Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 587 Discipline is essential; parents must not be influenced.

Meanwhile, Chen Luyang was unaware that the tragic second male lead of the book had already achieved the "long-awaited reunion" medal at the entrance of the exhibition hall.

At that moment, he was squeezed into the east hall of the machinery and vehicle exhibition area with Gao Yaning and the others.

This is the liveliest and noisiest place in the entire exhibition hall.

According to the conference schedule, the morning is the time for each factory to set up their booths.

Delegations from various regions arrived one after another, and prototype vehicles, machine tools, engines, and hydraulic devices were pushed onto the exhibition stand one by one.

The roar of cranes and the grinding of iron wheels made the entire hall resemble a giant, temporary construction site.

The conference organizing committee's translation workspace was located next to the automotive equipment exhibition area.

On the desk, there were piles of foreign language materials delivered overnight by the printing factory. Each stack was as thick as a brick, and the edges of the paper still smelled of fresh ink.

The twelve-person translation team was divided into several groups to conduct preliminary proofreading of the submitted foreign language materials before the review.

Chen Luyang's group was responsible for the data in the "Automotive Equipment Area".

On the table were foreign language instruction manuals and sample nameplates for exhibits from five participating manufacturers.

Besides him, his group also included Luo Qian, who speaks French, Ma Bin, who speaks Japanese, and Lao Yang, an English proofreader sent by the Foreign Trade Bureau.

As for Chen Luyang, he focused on unit conversions, terminology consistency, and layout alignment among the three languages.

The four of them were assigned different languages ​​and tasks, and they were constantly busy from the moment they entered the translation studio.

"Some of the translation materials were prepared too hastily," Luo Qian sighed, tapping the handbook with her pencil.

"In the French version, 'oil temperature gauge' is written as 'fuel temperature gauge,' which completely distorts the meaning."

“My side is even more outrageous,” Ma Bin said, pointing to the Japanese manuscript.
"The 'clutch pedal' has been simply copied as the 'brake plate.' If you actually step on it, the car will definitely flip over."

"Xiao Chen, how are things on your end?"

“I have a problem too.” Chen Luyang frowned as she looked at the three manuals laid out side by side in front of her.

"The French text in this document lists the fuel consumption as 7.2 L/100 km."

"The comma is indeed the decimal point commonly used in French, but the layout separates 'L/100' and 'km', which messes up the spacing. Also, the 'km' at the end is missing a continuous space."

"The Japanese version writes fuel consumption in km/L, while the English version uses L/100 km."

"The two sets of statements don't match up. If this were presented at the Canton Fair, it would definitely confuse foreign businesses."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qian, Ma Bin, and Lao Yang all turned around.

"We need to agree on a unified standard for this, otherwise things will get messy," Old Yang said anxiously.

"I'm going to find Team Leader Gao." After saying that, Chen Luyang gathered the three versions together in the middle, got up, and headed to the translation team next door.

At this moment, Gao Yaning was sitting at a table, checking figures on a manuscript with two colleagues who spoke French.

After seeing the three instruction manuals submitted by Chen Luyang, Gao Yaning frowned:
"Nonsense! How can a printing factory make mistakes at work!"

Chen Luyang explained, "Group Leader Gao, it's not entirely a printing problem."

"The original English version used an export template with units of L/100 km; but the French version was based on the template from the instruction manual of the previous batch of light industrial vehicles. The printing plant copied it directly, and the typesetting software automatically changed it to French decimal commas and widened the unit spacing."

"As for the Japanese text, it's an old template left by the translators of last year's exported motor project. Their energy statistics are based on km/L, and the printing plant didn't change it, so it was printed as before."

He pointed to three sample pages, analyzing and gesturing as he went:
"This results in three different versions of the story."

"No one noticed it internally, but when it came to the pre-exhibition review, the experts compared it and found that even the fuel consumption direction was reversed."

"One says it consumes 100 kilometers of fuel, while the other says it can run several liters of fuel per kilometer. Isn't that a joke?"

After speaking, Chen Luyang unfolded a meeting document, turned to a page, and said:
"The Ministry of Industry's 'Conversion Table of Units of Measurement for Export Vehicles' issued last year clearly stipulates that technical data for the Commonwealth and Hong Kong and Macao markets should primarily use L/100 km, with mpg (Imp.) in parentheses. The fuel consumption unit of the International Organization for Standardization ISO 7228 is also L/100 km, and both the French and Japanese versions use the same format."

“I suggest a unified L/100 km for the three languages.”

"The English version includes mpg (Imp.) for easy comparison with Hong Kong and Macau; the French version retains decimal commas; and the Japanese version removes km/L and replaces it with L/100 km, with a footnote explaining the old system conversion."

