The Translation Torchbearer

by Zhou Xin

Ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics， He Jun， Senior Translator with Foreign Languages Press， China International Communications Group （CICG）， was selected to hold the torch in the relay. “Finding out I was chosen was a jolt of excitement，”he recalled. The honor of serving as a torchbearer for the Winter Olympic Games was a pleasant surprise.

“The Winter Olympics is a good opportunity for athletes from around the world to come together and showcase their unique skills under a global spotlight，” he said.“Competing against the world’s best for medals usually unleashes their full potential.”

His feelings about the Winter Olympics are profound. “Athletes gather from different countries and regions with diverse cultural backgrounds，” he noted. “The Olympics brings them together and fosters understanding while enhancing friendship. There is a spirit of unity.”

As a translator， He Jun spends most of his work hours writing or typing at a desk. “If I sit for long periods， my body gets a little stiff.So recently I have been spending more time in exercises.” He admitted that his busy work schedule usually led to a lack of physical exercise. But he recognizes the value of sports. “Exercise brings happiness and vitality and benefits mental and physical health.”

Before carrying the torch for the Winter Olympics， He Jun， now 59， had been passing on the“torch” of translation for decades.

Every realm has its masters. The Olympic spirit is not limited to athletic pursuits， but permeates all walks of life. Even “quiet”translating work requires comparable passion and perseverance. He Jun has been involved in translating and editing books for many years. His dedication has borne fruit. As a member of the expert group， he participated in finalizing the English editions of the first three volumes of Xi Jinping： The Governance of China as well as white papers such as China： Democracy That Works and China’s Epic Journey from Poverty to Prosperity and books including Zhu Rongji on the Record and Selected Works of Ba Jin.

After graduating from the English Department of Peking University in 1985， He Jun joined Foreign Languages Press. Since then， he has remained devoted to translation for more than 30 years. The English editions of Xi Jinping： The Governance of China and The Belt and Road Initiative， which he participated in finalizing， are regarded as models of faithfulness， expressivity， and elegance in translation.

When finalizing the English version of Xi Jinping： The Governance of China， He Jun joined other experts in making bold innovations by flexibly deploying translation methods and strategies. While maintaining strict faithfulness to the original text， the work was translated into English that is easily understood.