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Professional Chinese to English translation, editing and proofreading.
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Translation - English The overall plan for reconstruction of the areas devastated by the Wenchuan earthquake will be implemented in two stages: in the first three years (2008-2010), priority will be given to recovery reconstruction; in the next five years (2011-2015), priority will be given to increasing development.
Of course, post-disaster reconstruction is an enormous and complicated systems engineering project, and many difficulties are bound to be encountered going forward. For example, due to the comparatively high number of unmeasurable factors both domestically and internationally, the earthquake will obviously further exacerbate unmeasurable risks. To take another example, there have been clear indications of inflation for some time, the primary reason for this being particularly a rise in food prices. Sichuan is an important province in China in terms of agricultural production and it suffered the most severe damage from this disaster; the earthquake, therefore, may further boost expectations of a rise in food prices, especially for agricultural products.
From what is known so far, the post-disaster reconstruction plan is proposed to comprise a master plan and nine specialised plans covering a broad range of aspects such as urban systems, rural construction, construction of urban and rural housing, infrastructure construction, construction of public service facilities, productivity distribution, industrial restructuring, market service systems, disaster prevention and reduction, repairing the ecological environment and land use plans for post-disaster reconstruction. Experts estimate that just to return to pre-earthquake levels, the reconstruction fund will need to be at least more than 200 to 300 billion yuan.
With such an enormous amount of funds needed for reconstruction and a process possibly lasting as long as eight years, there is a requirement for all parts of society to pre-plan and to establish effective resource allocation and policy coordination mechanisms. Only by doing this can we fully utilise the various funding methods, including public funds, taxes, finance, the province-county pairing support scheme and society fundraising, to ensure the post-disaster reconstruction plan is implemented in as stable a way as possible.
Owing to the sudden nature of the Wenchuan earthquake and the severe condition of the disaster zone, China may also sidestep certain prohibitive regulations as appropriate to realise policy intentions and promote policy innovation, such as allowing local governments in the disaster zone to issue public bonds in order to raise funds. The benefits of doing this would be twofold: on the one hand, local government use of funds could be regulated through loan restrictions and, on the other hand, it creates a mechanism that could be used to safeguard the long-term supply of reconstruction funds, thus avoiding risks that may be encountered during future reconstruction.
Chinese to English: Internationalisation of the renminbi General field: Bus/Financial Detailed field: Economics
Source text - Chinese 人民币—直吸引着世人眼球，不仅因为其汇率形成机制改革，还有与改革相伴的人民币国际化进程。央行行长周小川11月17日在出席国际金融论坛2012年会时表示，在人民币国际化方面,中国需要进一步改革，放松管制，更好地和其他领域的改革协调起来。
Translation - English The eyes of the world are constantly drawn to the renminbi, not only because of its exchange rate formation mechanism reform, but also because, concurrent with this reform, the renminbi is undergoing a process of internationalisation. At the 2012 International Finance Forum on November 17, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China’s central bank, said of internationalising the renminbi that China must further its reforms, carry out deregulation, and improve coordination with reforms in other areas.
The central bank is highly respectful of market participants, allowing them to make the final decision on what currency to use for settlement and clearing, said Mr Zhou. But commercial banks and other trading companies may have their own internal plans to increase renminbi usage, whilst the central bank also encourages and promotes use of the renminbi.
The first reason for internationalising the renminbi is that reform of the international monetary system is inevitable; as can be seen from the outbreaks of financial crises, the unrestricted US dollar has been the root cause of frequent eruptions of international financial crises. International financial system reform is inclining towards diversification and rationalisation, therefore internationalisation of the renminbi signifies an increase in these two trends within the international monetary system. Because of this, internationalisation of the renminbi should be regarded as a significant contribution by China to international monetary system reform. The second reason is that internationalisation of the renminbi favours development of China's domestic economy, particularly in the transformation of its economic model. China’s reforms are driven, to a certain extent, by external forces, and internationalisation of the renminbi favours acceleration in the pace of China’s economic and financial reforms. These reasons aside, China is a populous nation and is the second largest economy in the world, so the renminbi must, and will inevitably, internationalise.
As internationalisation of the renminbi is a marketisation process, its pace cannot be accelerated; it can only advance both steadily and positively. For the renminbi to realise internationalisation, it must advance with a simultaneous view to both microfoundations and the macro-level. With regards to microfoundations, risk control must be strengthened, innovative ability increased and the construction of modern financial institutions be advanced. At the macro-level, there should be consolidation of financial regulation, and an advance towards financial liberalisation, including domestically. Besides this, China also needs to think about capital account liberalisation, its balance of international payments, and optimising its exchange rate formation mechanism.
