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Translation - English Exclusive Interview with President Lei Hua of Hua Jia Yi Yuan (Hua’s Restaurant)
Spreading the Luxurious Taste of Beijing Food and Drink Culture
With a Beijing accent, short hair, and a round face sporting glasses, Lei Hua is an easy-going type of guy. Upon first seeing Lei Hua it doesn’t occur to one that he and the owner of Beijing’s renowned Hua Jia Yi Yuan (Hua’s Restaurant) are one in the same. Born and raised in Beijing, Lei Hua entered the restaurant business in 1988 with his first restaurant “Yi Yuan Restaurant”. With more than twenty years of experience in the restaurant and dining industry, Lei Hua came to have a deeper appreciation for the food and drink culture of Beijing. Under Lei Hua’s guidance, Hua Jia Yi Yuan steadily rose to fame, becoming a household name with their distinctly Beijing style dish known as “Hua’s Special”.
On the Origins
From Rags to Riches in 28 Years
In 1988 Hua officially established his first restaurant “Yi Yuan Restaurant”, in 1995 he opened “Little Yi Yuan Shuan* Restaurant”, in 1998 Yi Yuan Dining Hall officially began business, and in 2000 Hua’s Restaurant Corporation was established. When on the topic of the restaurant chain’s trademark names containing “Yi Yuan” Lei Hua provided us with an insightful breakdown. For Lei Hua, “Yi” had always meant “beautiful” while “Yuan” symbolized perfection. As a result, Lei Hua always felt that these two characters put together had a significant and emotional meaning. Lei Hua shared that “When I first established Hua’s Restaurant I had originally wanted to register it as “Yi Yuan”, these two characters. Unfortunately the name had already been registered by somebody else so I had no choice but to add “Hua Jia” (Hua’s) to the front of it resulting in “Hua Jia Yi Yuan” (Hua’s Restaurant).
[...]
Hua Jia Yi Yuan has gone from being a small food stand at the mouth of Dongcheng alley to a large scale food and beverage conglomerate with a yearly turnover exceeding 100 million Yuan (approximately $14,578,535 USD), 15 chain stores, and thousands of employees. Furthermore, Hua Jia Yi Yuan Corporation has already expanded their business franchise into Seoul, South Korea.
*Translator’s Note: Shuan is a style for cooking finely sliced ingredients like meat by briefly dipping them in boiling water or soup and is generally done directly at the dining table. It is similar to Shabu-Shabu and can be considered a prototype.
[...]
On Management
In Order to Bring Happiness to Others, You Must First Work Hard
Compared with the new Beijing ideals of “patriotism, innovation, compassion, and profound virtue”, using those of “patience, upholding justice, being generous, complying with tradition without rejecting new ideas, and continuous achievement without being snobbish” to describe the characteristic traits of older Beijing people cannot be more suitable. As a native of Beijing, Lei Hua perfectly embodies the characteristics of older Beijing people in his management of the company.
In Lei Hua’s opinion, the restaurant personnel and management personnel are two completely different concepts. Lei Hua likes to categorize himself more as a “restaurant personnel” type of guy.
Lei Hua shared that “Restaurant personnel are just like us in that they love their company, they love investing everything into their company, the even love doing these things to the extent that they love it more than their own lives. Sometimes they even end up sacrificing their health for the sake of their business. This is much different from management personnel who only have their eyes on money. When running a restaurant, it is not feasible for one to only be focused on money.” Lei Hua believes that the development of the restaurant and dining industry is nothing short of an economic investment; however, what is more important than this investment is having excellent content and items. Hua Jia Yi Yuan’s course of development was not like an instantaneous explosion with results over night; rather it was a slow yet steady process with focus and emphasis placed on quality and meaningful content. Lei Hua is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also fond of poetry. In one of his poems titled “I Love My Employees” he writes “In Beijing you have a home, that home is Hua Jia. In your home you have a family member, that family member is me.” Lei Hua shared “If it wasn’t for our customers then there wouldn’t be any such thing as Hua Jia Yi Yuan. Furthermore, if it wasn’t for our hard working employees, then the Lei Hua that I am now wouldn’t be standing before you today.”
[...]
Epilogue
[...]
When the exclusive interview had come to an end Lei Hua told us that many youth ask him give lectures on short cuts to success. He shared that “For older people like us there is no one who has gotten to where they are today without overcoming hardships. There is no shortcut to success. All one can do is remain steadfast, conduct themselves with integrity, and push forward one step at a time.”
