GST writes in from Henan:
I am a school teacher and an eager English learner.

I have sat for the CATTI (China Aptitude Test for Translators and Interpreters) three times. The latest exams took place on November 12th 2006. And the results were as follows: English comprehensive abilities: 69. Practical translation (English into Chinese and vice verse): 56.

Three times in a row I failed at Practical Translation (The first time I got 56, the second time 51). I am really frustrated.

I subscribed to an English magazine named Studio Classroom Coffee Corner. In addition to that, I often surf the Internet. Our school employed an American lady to teach in our school. I have been trying to speak to her as much as possible to practice my English. It is really a great pleasure to talk to her. I helped her do a lot of things. And she said that I speak fluent English. I should find another job, a better job. It is a waste of time to teach. She said I should be a translator.

And to be a translator has been my great dream since I was a boy. But still all my hard work didn't pay off. I really want to be an interpreter and a translator. I am really eager to pass the exam. So I am writing to you for your suggestions about how to pass the Practical Translation test.

I hope I can hear from you soon.

My comments:
Practical translation, isn't it?

First, you sound like someone who's not done much "practical translation" in real life.

Second, when you say "it's a waste of time to teach," I take it to mean that you do not find your current job particularly exciting. I don't think you're talking about the job of teaching per se. So that's settled.

Your dream is to be an interpreter or translator. You face passing the practical translation as an obstacle. And you've come to me for help.

Thanks for placing trust in someone who doesn't want to be a translator himself. Nor have I taken any of those exams. And it is from this position that I speak.

Well, now, what does practical translation mean? Think about it.

Your interaction with the American teacher suggests that you've been doing pretty well. Your English is fluent (she said) and your writing looks good to me too. You're doing well on a practical basis.

That does not seem to be enough for you. You need a certificate, which is a piece of paper. You need that piece of paper to prove that you're doing well, proving it to you, to other people.

I don't think that's exactly what you've been going through in the mind. But just to put you at ease, let me emphasize that all those things fine. It's alright to do well and not know it, to still need a diploma or certificate to prove it. It's ok. We all want to work hard and have something to show for it.

What I want to tell you is, on the practical level, you don't really need it. You don't need the certificate to become an interpreter or translator. At least you don't need the certificate to get the process of becoming an interpreter or translator going.

You sat for the national exams threes times and thrice you came close to passing them. That means you're pretty good. You don't need to take a fourth exam and earn a 60 to prove it. You can start taking translation jobs right now.

Ask anyone who has passed the said exams and got the said certificate: Does the certificate matter on a practical level? Does a word or expression you've been having trouble recalling suddenly pop up in your head if you pull the certificate out of your pocket and start brandishing it?

Ask any good translator that you know of: Are you good because of the certificate? All good translators will tell you it's not about the certificate. It's about you.

I know of a few translators whose services are sought - they don't have a certificate. On the practical level, if you do a translation for someone and they like what they see, they'll keep asking for your services with or without a certificate.

If I were you, I'd keep talking to the American teacher for English practice. Help her out in translation whenever I can. Do my teaching job at the school while taking translations for local businesses and keep honing my skills in the process.

When the next exam comes around, if you feel like it, you'd take it and pass it (Sounds easy? Yes, because you'd have been doing practical translations on a practical level - in real life - for some time). If the certificate helps in getting you a better PAYING job, fine. Even if it does, you should know you'll still need to be good to sustain the job or improve on it because, say, six months into the job, when time comes for management to evaluate your job and see if you deserve a raise, I'd bet you two dollars that the bosses won't be opening the drawl again to check if you had the certificate.

If you keep at it that way, you would perhaps even stop finding teaching to be a waste of time, either for you or for your students.

That way, things will eventually look up. Soon enough, you would be hearing offers. In fact, you WILL be hearing so many offers that you'll have trouble picking and choosing.

But then you wouldn't mind - you'd prefer it that way.

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.