWEI with all the expertise I will have obtained from your program in the next five to eight years, and then work as a freelance translator for the public service industry, aiming to continuously improve my interpreting practice while interpreting for large international conferences.

With my theoretical foundation in English study, my experience in English interpreting, my strong passion for interpreting as well as my burning desire for further self-improvement, I believe I am just one of the appropriate candidates of your program, and I am confident that my education experience at your university will empower me to turn my vision into reality. Therefore, I sincerely wish you dear committee to approve my application and grant me a chance for further progress. Thank you.