Russian girl chases her dream of becoming a translator

Editor’s Note: Daria, a Russian girl studying foreign languages, received her bachelor’s degree at Heilongjiang University in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. After working as a translator in a Chinese company in Moscow, she decided to pursue a higher degree at Shanghai Jiao Tong University where she did well in her studies and participated in many volunteer activities. She received the Yang Yongman Scholarship of SJTU for the 2017-2018 academic year. Daria took up an internship when she participated in the Silk Road International Film Festival in 2017 and contributed to the cultural exchange between China and Russia.

The beginning

Daria first experienced Chinese culture when she was taken by her mother to visit a Chinese art exhibition at the State Museum of the East in Moscow. The exhibition showed the development of Chinese art, with a section on ancient China starting from the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC). Daria said that during this visit, her attention was drawn to the classical Chinese paintings, which were represented by horizontal and vertical scrolls and traditional women's dresses of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"I could not imagine that when I grew up, I would live in China and my hobby would be studying traditional Chinese paintings," she said.

Aside from Chinese paintings, Daria became interested in Chinese literature when she was 15 years old. She enjoyed reading Chinese books, which helped her become a foreign languages student at the university.

Traditional Chinese paintings and literature intensified Daria’s connection with China and represented the beginning of her journey.

Daria’s first traditional Chinese painting.

Experiences in languages

Daria completed bachelor’s degrees in her hometown and in Harbin before going on to study at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Thanks to a dual-degree program between the North-Eastern Federal University and Heilongjiang University, Daria received a dual-degree diploma. Her first major was Chinese Linguistics.

Daria said: “It’s necessary to learn a foreign language in the environment. So I was practicing my Chinese as much as possible.”

Daria at Heilongjiang University.

After her third year in college, Daria received an internship in translation at Harbin Taiping International Airport, where she worked for one years. She said: "When I was a student, I read a lot about traditional festivals in China, but I’d never celebrated Spring festival here. I finally celebrated Spring Festival in 2014 while on duty with my colleagues, and that was one of my most precious memories."

In October 2014, Daria returned to Moscow where she worked as a translator in a Chinese company. Later, she realized she needed more knowledge and skills in the area of translation, especially from Chinese to English. She said: "The ability to speak a certain language does not mean that one could translate it well. Moreover, Chinese and English are not native languages for me and there must be some differences between translation theories and real practices."

She also mentioned that there were some differences in the translation of literary masterpieces. Daria did a lot of research including some translations of Australian literature in Chinese by Peng Qinglong and a video of interpreting work made by academic advisor Tao Qing whom she greatly admired. Such work helped Daria find the best way to achieve her dream of being a good translator. She submitted her application to SJTU two years in a row. When she finally got the offer, she said: “I can’t find the words to describe the joy I felt when I saw my admission letter!”

Life in SJTU

Daria began to love the weather in Shanghai when she first arrived in September, 2016. She was also amazed by the natural beauty of the metropolis. “It is wonderful – with rich, green trees everywhere,” she said.

In terms of her life in SJTU, Daria said: "The first year was exciting and the study focused on learning theories, which was followed by one and half years' of practice."

She divided her study in two parts: study and practice. Daria went to libraries frequently. "I spent my time in the library, with my friends, or participating in internships." She said translation classes helped her a lot to conduct literature translation from English to Chinese, while interpreting classes taught her the basics of simultaneous interpreting.

Since her first year, Daria has actively participated in SJTU's activities and conferences. She joined the ninth national English business debate competition. She regarded it as a fun and informative experience. She also served as an organizer of the SJTU International Students Organization and a volunteer in SJTU International Students Sport Events in 2017. In 2018, she received the Yang Yongman Scholarship of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for 2017-2018 academic year and gave an award speech. "It was a great honor for me. And I was extremely excited because it was the first major speech I delivered in Chinese," she said.

Internship on film festival

In 2017, Daria got an opportunity to work as an interpreter for the Silk Road International Film Festival. She was excited when she received the news. "It was a great honor for me when my tutor recommended me to take the internship for a company."

Her job was translation and interpreting for a jury member from Russia. Daria said, "He doesn’t speak English or Chinese, so I translated for him the content, meetings, movies, and negotiations in all activities. My working languages are Chinese, Russian, English and French."

Daria said: "Meeting Jackie Chan was my most memorable experience in this film festival. I was translating in Russian for Alexander Koftunets, a Russian actor, producer and jury member. And I never expected that I could meet him in person."

Internship in film festival

Experiencing Chinese culture

Besides doing homework and participating in activities, Daria also likes to experience the Chinese culture by exploring other parts of Harbin and the local cultures. Daria fell in love with Beijing opera. She loved The Drunken Concubine best. "When I saw it for the first time, I was so impressed by things such as costumes, dancing moves and singing. It was amazing and understandable, even without any translation. An old lady nearby explained to me the details and the historical period."

She had many unforgettable memories at the Harbin Opera House where she enjoyed fantastic performances. She also made some friends there. Wang was one of them. They met each other in the opera house for every new performance and talked a lot about cultural differences.

Since her arrival in Shanghai, Daria has also visited many places of this spectacular and marvelous city. She could remember clearly the scene of blooming magnolias in Minhang, sparkling Jingan temple and Jade Buddha Temple in the early morning and in the evening. "All of them are living in my soul now," she said.

Daria also travelled across the country, including the mysterious mountains in Tibet and the amazing ancient gardens in Suzhou. Of all the cities she had visited, Daria liked Harbin and Shanghai most. She said, "I miss my Chinese teachers and friends from Harbin and Shanghai."