[...]
Japanese to English: News Article General field: Other
Translation - English Starting December 1st : Peach Aviation to provide healthy meals with a focus on women
November 27th 2014
Peach Aviation, a low cost airline (also called low cost carriers aka LCC) based in Kansai Airport, will respond to the needs of their female clientele by providing a winter menu starting from December 1st of In-flight meals which curb calories. By purchasing items with the “calorie offset” mark placed on the menu, a portion of the proceeds will be donated in order to support agricultural projects of developing countries.
The Calorie Offset program is a program which was started in May by Tokyo’s incorporated non-profit organization “Table for Two International” (aka TFT) where “the excess calories of developed countries are converted to essential calories in developing countries”. Peach Aviation allots dozens of yen per appropriate meal on the menu for agricultural support in Leyte Philippines through this same non-profit organization (TFT).
In the program, places such as major convenience stores also took part, but this is the program’s first induction into an in-flight meal company. Ichika Cho of TFT said “Donations are also used for the purpose of supporting women who engage in agriculture locally. At Peach Aviation where there are many female customers, I am glad that many are able to participate”.
On the New Kansai airport departure flights, all of the domestic air routes and international air routes provide the service of picking and choosing Japanese lunch boxes (Bentos). The other two menus are provided on all the international routes and the three domestic routes of Shin Chitose, Naha, and Ishigaki.
Chinese to English: Excerpts from children's story General field: Art/Literary
Source text - Chinese 他在森林里游荡了许多天之后，身着普通人的装束，腋下夹着那把看上去也很普通的黑伞，走向有炊烟的地方。
Translation - English After roaming around the forest for many days he walked in the direction that the smoke was coming from. He was dressed in ordinary clothing and carrying what would appear to be an ordinary black umbrella underneath one arm.
Without missing a single one, he had to find all of the wizards who possessed outstanding witchcraft.
With him he carried a list that detailed the names and locations of these outstanding wizards. In fact, he knew these wizards. For the past 10 years he had participated in nearly all of the Wizard Treaty agreements. Due to his magical powers and prowess, the authorities of the underworld had entrusted him with great responsibilities. He was to agree and sign treaties as the representative of the Magic Cube and all the wizards far and wide.
[...]
Clutching the list Xi wandered all over the country from the south to the north, from the mountainous regions to the plains, from barren lands to oases, and from the countryside to the big cities all on his lame leg. Tracking them down one at a time, it took Xi almost two years of pursuit to find the wizards whose excellent skills he thought would come in handy sometime in the future. He knew the magical powers and tactics of all these wizards like the back of his hand. What Xi was concerned about wasn’t their individual strength, but rather the strength that they could achieve when working together- a strength with power sufficient enough to wreck havoc on heaven and earth.
One step at a time a cool, calm, and collected Xi went about methodically carrying out the plan he had hatched long ago during his time in hell. Xi was aware that the underworld was keeping a close eye on him. His escape from hell was, after all, a truly an unprecedented event and the underworld remained temporarily unable to pass any judgement on him according to the current legal code because they could not find a relevant clause. Furthermore the underworld has always been doctrine based and old-fashioned, regardless of the issue at hand they are always a stickler for formalities of rules and regulations. By the time the underworld had finally developed a new clause in their legal code, Xi had already unknowingly passed a countless number of years in the secular world at ease.
In fact, being at large and getting away with his crime was something that made him feel extremely delighted.
[...]
The Wizard Treaty is created once a year. It begins on the first night following the first sounds of rolling thunder in the spring.
At this time, each wizard utilizes their individual magical powers to fly under the moonlight and gather at a meadow by the lakeside in the forest.
This is a charming night on which a countless number of soldiers stand guard over the meadow.
The meadow is covered with tables decorated in white tablecloths, their tops laden with fresh flowers of every colour, fine wine, and good food.
Underneath an enormous thousand year old banyan tree musicians persistently perform without tiring. All of their instruments, sparkling white, are made from animal bones. The sound, monotonous and laden with grief and hidden bitterness, is nevertheless a pleasant and unrivaled sound of sorrow and beauty for the wizards.
Regardless of gender, wizards can eat and drink to their hearts content and relax under the hazy moonlight. The atmosphere is continuously lively until daybreak, at dawn the music becomes solemn and serene, and the wizards begin signing the treaty with each other.
