Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 584 Technical Translation Team Meeting
"What are you...?"

Just as the conference organizers were about to speak, they saw Chen Luyang bending over and sticking out his buttocks as he crawled out of the back row of the car.

"Comrade, it's me!"

Chen Luyang waved to the conference organizers.
"We're back to report!"

When the conference organizers saw Chen Luyang, they exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"

"Didn't you say you were going out to eat? Why did you drive back?"

Chen Luyang laughed and said, "We had a lot of luggage, and since the factory has a car, we drove straight here."

The conference organizers chuckled, "Everyone else arrives by train with bags and bundles, but you're lucky enough to drive your own car back."

“Your vehicle looks more comfortable than our minibus, why don’t you just drive it to the guesthouse?”

After saying that, he called out to Yu Anshan and the others:
"Comrade, the car is about to leave for the guesthouse. If we're all here, let's go together!"

"I wouldn't dare, we have to follow the arrangements of the conference organizing committee."

Chen Luyang smiled and replied, then bent down to move her luggage.
While moving the load, he kept giving instructions:
"Xiaolong, be careful, put the box back so it doesn't crush the leader's clothes."

Once all the luggage was packed,
With a muffled roar from the engine, the car slowly started and headed towards the guesthouse where the import and export preview was being held.

……

The guesthouse for the import and export preview was arranged in a branch building of the Foreign Trade Hotel, less than two kilometers from the venue.

There were already many representatives from all over the country registering and reporting in the hall.

Some were wearing gray woolen Zhongshan suits, some were wearing blue overalls, and there were also a few foreign trade representatives in suits and ties.

Everyone had bulging canvas bags slung over their shoulders and brown paper bags full of documents in their hands. The atmosphere was both busy and lively, with accents from all over the country.

Several people went to the front desk, presented their ID cards and official letters, and then...

The female staff member in charge of registration distributed identification documents, name tags, and accommodation cards to them.

Chen Luyang received her name tag and took a close look at it!
'Representative of the Ministry of Industry at the Import and Export Pre-Exhibition, Technical Advisor and Translator for the Export Prototype Project'
Cao Qinghang clicked his tongue in amazement: "Xiao Chen, that's quite an impressive title, really."

Chen Luyang turned her head to the side with a smug look: "Come on, take a look at yours."

Cao Qinghang generously showed him the name tag in her hand.

'Representative of the Import and Export Preview and Head of Prototype Design'.

Chen Luyang chuckled after reading it.

"Although it's a tiny bit worse than mine, it's still pretty good!"

While the two were talking, the waitress took out a thick folder from the drawer.

"Comrade Chen Luyang, this is your meeting schedule."

"You belong to the technical department of the conference, a flexible position. You will be needed to assist experts, foreign guests, and technical staff in the machinery exhibition area."

Chen Luyang paused for a moment, then took the folder labeled "Import and Export Pre-Exhibition Conference Affairs Manual".

Turning to the first page, one sees rows upon rows of densely packed schedules.

From morning till night, it was either equipment inspection and coordination meetings in the machinery and vehicle exhibition area, on-site technical translation and document verification by the expert group from the Foreign Trade Bureau, or preparing interpretation and technical records for the joint review meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the China National Machinery and Electronics Corporation...

Row after row, string after string, it's so eye-straining to look at them.

Chen Luyang's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Can't people even get some sleep?
Seeing Chen Luyang carrying a thick stack of documents, Cao Qinghang laughed gleefully:
"Xiao Chen, you're getting pretty good treatment, even office documents provided!"

Chen Luyang sighed: "The pay is indeed good, and the workload is also good."

After registration, the conference organizers led them upstairs to the accommodation area.

The doors on both sides of the corridor were neatly arranged with the words "Representative Room" pasted on them, and there was still the smell of freshly painted lime in the air.

Yu Anshan, Hao Fengchun, and Cao Qinghang lived in the representative area on the 4th floor.

Chen Luyang will stay with the translation team members on the second floor, a dedicated floor for the translation section.

Fortunately, Chen Luyang's room was located in the middle of the second floor, which was relatively quiet.

The room was small, with two single beds and a shared desk with a green-shaded lamp, an enamel kettle, and a stack of blank notebooks.

After placing the thick stack of documents on the table, Chen Luyang plopped down on the edge of the bed against the wall.

Staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"I was hoping to come and broaden my horizons."

"Before I broadened my horizons, I was used as raw material to be refined."

Just as I was feeling down, the door was pushed open again.

