口譯譯員是如何煉成

Every year in March, press conferences attended by hundreds of journalists from China and abroad are held during the annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The journalists ask and the government officials answer questions on highly important matters. Interpreters are central to the process and they share some of the limelight.

每年三月的全國人民代表大會(huì )和中國人民政治協(xié)商會(huì )議期間，數百名中外記者都會(huì )參加新聞發(fā)布會(huì )。記者們就重點(diǎn)話(huà)題向政府官員提問(wèn)?？谧g員在這一過(guò)程中至關(guān)重要，受到關(guān)注。

On March 2, at the press conference held ahead of the annual session of the CPPCC National Committee, interpreter Yao Mengyao caught the attention of many with her “quick reaction and accurate translation”, Xinhua noted.

據新華社報道，在3月2日的全國政協(xié)會(huì )議開(kāi)幕前的記者發(fā)布會(huì )上，翻譯姚夢(mèng)瑤以其“迅速的反應，準確的翻譯”受到關(guān)注。

Yao began her studies in English in primary school where she would listen to English tapes. She often spoke to her teacher about English-related topics that were not limited to the ones in her textbooks. “They were always very professional, uncommon topics,” recalled Yao’s senior school teacher Shen Yingzi.

姚夢(mèng)瑤上小學(xué)時(shí)就開(kāi)始學(xué)習英語(yǔ)、聽(tīng)英語(yǔ)磁帶了。她常常會(huì )和老師討論英語(yǔ)方面的話(huà)題，但內容并非只局限于課本?！霸?huà)題都非常專(zhuān)業(yè)、不同尋常，”姚夢(mèng)瑤的高中老師沈英姿回憶道。

Like Yao, Zhang Lu is a regular interpreter for China’s top leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang and former premier Wen Jiabao. Her effortless but on-point translations of ancient poems cited by former premier Wen won praise.

和姚夢(mèng)瑤一樣，張璐也常常擔任現任總理李克強和前任總理溫家寶等我國最高領(lǐng)導人的翻譯。她曾輕松到位地翻譯出了溫家寶總理所引用的古詩(shī)，贏(yíng)得贊譽(yù)。

At the press conference during the two sessions of 2010, Wen cited a sentence from the poem Li Sao to show his determination to deal with problems in the government’s work. With amazing skill, Zhang interpreted the sentence as follows: “For the ideal that I hold near to my heart, I’d not regret a thousand times to die.”

在2010年兩會(huì )期間的新聞發(fā)布會(huì )上，溫家寶引用了《離騷》中的一句詩(shī)來(lái)體現自己處理政府工作中出現的問(wèn)題的決心。能力出眾的張璐翻譯出了這個(gè)句子：亦余心之所善兮，雖九死其猶未悔。

So how do interpreters reach their top positions?

所以這些頂尖的口譯譯員是如何煉成的呢?

The reason for their success is largely hard work. Other than when they go out on visits with Chinese leaders, the interpreters follow a very strict schedule. Zhang called this schedule “an unshakable routine”. They listen to foreign media such as BBC, VOA or CNN through TV or radio for their intensive training.

他們的成功的主要原因是努力。除了陪同國家領(lǐng)導人出訪(fǎng)的時(shí)間外，翻譯們都遵循著(zhù)一套相當嚴格的時(shí)間表。張璐稱(chēng)這個(gè)時(shí)間表為“雷打不動(dòng)的日常工作”。他們會(huì )通過(guò)電視廣播收聽(tīng)BBC、VOA、CNN等外媒，作為自己高強度的訓練。

According to China Radio International, a month before the two sessions, the interpreters get notice of the spokesperson they are going to interpret for. They then make full use of this month to prepare themselves.

據中國國際廣播電臺報道，兩會(huì )召開(kāi)的一個(gè)月前，譯員們會(huì )獲知自己將為哪位發(fā)言人擔任口譯，然后充分利用這一個(gè)月的時(shí)間進(jìn)行準備。

They try to predict the questions that might be asked and consider the literary quotations the spokesperson might use when they answer the questions.

他們會(huì )預測可能被問(wèn)到的問(wèn)題，并考慮發(fā)言人在回答問(wèn)題時(shí)或許會(huì )使用的文學(xué)典故。

In truth, there is no secret to their success: It’s all a matter of skill and hard work.

事實(shí)上，他們的成功并沒(méi)有什么秘訣：熟能生巧，勤學(xué)苦練。