He then turned to the back cover of the instruction manual: "In addition, the footer of the vehicle certificate of conformity also uses L/100 km, so that the three languages ​​are consistent, which not only aligns with the technical filing, but also facilitates the compilation of data for the Canton Fair."

Gao Yaning held the three instruction manuals and stared at Chen Luyang's annotations for a long time.

"Okay, we'll go with your version."

"Go ahead and copy this version. Go and copy the standardized template into that master book, stamp it, make three copies, and send them to the data department for filing immediately."

"clear."

After speaking, Chen Luyang quickly returned to the studio and laid out the revised version of the trilingual explanation side by side.

First, mark the standard line spacing in the English notebook, then copy it sequentially into that thick volume.
After writing the last line, "L/100 km",
Chen Luyang carefully checked the certificate template in the footer again to make sure the three-language format was completely consistent before running to the photocopy station next to her to make copies. Then, she tucked the folder under her arm and jogged out of the translation team's office.

For the entire morning, Chen Luyang was like a spinning top, running from one side to the other and back again.

I haven't had a sip of water all morning, I've been busy with just one thing: "standardizing the template".

When the bell rang at noon, the morning's work finally came to an end.

Chen Luyang and Bai Li sat exhausted in the conference rest area, each taking a sip of cold tea.

"Finally finished the morning's work, now it's the experts' turn to nitpick this afternoon."

Chen Luyang's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and beads of sweat trickled down her temples.

Bai Li slumped back in her chair: "This isn't translation, it's practically a mobile force."

Chen Luyang found humor in the situation: "Translators are also part of the military, except they're fighting a battle of words."

……

At lunchtime, long queues had already formed at the temporary canteen in the back building of the Great Hall of the People.

The sounds of white enamel bowls clattering, spoons tapping pots, and plates rubbing together mingled with the rising steam, creating a lively and noisy echo.

The long queue split into two at the fork in the cafeteria.

The sign on the left reads "Delegation Restaurant," and the sign on the right reads "Conference Affairs Group Canteen."

There was a curtain covering the left side, and occasionally people would carry trays in and out, and you could see that the food on that side was much more refined than the food on this side.

Holding her lunchbox, Jiang Xiaohua silently followed her colleagues in the same group, slowly moving forward along the "Conference Affairs Group Corridor".

As soon as I entered the cafeteria, I heard the cook by the boiler shouting loudly:

"Don't push! We're out of meat and vegetables! Wait another half hour!"

Someone in the line ahead shouted, "How come it's all gone just after midnight?"

The head chef replied, "The delegation ordered extra food first, so the organizing committee will have to wait their turn!"

The people in the group were even more dissatisfied: "Our organizing committee works earlier and later than the delegation, so why can't we get meat!"

“Well, what can you do when they’re part of a delegation?” another person chimed in.

“They have a special supply line over there. I just saw that they had braised pork, spare ribs, and scrambled eggs at their window!”

“They are a delegation, we are just a conference organizing committee, we are a level below them.”

……

The line moved forward inch by inch, the soles of their shoes making a "squeak" sound as they stuck to the ground.

Some people filled their enamel mugs with porridge, while others complained that there was too much cabbage in their bowls.

Just as it was almost her turn in line, her companion turned around and asked, "Xiaohua, do you want rice or steamed buns?"

"Rice, please," she answered instinctively.

"We need to hurry, I heard this pot of rice is almost gone." Jiang Xiaohua nodded and mechanically moved forward, looking somewhat dazed.

After getting her food, she carried her enamel tray and sat down with her companions at a row of wooden tables against the wall.

At the next table sat a group of young people, just like them, who had been temporarily seconded from various departments and offices.

They were about the same age and spoke familiarly to each other. Before they had even taken a few bites of their meal, they were already chatting away.

"Hey, Kobayashi!"

A young man with rolled-up sleeves shouted with a smile, "I saw the transformer factory you used to work for exhibiting over at the Electrical Hall!"

"real?!?"

The young man called Kobayashi was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he said excitedly:
"I'll have to go say hello this afternoon! I might even see my master!"

“I’ll go with you!” a young man wearing a Flower Sea brand watch chimed in.
"The bearing factory I used to work for has also sent a representative. I might as well go and take a look!"

"Hey, this time it really is a 'reunion upon returning to the city'!"

"Absolutely! I even saw my old textile factory stall, and the display boards are still the ones I made with checkered paper back then!"

The group chatted animatedly, each person taking turns speaking.

"If we don't have any tasks this afternoon, let's just form a 'return-to-city delegation' and go visit some neighbors."

"Sure, I miss them too!"

"It's not easy to meet an old friend. Let me see if I can borrow a camera so we can take a picture together!"

"Let's go!!!"

……

Laughter filled this side of the table.
But the table opposite was unusually quiet.

