Interpreter of China's former leaders recounts old days
- By Zhang Jiaqi
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 13, 2019
In April 1965, Tang Wensheng was taken in a bus with seven other college graduates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin work as an English translator in its Department of Translation and Interpretation.
That was the year she turned 22.
More than half a century later, as an advisor to the Translators Association of China (TAC), she recalled those times in a speech at the TAC's annual conference in Beijing on Nov. 9.
Back in the mid-1960s, long before the computer era, all new recruits had to learn how to type fast and without mistakes on a manual typewriter, and how to use different kinds of dictionaries. Besides the Webster's, the Oxford and various Chinese-English dictionaries, they also had to learn to use dictionaries on synonyms, collocations and thesaurus, and even dictionaries like the Duden. Tang was no exception, despite graduating from what is now Beijing Foreign Studies University.
She and her peers had to work long and even unsociable hours. Tang can remember clearly even decades later how, when translating urgent telegrams and diplomatic notes at night, she would feel in a sense of sanctity that her heart was beating with that of the motherland.
Later, Tang began to participate in translating Foreign Ministry statements, government statements and national leaders' speeches. No matter how short the piece assigned to her might be, she was required to make the translation of specific terms, names of people and places in particular, precise before she handed it in, and always studied the final revised version to learn from it.
"That's because we were speaking for the country," Tang said.
Gradually making progress, Tang got opportunities to interpret for China's founding leaders, Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, which was not only an important duty, but also a touching experience.
In the early morning of Dec. 18, 1970, Chairman Mao invited American writer Edgar Snow to his residence just after he had recovered from a fever. Chairman Mao talked with Snow for over five hours from 8 a.m. to after 1 p.m..
Tang remembers clearly that Chairman Mao mentioned during the conversation that since U.S. President Richard Nixon had expressed the desire to visit China through many channels, he was quite willing to meet with him, no matter what the result might be.
At noon on Feb. 21, 1972, President Nixon arrived in Beijing for a weeklong visit. Chairman Mao met with him at his residence that afternoon.
Despite just recovering from a shock, Chairman Mao talked cheerfully throughout the talks, which lasted from 2:40 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., 55 minutes longer than expected. Every time after subsequent meetings that Premier Zhou held with President Nixon, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou would confer on what had been discussed.
China and the United States officially established diplomatic ties 40 years ago in 1979, seven years after Nixon's visit, which was the decisive step towards normalization. Tang, a witness of the historical moment who was by the side of China's national leaders at that time, was deeply impressed by their visionary thoughts delivered through plain words, as well as greatly moved by their dedication to the country and the people.
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