School of Foreign Languages Supports Tianjin Heping District Investment Promotion Video Translation

A team from Tianjin University (TJU) School of Foreign Languages has successfully supported the internationalization of investment promotion in Tianjin's Heping District in line with the national Belt and Road Initiative by translating the script for its promotional video and creating a term database. The team, led by Professor Yin Shiyu, Director of the Translation Education Center, included Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) students Feng Haibo, Wei Xiaonan, and Liu Mengyao (Class of 2024). The team also traveled to Tianjin Broadcasting Television to complete the English voiceover recording. This initiative highlights how language services can drive local development while demonstrating the professional expertise and social commitment of students from the School of Foreign Languages.

Multi-Dimensional Practice: Strengthening the Foundation of Translation

The project encompassed three core tasks: translating the promotional video script, creating a specialized terminology database, and producing the English voiceover. Over a two-week period, the faculty-student team meticulously refined the video script and specialized terms. To ensure the translations accurately conveyed Heping District's locational advantages and industrial characteristics, the team referenced policy documents and international case studies, aligning their work with local economic strategies. The final English versions balance professional accuracy and communicative effectiveness.

During the voice-over phase, the team worked closely with professional producers at China Tianjin Radio and TV Station, conducting multiple rehearsals to perfect pronunciation, intonation, and emotional delivery. Professor Yin Shiyu emphasized, “A promotional video is a window to a city's image. Translation must achieve both faithfulness to the source and expressiveness for the audience, carefully balancing cultural nuances and communication impact.” The three students made adaptive adjustments to the translated text, ultimately delivering a natural and polished English voiceover.

Leveraging Translation for Teaching and National Strategy

School of Foreign Languages builds practical platforms using local resources to integrate professional translation education with regional development. This project exemplifies the school’s success in cultivating high-level translation talent. By encouraging students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, the school strengthens their professional skills while supporting local development. Moving forward, it will expand university-local collaboration to nurture interdisciplinary talents capable of effective international communication.

This practice not only advanced Heping District's global outreach but also provided students with hands-on experience to deepen their professional expertise and cross-cultural communication skills. TJU School of Foreign Languages remains dedicated to empowering urban development through language services, contributing youthful energy to telling China's stories well and Make Tianjin’s voice heard.