Chen Luyang quickly sat up in bed and saw a man in his late twenties carrying luggage walk in.

Upon seeing Chen Luyang, the man greeted her warmly, "Hello, comrade. My name is Bai Li, and I'm from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation."

As she spoke, Bai Li held up the name tag that had just been issued in a very friendly manner.

Chen Luyang responded warmly: "Hello, Comrade Bai, I am Chen Luyang from the Provincial Machinery Factory."

Bai Li was about to put the box by the bed when she heard this and was completely stunned.

"Are you Chen Luyang?"

Chen Luyang nodded: "Yes, I am Chen Luyang."

Fearing the other party wouldn't believe her, Chen Luyang raised the name tag in her hand.

Upon seeing the name tag, Bai Li's eyes immediately lit up with enthusiasm!
He quickly put down his luggage, grasped Chen Luyang's hands, and spoke with a hint of excitement:
"Oh my! So you are Comrade Chen Luyang!"

"I'd heard that the Ministry of Industry and the Machinery & Electronics Import & Export Corporation had sent a consultant and translator who was fluent in both foreign languages ​​and machinery. I was wondering which senior engineer it was, but I never expected it to be you!!"

"And she even shares a room with me!"

"I'm so happy!!!"

"Your book, 'Practical English Communication Handbook,' is so well written! I always carry a copy in my bag and flip through it whenever I have a spare moment."

"Are you planning to write another book?"

"..."

Chen Luyang was a little confused as Bai Li rattled off one sentence after another.

Being recognized among university students is understandable, but to be idolized by someone from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation at such a national-level conference is somewhat beyond my imagination.

He quickly waved his hand modestly and said:

"Oh, those are just some basic everyday conversational phrases, easy for students to use."

"Putting that stuff in front of you experts is like showing off your limited skills before an expert."

Bai Li quickly shook his head and said seriously:
You can't say that!

“Those of us who work in foreign affairs usually deal with contracts, negotiations, and letters, which are mostly written language and clichés.”

"But when I get to the site and chat with foreign guests or do technical coordination, I easily get stuck."

"Your book just happened to fill that gap!"

"Every sentence fits the scene perfectly; it's practically the most down-to-earth English textbook." Chen Luyang, a little embarrassed by the comment, scratched his head and laughed.
"I was just writing it for fun, it was just a coincidence. If we're talking about professional skills, I still have a lot to learn from you guys in the field of foreign trade and economics."

Bai Li exclaimed admiringly, "You're too modest! We're all looking forward to when you'll publish another book!"

"By the way, have you met our team leader, Gao?"

"No."

Chen Luyang asked curiously, "Who is Team Leader Gao?"

Bai Li said, "Our team leader is Gao Yaning. She is the director of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Exhibition Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and a veteran interpreter who graduated from the English Department of Beijing Foreign Studies University. She personally led the team to establish the translation system for this conference."

At this point, Bai Li's eyes shone with a hint of admiration:
"She's no ordinary cadre!"

"I heard that when she first started working, she worked as a live interpreter at the Canton Fair, and she could translate for eight hours straight without missing a single word."

"Later, she participated in delegations from West Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union, and translated for them all. It was a tough battle after a tough battle."

“She can keep up with foreign guests whenever they change their accent or topic.”

"The most impressive thing was once in Moscow when the conference equipment malfunctioned. She simply kept a stopwatch by hand, listening, taking notes, and translating all at the same time. She translated for more than four hours straight without making a single mistake!"

"After she came back, everyone in the foreign affairs department said that she had an 'iron voice, an iron brain, and an iron memory,' and was one of the top translators in our department."

"This preview event is of a high standard, with many foreign guests and a variety of languages. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation temporarily selected the nation's best translation experts, and she is the person in charge and also the head of the exhibition's machinery group."

Chen Luyang listened with deep respect: "She's truly an expert, both dedicated and capable."

Bai Li nodded, her eyes full of respect.

"I'm able to get here thanks to her."

“Last year, I worked in the Language Department of the Ministry. At that time, she wanted to select people from various departments to join the translation team, saying that they needed to be ‘fluent in spoken language and able to handle emergencies’.”

"I took three rounds of tests, including written tests, oral tests, and real-life simulations, and it took me half a month to pass."

"You have to take an exam to become a translator here?" Chen Luyang asked in surprise.

“Of course!” Bai Li said earnestly.

"This exhibition is of such a high standard that not just anyone can come."

"Not only will language proficiency be tested, but also reaction speed, etiquette, and handling of emergencies."