Chinese to English: Resurgence of Chinese Culture General field: Social Sciences Detailed field: Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Source text - Chinese 數千年綿延不斷的歷史也為我們提供了世界上最博大精深的文化資源。勤勞智慧的中華民族在自己五千年的文明歷史進程中，創造了氣勢恢宏、內涵豐富、綿延不斷的文化成就。這是一種「百國之和」的文化薈萃。中國文化崇尚「天人合一」和整體主義。中國文化中，儒、道、釋互補，儒、法、墨共存，表現出多元一體的思想格局。
Translation - English Several thousand years of unbroken history have given China the most extensively profound cultural heritage in the world. Through industriousness and wise experience over five thousand years of civilised history, the Chinese people have continually made magnificent and profoundly rich cultural achievements. These achievements can be regarded as the product of a kind of cultural harmony brought about by the peaceful coexistence of many disparate regions and people. Chinese culture traditionally advocates the theory of holism and harmony between man and nature. The integration of a variety of different ideologies within Chinese culture can be seen in the complementary relationship between Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, as well as in the peaceful coexistence of the Confucian, Legalist and Mohist schools of thought.
The richness of Chinese culture signifies the cultural inclusiveness of China; just as many rivers flow into the sea, Chinese culture is able to blend the many into one. China has a great number of regional dialects, and in their many daily customs and ways of thinking, the people of Beijing, Guangdong or Shanghai are no less different to each other than people from the UK, France or Germany, not to mention China’s 56 ethnic groups. All these differences, however, can be accommodated within the context of ‘harmony in diversity’ that can be found within Chinese civilisation, where different people not only coexist peacefully, but actually bring out the best in each other.
Alongside China’s rapid rise on the global stage, Chinese culture has also entered an era of unprecedented rejuvenation. Only a country with such a rich cultural heritage could undergo a cultural revival of such depth, scope and dynamism. This is evidenced by Chinese people’s current craze for their own cultural traditions: the teachings of Confucius and Lao-tze, chanting Buddhist sutras, painting and calligraphy, tea ceremonies, visiting historical residences and cultural relics, using Chinese medicine and traditional methods to maintain physical health etc. The collision of Chinese and Western cultures over the last 30 odd years not only failed to weaken Chinese people’s sense of cultural identity, but on the contrary served to strengthen and renew it. The comprehensive opening up of China to the outside world created a form of cultural self-awareness that is of extraordinary significance.
The Chinese culture of food and drink, maintaining good health and taking time for relaxation and leisure are all facets of a culture that struggles to find comparison anywhere in the world. Let us take the richness of Chinese cuisine as an example. China and France both have a rich culture of food and drink; China, however, has eight major regional cuisines, with any of these eight surpassing those of France. To put it another way, China differs from France on two levels: one is national culture, and the other is civilisation, key to which is the peaceful coexistence of disparate regions and people within China. Any street restaurant in China can produce between 30 and 40 different dishes. In the US, most restaurants only serve hamburgers and fries, with three to four dishes considered to be at the higher end. Europe’s restaurants fare marginally better, but in very few can one expect to find a choice of more than seven or eight types of food. China’s culture of food and drink is at least ten times more bounteous than those of the West and the same can be said in many other cultural spheres. Only the resurgence of a ‘civilisation state’ can achieve such excellence, and an era of ‘letting 100 flowers bloom’ - a time of free cultural and artistic development - has indeed arrived for Chinese culture.
Chinese to English: Peace and Tranquility General field: Other Detailed field: Religion
Source text - Chinese 身处喧嚣的社会，每个人都渴望着清净，但是很多人却总是和清净无缘，尽管渴望但却总是得不到。其实，很多时候，清净和外界的环境没有任何的关系，它来自于我们的内心，当我们心中有清净，那么即使身处喧嚣的闹市，我们依然如置身幽静的山林。
Translation - English In bustling societies, everyone is longing for peace and tranquillity. Yet many people never have the chance to attain that peace and tranquillity, however they may long for it. In fact, there is often no relationship between peace and tranquillity and the outside world - it comes from within. When we hold peace in our hearts, though we may be living in a bustling environment, we can still feel as though we are in a secluded mountain forest.
There was a man whose girlfriend, with whom he was passionately in love for four years, ran off with a businessman. He felt so empty and overwhelmed with sorrow that, in the end, he decided to go to a temple deep in the mountains, shave his head, and become a novice Buddhist monk. Now this temple was very popular with worshippers and the temple abbot wanted to improve the way offerings were accepted. So besides receiving monetary donations, the abbot had a flower nursery specially laid in the temple garden, for the lay patrons to plant some flowers and plants before the Buddha. This garden had originally been a wasteland, but as soon as it began to be cultivated, very quickly there sprang up an abundance of life. Worshippers from all over the country carried the flowers and plants in both hands, as though holding up bundles of incense sticks, and piously dug the earth, spread fertiliser and watered the ground. After a short while the garden was full of beautiful flowers, with bees and butterflies flitting between them, making a very satisfying spectacle.