Jiang Xiaohua sat in that row, surrounded by several children of cadres of similar age.

The group ate their meal in silence, carefully moving their chopsticks in their bowls.

As "Xiao Lin" and his group got into a lively conversation, someone suddenly turned to Jiang Xiaohua with a smile and joked:

"Xiaohua, I remember you used to live in Northeast China, didn't you?"

"I heard that several factories near the Industrial Machinery Museum are located in that area. Shall we go check them out together this afternoon?"

Before Jiang Xiaohua could even reply,
A girl wearing glasses next to them coldly interrupted.

"I advise you all not to wander off."

"Have you all forgotten the briefing issued by the family affairs department of the agency last month???"

The 12th issue of the "Briefing on the Logistics Management of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation" clearly states: "Some family members of cadres sent letters to other places without registration, which were returned and resent. A brief explanation must be attached."

"Furthermore, the 'Circular of the Working Committee of State Organs' just reported a case of 'unauthorized communication' last month. The child of a cadre in a certain department sent letters to local youths without authorization, which was considered 'a violation of organizational discipline and damage to the image of the organization.'"

The man said unhappily, "We're just going to say hello, not to send a letter."

The girl slammed down her chopsticks and said coldly:

"greet?"

Do you think this kind of thing can be done so casually?

“During the exhibition, all delegations and factories and mines were ‘received by local authorities,’ while we were seconded cadres from central government agencies.”

"If you go to contact people from other units without reporting it, you will still have to write a self-criticism."

She pushed up her glasses and lowered her voice even further: "Besides, you keep calling me your 'former leader,' but does your personnel file say 'formerly an employee of a certain factory'?"

"It wasn't written down. So it must be 'unclear social relationships'."

"If someone asks you 'How did you meet?' or 'How did you get in touch?' and you can't answer clearly, you'll be in big trouble."

The group of people looked at each other, their smiles completely gone.

Jiang Xiaohua lowered her eyes, slowly stirring the rice in the bowl with her chopsticks, as if she were breaking up every grain of rice.

The girl added, "Don't forget, none of us who were temporarily transferred here have been officially hired yet; our files are still under review."

"You all signed a guarantee in the family affairs section, right?"

"'No non-work-related contact with local personnel' is written in black and white, and no one can escape it."

The excited young people suddenly choked up, and their laughter stopped abruptly.

Someone chuckled awkwardly and scratched their head: "Don't be so nervous... we're not doing anything bad."

"Something bad?" the girl sneered.

"The person who was criticized by name last year also felt that he 'didn't do anything wrong'."

"In the end, he still got punished, and his father almost lost his job."

The table fell completely silent.

The moment those words were spoken, the table fell silent.

The girl calmly said, "We're still in the ideological review period, so we should be aware of this level of discipline."

Whether I get a permanent position or not doesn't matter, just don't cause trouble for my family!

Jiang Xiaohua gripped the chopsticks tighter and tighter.

Finally, he simply lowered his head and swallowed a mouthful of rice.

……

In the afternoon, the review officially began.

The first review panel was led by Zhou Bingran, Director of the State Machinery Industry Bureau, accompanied by Luo Qimin, Chief Engineer of the China National Machinery and Electronics Corporation, with his secretary Gao Bin leading the way, followed by several technical and materials experts.

Chen Luyang, serving as the technical translator and information liaison for the conference organizing committee, was assigned to accompany the review panel.

Responsible for providing foreign language materials at any time, comparing them with technical specifications, and recording the review comments of experts.

The group of seven walked slowly forward along the red rope in the exhibition area.

Industrial exhibits from all over the country were displayed on the two side stands:
Machine tools, tractors, compressors, welding machines, diesel engines, and sample cars sent by automobile factories from various provinces.

The machine's metal casing was polished to a shine, and a uniform number was displayed on the identification plate;

Many booths also displayed foreign language manuals and export sample books, subtly revealing a spirit of "going international".

As Gao Bin walked, he flipped through the review form in his hand:

"According to the organizing committee's arrangements, the first car from the provincial machinery factory this afternoon will be the first car from the factory."

was saying,

Zhou Bingran glanced out of the corner of his eye and pointed to a car in front of him, asking, "Whose is this?"

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a car parked quietly on the exhibition stand in front of them.

The bright silver body shimmered subtly under the lights, the metallic paint reflecting a faint blue hue, and even the door seams were perfectly straight. Its streamlined silhouette looked exceptionally beautiful in the bright showroom.

In an instant, the eyes of everyone on the judging panel lit up almost simultaneously.

Gao Bin hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the leader, these are the cars exhibited by the provincial machinery factory."

Zhou Bingran strode forward without any hesitation: "Let's go take a look!"

(End of this chapter)