"In the end, no more than three out of a hundred people will remain. Our group of twelve has been selected through multiple rounds of screening."

As she spoke, Bai Li looked at Chen Luyang with envy and said:
“You are different.”

"No exam is required. They are directly recommended by the Ministry of Industry and the China National Machinery and Electronics Import and Export Corporation. That's a letter of introduction signed by a minister!"

"Among these twelve people, you are the only one from the technical system, so everyone else has to call you an 'expert'."

Chen Luyang blushed a little at what he was being told and scratched his head: "I'm not as mysterious as you make me out to be. To put it bluntly, I just know a little about car repair and can speak a few foreign languages. I just happened to be in this situation."

Bai Li waved her hand and said seriously, "Please don't say that."

"People like you who are both technically savvy and fluent in foreign languages ​​are rare in the whole country."

"We're all just linguistic speakers, and when foreign guests ask us technical questions, we always have to call in experts for help. It's truly amazing that you can handle both at the same time..."

……

After several rounds of praise, Chen Luyang was completely embarrassed.

Even in the realm of personality cults, this level of worship is unprecedented.

It's almost like a frenzy.

The two chatted for a while, then took their things and headed to the conference room according to the requirements in the conference manual, preparing to attend the first plenary meeting and conference of the translation team that evening.

When the two arrived at the guesthouse meeting room, there were already seven or eight people sitting inside.

The wall was covered with the words "Foreign Affairs Translation Group of the Conference - Machinery and Vehicle Exhibition Area".

On the table were a floor plan of the exhibition area, a list of exhibitors from various factories, and drafts of foreign language product manuals printed with a mimeograph machine.

These people are not entirely familiar with each other.

Leaders from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the China National Machinery and Electronic Products Import and Export Corporation were present.

There were also young translators drawn from the School of Foreign Languages ​​and the School of Foreign Trade.
There were also several veteran interpreters from local foreign affairs offices and research institutes under the ministry.

They were only temporarily formed into a working group, which was under the unified management of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Exhibition Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. The Exhibition Bureau was responsible for scheduling, division of labor, attendance and task reporting.

After all,
This is a "mixed team" brought together from all over the country, with people from various backgrounds coming together in one place.

A moment later, the conference room door was pushed open.

A woman in her thirties walked in.

She was not tall, her hair was neatly tied in a bun, she wore a navy blue suit jacket, a white handkerchief was clipped to her cuffs, and her conference badge was hanging on her chest.

Before speaking, she gently placed the folder in her hand on the table and glanced at everyone.

"Hello everyone," she began, her voice crisp and steady.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Gao Yaning. I am the deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Exhibition Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. This time, I am in charge of the translation team for the Machinery and Vehicles Exhibition Area."

"In the next few days, during the preview period and after passing the review, I will be on duty with everyone to coordinate and summarize tasks."

She paused, then gave a faint smile:

"Since this is our first meeting, we don't know each other well yet. Let's get to know each other first."

A man sitting near the door was the first to speak: "My name is Zhang Weilun. I work in the translation department of the foreign trade sector. My main expertise is English and I have some French."

Then the woman next to me spoke up: "My name is Ma Yao, I come from the School of Foreign Languages, majoring in Japanese."

Another girl wearing glasses continued, "Liu Qing, from the School of Foreign Trade, is proficient in English and Russian."

"Guo Hui was seconded from the Foreign Affairs Office, specializing in German."

"Lin Zhengmin, Equipment Department of China National Machinery & Electronics Import & Export Corporation, knows some Italian and mechanical terminology."

……

One by one, everyone introduced themselves. Chen Luyang, head down, listened intently while rapidly taking notes in her notebook:
He marked each person with a symbol indicating which language they were proficient in, which system they came from, which person had a technical background, and which person was a pure language speaker.

This habit was developed in the repair shop; any team needs to understand the structure first in order to have a smooth division of labor.

When it was his turn, everyone instinctively looked at the young man.

"Hello everyone, my name is Chen Luyang. I come from the provincial machinery factory and am currently studying at Peking University. I have been jointly appointed by the Ministry of Industry and the National Machinery and Electronic Products Import and Export Corporation to serve as a technical consultant and translator for the exhibition area."

The group whispered among themselves.

Even Gao Yaning raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Which language are you good at?" she asked.

Chen Luyang paused briefly: "Basically, I'm proficient in most languages."

As soon as he said that, almost everyone in the room turned to look at Chen Luyang.

Ma Yao, Liu Qing, and Guo Hui leaned forward slightly, their eyes filled with surprise.

(End of this chapter)