Every day the monks in the temple would smell the flowers and look at the beautiful garden, feeling happy and at ease. There was one young monk, however, who bore a frown all day, and sighed at the flowers in the temple garden. Seeing this, the abbot spoke to the young monk, saying, “Every day, this flower garden is happily looked after by everybody. Why then do you wear such a troubled expression all day? Are you not willing to go near the flowers and plants?” The young monk curled his lips, saying, “Well, sir, you do not know. There are so many flowers in the garden that are not fit to be seen! The rhododendrons are blooming red and the dazzling Moutan peony has no equal. Then there are the azaleas and Chinese peonies, and even the rose flowers, symbolising romantic love! Our temple is a haven of Buddhist peace and tranquillity. How then can we endure such gaudy flowers and plants? If we spend enough time with them, won’t the monks’ minds be disturbed?”
The abbot heard the young monk say this and gave a great laugh, replying, “A Buddhist temple may be a haven of peace and tranquillity, yet still many attractive and flirtatious lay women can come here. If our minds are so easily disturbed, hadn’t we better close up the gates and decline many worshippers from entering? You should know that to those of us who renounce home and family to become monks, our minds are the focus of our practice. If our hearts are at peace then even though we may be surrounded by clamorous noise and gaudy colours, still our innermost being will remain undisturbed. So what you must remember is this – peace and tranquillity must be sought within oneself.” Once the young monk had heard this, realisation dawned on him, and his understanding of Buddhist truth was heightened.
So as the abbot had said, peace and tranquillity must be sought within oneself. Inner peace is not something that should be regarded lightly; it is our natural state of being and the ultimate goal to be pursued throughout life.
Chinese to English: Human Rights in China General field: Law/Patents Detailed field: Law (general)
Source text - Chinese 人權的實現必須在法治的軌道上進行，無論人權理論曾經醞釀過多少革命的運動，但是人權的最終保證仍然都必須依賴于具體人權法律制度的完善；沒有法治的保證，人權理論本身也很容易走向人權的反面，在這方面，法國大革命已經提供了一個很好的歷史經驗教訓。憲法確認的公民的基本權利以及其它法律關於公民權利保障方面的規定和制度就已經為我國公民的人權提供了基本的保障。但是一個同樣不可否認的事實是，我國的人權法律制度無論在法律規定還是具體的實施方面都與理想相距甚遠，而加入國際人權公約則為我們完善我國的人權法律制度提供了極好的歷史契機。在刑事人權法治的建設方面，國際人權公約已經對我國的法治完善產生了實質性影響。如 1996年修改刑事訴訟法時參照國際人權標准廢除了收容審查制度，確立了無罪推定原則，並且通過規定律師提前介入訴訟等形式加強了對犯罪嫌疑人或被告人辯護權的保護。
Translation - English Human rights must be achieved through the rule of law. No matter how many revolutionary movements have been inspired by human rights theories, it is ultimately only with the perfection of the legal systems specific to human rights that such rights can be guaranteed. Without the guarantees of the rule of law, the theories of human rights can very easily be upturned – we need only look at the French Revolution for a valuable lesson in this regard. The human rights of Chinese citizens are already afforded basic protection both by the affirmation of fundamental rights under the constitution and by other legal provisions and systems that relate to the safeguarding of citizens’ rights. But an equally undeniable fact is that China’s system of human rights law, whether it be in legal provisions or the specifics of its implementation, is very far from ideal, and accession to international covenants on human rights has provided a great historic opportunity for China to make improvements to the system. In the development of human rights and the rule of law in criminal justice, the international covenants on human rights have already had a substantial influence on improving China’s rule of law. For example, during the 1996 revision of the criminal procedure law, international human rights standards were referred to which led to the abolition of the ‘shelter and investigation’ system, and the principle of the presumption of innocence was established. Moreover, lawyers intervening in law suits from an earlier stage and other prescribed measures bolstered the protection of criminal suspects’ and defendants’ right to legal defence.
During the 1997 revision of China’s criminal law, the principle of legality was established, and provisions for the crime of being counter-revolutionary, the system of analogical reasoning and the death penalty for minors were all abolished. When comparing with the international covenants on human rights, however, there still exists a significant deficiency in many human rights provisions within Chinese law. Citizens’ rights such as freedom of movement, the right to form trade unions and the right to remain silent are still not affirmed under China’s constitution or laws. Many legal and systemic obstacles still exist when it comes to the human rights safeguards that are affirmed by both the International Bill of Human Rights and China’s own constitution, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to a fair trial, the right to social security and the right to equality. Legal systems such as those for household registration, employment, re-education through labour, the death penalty and the administering of justice all, to a greater or lesser extent, still harbour areas that obstruct the realisation of human rights as stipulated within the international covenants on human rights.
收容审查 shourong shencha – a system of extra-judicial arbitrary detention regarded by Amnesty International as having been one of the most widely used methods of administrative detention in China resulting in human rights abuses (https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/027/1991/en/)
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A diligent, bi-lingual
freelance Chinese to English translator possessing over eight years’ translation
experience, and an MA in Chinese and Business. Specializes in translating
business and finance documents, as well as marketing, legal, and economics texts,
general literature, and provides certified translations of immigration
documents. Demonstrates strong organisational and analytical skills, highly
tenacious, with consistent success in delivering time-sensitive results.
Keywords: Chinese, English, Proofreader, Translator, Chinese to English Translation
