Program overview
The English Translation program (Master of Translation and Interpreting, MTI) is essentially about teaching you how to convert text between English and Chinese quickly, accurately, and idiomatically. You might think, 'Isn't it just translation? If you know English, you're good to go,' but once you start learning, you'll find there's a lot more to it—like how to handle long, complex sentences in legal contracts, how to translate ad copy while keeping the original intent and fitting Chinese conventions, and how to use CAT tools (computer-assisted translation) to boost efficiency. Core courses include basic translation, literary translation, non-literary translation, translation technology, localization and project management. Many Chinese universities (such as Beijing Foreign Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University, and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies) place a strong emphasis on practice in their MTI programs, inviting professional translators to teach and even arranging real projects for you to work on. This major is ideal for those who are sensitive to language, enjoy playing with words, and have the patience to sit down and focus. If your native language isn't Chinese but you have a good command of it, or if you want to combine English with another language (like your mother tongue), studying this major in China gives you a big advantage—because you'll have access to a wealth of real-world Chinese-English translation cases and China's rich translation practice resources.