Once on campus as an outstanding graduate of the Shanghai Foreign Languages College, he hosted the first foreign pop music program that was popular in Shanghai in the 1990s, had translated for Chinese President Xi Jinping, and had starred in movies with Jennifer Aniston... This Shanghai girl named Hu Xiaojing has now made a name for herself in the Chicago translation industry. Today I will listen to her wonderful stories about life.
Hu Xiaojing
In 2006, he was the translator of Xi Jinping, who was then the secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, and went to visit the Motorola headquarters in Illinois at the time.
Put down the halo and study abroad in the United States
In early 1992, as an outstanding graduate, I stayed at the Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute to teach, and I also had many fans when I was working part-time on radio programs in my spare time. But when my career was booming, I chose to let go of everything and study in the United States.
At Shanghai Foreign Languages College, I majored in English Language and Literature. After graduating in 1988, I stayed at school to teach for 3 and a half years, and also taught English courses from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. In my spare time, I applied for a job at the radio station myself, working as a translator and host. At that time, I really fell in love with the media industry.
In 1989, I was very lucky to enter the program "Hello From Britain" which was a program of foreign pop music on Shanghai radio station and British compilation team. Brian Anderson, a foreigner from Scotland, spoke English and Chinese. In the 1990s, I gave the audience the first time from a foreign country, and it was also a pioneer in playing foreign pop music.
In fact, we both seemed to say "Dou Ren Zhuan" at that time, which was very interesting. The program was very successful. In that era, there were a large number of loyal fans. They often held fan meetings, and everyone sang karaoke and commented on songs together. When you go back to school, don’t say that the students are admiring them well, even the school professors will listen to our programs. It was a very unforgettable time.
decided to come to the United States at that time. The reasons were very complicated. On the one hand, I wanted to have new challenges. On the other hand, I was very good friend at that time, Tengjia, the host of Shanghai Radio's "Song Order Station", suddenly committed suicide in 1991, which was a huge blow to me.
is a documentary. When I decided to go abroad, I applied to several schools. Governors State University in southern Chicago was the first to reply to me. So in early 1992 I went abroad to study with my luggage.
After graduating from the school’s master’s degree in mass communication in 1995, I entered a small media company with a joint venture between China and the United States. At that time, the American public still didn't know much about China. After finding the investor, I, as an associate producer and director assistant, went to China to shoot documentaries with three Americans carrying cameras.
This documentary is called "China Now". As a film produced by the United States, it maintains a neutral attitude and shows China's development and changes in a pertinent way to the audience. The content is novel and professional. Americans will never think that this film only says good things about China, but is promoting it. The documentary was aired on the American Public Television Network (PBS) in 1997 and received a good response.
Advanced Interpretation Experience Unforgettable
In 1999, I started to do it myself, from consulting consultants, media interviews, to dubbing and compiling promotional videos, and teaching Chinese, and have dabbled in many aspects. The interpretation work I mainly do has integrated my past experience and experience, and has brought about my previous talents in teaching, performance, training, etc.
From the heavyweight China-US Entrepreneurs Forum on Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States, to various international conferences, to EMBA, etc. Sometimes I intersperse in three different scenarios and industries a day, translated for the Trade Promotion Association about agriculture in the morning, accompanied a senior delegation from another industry in the afternoon, and gave a simultaneous interpretation for the market research meeting in the evening. Every success brings endless joy and pride.
has also had many unforgettable experiences in different translation occasions.Once, it was translated for clients on a private charter flight from San Diego to Chicago, and once, it was translated for former U.S. President Bush, former Secretary of State Powell, former Treasury Secretary Paulson, and other senior U.S. government and business elites. Another time I went to Dubai to teach a grand event held by a French company in China and experienced the fun of challenging myself in the desert. These are some very memorable experiences.
participated in the Sino-US entrepreneur symposium.
In Xi Jinping’s just ended visit to the United States, Hu Xiaojing was a simultaneous interpretation at the Sino-US entrepreneurs symposium.
Contact the senior management and more challenges
Xi Jinping has just finished his visit to the United States. His translations are all "monetary translators" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who are accompanying him and will not look for them outside. However, at the Sino-US Entrepreneurs Symposium held in Seattle on September 23, I gave a one-and-a-half hour simultaneous lecture to former US Treasury Secretary Paulson and 15 Sino-US entrepreneurs.
Do you ask me if I’m nervous? How can I say this? I will be nervous when I first received work because the activity level is high, so of course I don’t want to make mistakes. But when I really arrived at the scene, with the full preparations I had before and I was sure to devote myself and would not be nervous.
When we do interpreting, there are usually two situations. One is simultaneous interpretation, which is abbreviated as simultaneous interpretation; the other is interactive interpretation, which is abbreviated as interchange. These two have their own difficulties. When you are a simultaneous transmission, you usually don’t see the speaker. You sit in a small lattice with your simultaneous transmission partner and translate while the speaker speaks. Your brain must operate at the same time. In English here, you must be in Chinese at the same time.
, and the intersecting means that the speaker will translate after a paragraph is finished and then the translation is performed. The accuracy is higher than that of the simultaneous transmission, but at the same time it is also under great pressure. Because you may be standing next to the speaker, and once something goes wrong, people who know both Chinese and English on the scene will be able to hear it all at once. Very few people can do both. Before, I saw another translator with my own eyes. When I was doing a communicative speech for the governor, I suddenly said a series of words because the governor made an impromptu speech. The translator didn't have time to write down and could only say one or two sentences. This was the most embarrassing thing.
Of course, there are also times when Chicago hosted a China-US Tourism Summit, and my team and I contracted the entire project. After an important simultaneous interpretation, a Minister of Tourism was already escorted out, but he found our translation workbench specifically and told us, "The translation is so good!" It was really the most proud moment to get affirmed like this. All the hard work before was worth it.
Three or four years ago, I also passed the translation examination of the US State Department. Not many people passed this examination. I know about the Chinese-English translation area of Chicago. Those who pass will be listed on the list of the State Council and the federal courts. If there is a visiting activity funded by the State Council, we will be invited to do advanced translation.
was born for art. Struggle and accumulate
In addition to translation, my favorites are dubbing and performances in front of the camera. In the late 1990s, I was linked to a performing arts agency. As long as there were performance opportunities that fit my image, I would ask me to audition. I also played a role in Jennifer Anistone's The Break-Up.
At that time, I had no idea that I was auditioning for such a big movie. When I notified me to go to shoot two weeks later, I didn’t agree. Unexpectedly, when I arrived at the scene and saw Aniston, I realized that I was very lucky, which was a rare opportunity. I filmed with her on the set for two days.
In addition to the camera, I also like to do dubbing. I was recording in the studio before you called me. Usually some promotional videos for the company.
However, now there are families and children. These jobs that require auditions and auditions often cannot cooperate with me, and I have done less. My son is almost 8 years old, and he used all his spare time around him. Fortunately, my husband is engaged in real estate management and investment. Both of them have relatively flexible time, and cooperating with each other can ensure a good family time.
plays a role in Jennifer Anistone's "Break Up Boy and Girl". (All photos in this article are provided by Hu Xiaojing)
Hu Xiaojing participated in the Chicago Day event.
Tell your story
"Qiaobao" has opened the "On American Chinese Records" column from now on. Its original intention is to truly record the living conditions, mental journey, family changes and even family immigration history of Chinese Americans, and to present your story to readers in the most realistic and three-dimensional way.
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