Growing up in China, Ray always had an affinity for languages. After graduating with an economics degree, he started working in the translation sector and knew he wanted to pursue this, leading him to study MA Interpreting and Translating (Chinese) at Bath.

He spoke to us about what led him to the course, the skills he gained, and how it unlocked doors for him in his career as a professional translator and interpreter in China.

A life-long love of language

I remember my dad saying that language was the key to understanding the world. Even at an early age, that stuck with me and led me to become fascinated with the English language.

In my culture, it is common to study subjects like law or finance. So, at undergraduate level, I opted for economics at a top Beijing university; it was not something I found easy.

In my final year, by pure chance, I landed an internship at the Beijing office of The Wall Street Journal, where I translated English news stories, by brilliant reporters, into Chinese, for local and global Chinese readership.

I went into the internship with no prior experience in translation and no idea how well I could deliver. I still remember, on the last day of that first week, the department head called me to his office and told me that the editors found my work ‘unexpectedly good’. For me, after struggling for years academically, this was some long-awaited validation, and it made me realise for the first time that I might be able to do something I enjoyed doing for a living! The internship eventually turned into a full-time position at the Journal.

The next step for me was to find a course in interpretation and translation, and I knew I wanted to study abroad. Bath was a stand-out, with a reputation as one of the best universities for this subject. I had to sit a rigorous entry exam held by the University of Bath at the British Council in Beijing. I was nervous and after the exam, I drove around to try and stay calm whilst waiting for my results.

When I found out that I had passed I was so emotional and happy!

The work ethic and rigour of the course

Employers have a high regard for graduates from this course in Bath, as it has a reputation for delivering and training the best linguists, evident in the roles alumni have gone on to take.

With simultaneous interpreting, several linguistic processes take place at once, your mind must split into listening to what is being said, interpreting meaning and context, translating it into the correct language, and then speaking it, all at the point it happens.

There is no going back to correct it; accuracy and attention to detail is essential and so rewarding when you perfect this craft. It is challenging and so rewarding.

The class sizes are good for individual teaching and practice. There is plenty of time for academics to work with students, through labs, recordings, individual feedback, and a lot of practical work.

My cohort developed a very strong, self-driven atmosphere within the course; we booked sessions into our ‘free time’ to do further work, like reading the Economist cover to cover for example; we organised self-study groups and we would find cafés and kitchens and take turn to host and progress our work – it was very productive and collaborative.

Feeling at home on campus and in the city

I was happy to be at a campus university; it is a helpful transition to living away from home.

I didn’t want to be in a big city, like London, it is too chaotic! The city and the campus at Bath are very compact. There are Chinese and other supermarkets too, so you can get your favourite condiments and ingredients.

The city itself is so beautiful and so easy to walk around. I have a playlist of songs I listened to when I was living there and when I’m missing Bath, I play them, and it takes me right back! I found it easy to get in and out of town, the bus service is very frequent and runs all day and night.

On a sunny day, everyone heads for the lake on campus and lies on the grass looking at the sky and the ducks, it is very relaxing and friendly. There is also a huge choice of groups and societies to join. The different interest groups set up little kiosks at a fair, answer questions and hand over information. I have such affection for, and feel so proud of, Bath and my time there. It has been the best decision of my life. I plan to bring my husband back to visit here one day, it is a beautiful destination.

The future is bright

My route into the profession was remarkably simple. I wanted to interpret, and I was prepared to study hard. I wanted to be great at my craft.

I worked at McKinsey in China as part of a big in-house translation team after they approached Bath directly for students. Employers know that Bath will produce students with exceptional qualities. My teachers put me forward for the interview and I was accepted!

I have now moved to work in the communications department of pharmaceutical company, Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD), where my job revolves around external and internal communications for the company leadership, with interpreting being an essential part of my work.

I’ve now had a decade of experience in interpreting and translating and I still see a huge gap between what artificial intelligence can do and what a top linguist can deliver. It is about empathy, about predicting, about contextualising, about understanding; you have to totally trust that the interpreter is going to empathise, and going to be able to reproduce your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and message accurately. Brilliant interpreters can sometimes speak the same word as the speaker in the same instant.

Tips to make the most of your time at Bath

Take advantage of how nurturing and supportive your time at university is, it is much harder in the real world with noises and distractions. Having the opportunity to listen and focus without those distractions is a gentle way into this profession, even though it can be tough.

This course is one where learning and improvement are done through constant constructive feedback and constructive criticism. It can be tough sometimes, but to perfect our craft, detailed feedback is essential - relish this opportunity to learn and grow.

Bath for me was outstanding. The welcome is polite, friendly, and solution-oriented, from academic support to mental health. There is some counselling offered to all students, maybe a few free sessions, and I thought why not use it if it is there, and it was really helpful.

The Wild Café in Bath was a favourite spot for me, I don’t think I’ve eaten better eggs benedict anywhere since!

One word of warning – it can get cold in the UK, so remember to pack some thermal undertrousers. That's important!