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Taiwan student wins Cross-Strait Interpretation crown
By Hu Meidong and Xiong Ying
Updated: 2009-04-15 15:37

The first-ever Cross-Strait Interpretation Competition wrapped up in Xiamen University on April 12, 2009 after an exciting round of finals. The contest was hosted by Xiamen University and performed by the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures Xiamen University, Xiamen Star, and the testing center for translating and interpreting certification at Xiamen University. The opening ceremony saw many people in attendance, including Wu Daguang, vice-president of Xiamen University, who gave a humorous speech in English.

Judges of the competition are all authoritative experts in interpretation both at home and abroad, such as Prof. Mei Deming, Dean of the English College at Shanghai International Studies University, Doc. Lin Chaolun, Chinese Consultant at the language center of Middlesex University and the Chief Chinese Interpreter for the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Prof. Peng Huirong, Dean of the English department at Zhanghua Normal University.

Thanks to its geographic advantage in promoting cross-strait academic exchange and communication, along with its unique achievements in teaching and research in the field of interpretation, Xiamen University hosted the interpreting competition. The competition was created with many goals in mind and aims to promote cross–strait education and academic communication, enhance student exchange and friendship on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, discover and cultivate interpreters of high quality with outstanding proficiency, and deepen people’s understanding of interpretation.

Fourteen competitors survived several sessions of fierce competition, each presenting wonderful performances by showing their excellent interpreting skills and quick-to-react abilities. The finals consisted of three parts: casual speech interpreting, formal speech interpreting and challenging speech interpreting. After a long day of fierce competition, Huang Zhijie from Taiwan Normal University was declared the winner. The champion also won the opportunity to study in London for one week, subsidized entirely by Doc. Lin Chaolun.

Xiamen University can now reap the rewards of the successful launch of the Cross-Strait Interpretation Competition. Hoping to build on that success and make further contributions to cross-strait interpreting development and cross-strait educational and academic exchanges, Taiwan will host the second Cross-Strait Interpretation Competition next year.