On October 13, the Hubei Final of the Tenth Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest was held in the academic lecture hall on the 11th floor of the Xuehai Building at Wuhan University of Technology. The competition was co-hosted by Wuhan University of Technology and Xiamen University, with the School of Foreign Languages at Wuhan University of Technology serving as the main organizer. The preparation and organization of the event were led by Xue Rui, dean of the School of Foreign Languages, Liu Qiong, director of the general affairs office, and Xiong Ying, deputy director of the MTI Center. Twenty-eight contestants from universities across Hubei Province gathered for an exhilarating competition. The event invited a panel of judges, including Dr. Huang Min from the School of Foreign Languages and Literature at Wuhan University, Professor Zhang Zaihong from the School of Foreign Languages at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, translators Zhang Yin and Wu Qiuchen from the Foreign Affairs Translation Center of the Hubei Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Professor Dan Haijian from the School of Foreign Languages at Wuhan University of Technology, all of whom provided professional guidance throughout the competition.
Dan Haijian, vice dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Wuhan University of Technology, delivered the opening speech, extending a warm welcome to the judges and contestants attending the competition. Vice Dean Dan encouraged the participants to fully showcase their skills, allowing the charm and brilliance of interpreting to shine on stage, and wished all contestants outstanding success.
The competition focused on conference interpreting, with contestants completing tasks in both Chinese-to-English and English-to-Chinese interpretation. Throughout the event, participants demonstrated exceptional linguistic proficiency, quick thinking, and outstanding interpreting skills, delivering a high-level interpreting showcase. Their performances reflected the excellence of translation and interpreting master's students and English major undergraduates from universities across Hubei Province. After intense competition, five contestants, including Zhang Kexin from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, claimed the first prize, while seven contestants, including Li Junhong from Wuhan University of Technology, won the second prize. Both first and second prize winners successfully advanced to the Central China Regional Final.
After all contestants completed their performances, Zhang Yin, the translator from the Foreign Affairs Translation Center of the Hubei Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, delivered an insightful review on behalf of the judging panel. Zhang highly commended the contestants for their outstanding performances and pointed out areas for improvement in their interpreting, drawing on his extensive translation experience. He encouraged the participants to seize this opportunity to refine their skills and further enhance their interpreting abilities.
Professor Zhang Zaihong from the School of Foreign Languages at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, representing the organizers of the Central China Regional Final, extended congratulations to the contestants who advanced from the provincial competition. Professor Zhang encouraged the students to keep striving for excellence and continuously improve themselves, expressing hope for even more outstanding performances in the upcoming regional final.
After the competition, the judges and all contestants took a group photo to commemorate the event.
So far, the 10th Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest Hubei Provincial Competition has come to a successful conclusion. Initiated and hosted by Xiamen University, the Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest has been widely embraced by universities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait since its inaugural event in 2009, growing into a highly influential academic exchange platform. Over the years, it has received key project support from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, becoming a prestigious national-level event and an important stage for cross-strait teaching, research exchange, and showcasing student talent. This year’s competition aimed to deepen educational and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, enhance interpreter training, and celebrate the professionalism of interpreters on both sides. Successfully organized by the School of Foreign Languages at Wuhan University of Technology, the event provided a platform for young interpreting students to demonstrate their professional competence and comprehensive skills. It also enriched students' understanding of interpreting as a profession, ignited their passion for learning, and helped identify high-caliber interpreters for the new era. The competition made a significant contribution to the advancement and prosperity of the nation’s translation and interpreting industry.
(Contributors: Chen Xiyuan, Wang Xinlu | Editor: Xiong Ying | Reviewer: Xue Rui)