Before the sunrises, the music spontaneously comes to a grinding halt and the devils suddenly transform into greenish black smoke, disappearing into the fog. The wizards, broken-hearted at having to leave, each float off back to where they had come from after mutually bidding each other farewell.
Chinese to English: Journal Article General field: Art/Literary
Translation - English A Historical Journey- The Influence of the “Renaissance” on the Beginnings of Modern East Asian Thought and Academia
Abstract: As a key historical event, the Renaissance had a relatively large impact on the late Qing/early Republic of China and Meiji Japan throughout which it extensively spread. Due to different understandings of the historical significance of the Renaissance, China saw the emergence of two strains of revolutionary thinking during the late 19th and early 20th century. Acknowledgement of the Renaissance and early-modern European history became a common feature in the historical writings produced in East Asia during this time period. It was also during this time period that both Meiji Japan and late Qing China saw a surge in nationalistic thinking, which further stimulated East Asian historians to rediscover East Asia’s very own Renaissance with hopes of transcending the modernized West.
Keywords: Renewal of Ancient Studies, Constructing National Language, Enlightenment, Meiji Japan, Late Qing China, Historical Writing
Classification Number: K25 Document Index: A Article Number: 0439-8041(2016)03-0120-08
1. Returning to the Classics and Constructing the National Language: Two Interpretations of the Renaissance
In 1917, while on his return trip to China from studying abroad in the United States, Hu Shi (1891-1962) read with a keen eye Edith Helen Sichel’s The Renaissance , which focused on the Renaissance period in Europe. Inspired by the work, Hu copied down parts of the text into his diary with utmost care and proceeded to make valuable annotations and comments. Most notably is that Hu attributed the historical significance of the Renaissance to “narrating the rise of national language in each of the European countries.” It is evident from the excerpts of Hu’s diary and his various later works on written language that Hu was heavily fixated on the outcome of the European Renaissance. Hu was specifically intrigued by how the Renaissance had altered the long held tradition of using Latin for all medieval literary works. The Renaissance saw the emergence of “national languages” in Italy, France, Germany, and England. These “national languages” were formed based on the “colloquial speech” found in each of the specific “countries.” The development of “national language” was a significant factor in the shaping of each of these modernized “countries.” Contrasting China with Europe, Hu Shi associated Latin with Classical Chinese, and contrasted the national languages of modern countries such as Italian and French with the quotations of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the novels of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), and the vernacular speech of the Chinese people. Hu believed that an established national language was a significant channel vital for facilitating a wide spread national culture, the promotion of national consciousness, and the formation of a modern country.
In my opinion, the most important motivating factor behind Hu Shi and his vigorous promotion of “vernacular literature” and “national language” in China was the ideology that “the vernacular has yet to become the national language.” For Hu Shi, the historical significance of the Renaissance was not looking back at the past and rediscovering tradition; rather it was looking forward and pushing for enlightenment and the construction of an ethnically distinct country. These views were unanimous with those of Chen Duxiu (1879-1942), a major figure alongside Hu Shi during the period of the May Fourth movement. Chen also viewed the Renaissance as an “innovation” movement which did not solely focus on the literary arts, but was a full scale revolution of politics, religion, ethics, morals, literature, and art. As a result, both Hu and Chen’s basic understanding of the Renaissance seemed to subtly diverge from that presented in academia of the late Qing/early Republic of China. To put it simply, while academia of the late Qing/early Republic of China considered the Renaissance as a “revival” movement promoting the rediscovery of tradition for the elite, Hu and Chen saw it as a “period of rebirth” for the common people in which Europe walked away from the uncivilized medieval period and into modernized culture.
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Master's degree - University of Alberta
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Years of experience: 9. Registered at ProZ.com: Oct 2016. Became a member: Oct 2016.
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Bio
I graduated with a BA with Distinction in Combined Chinese-Japanese from the University of Alberta in 2015. I hold two certificates in Translation Studies (the theory and practice of translation), one in Chinese and one in Japanese.
In addition to Chinese and Japanese, I am also proficient in Korean. The acquisition of languages originating from East Asia is a much enjoyed hobby of mine.
I have made the following publication: "Analysis, Interpretation, Adaptation and Translation: The Line Between Process and Product as Determined by Equivalence." In: Studies in Translation, University of Silesia Press , SLASK Publishers,Katowice, 2015 , General Editors: W.M. Osadnik & A. Swiesciak
In July of 2016 I joined the ATIA as an Associate Translator for the combination of Chinese - English.
As of 2017, I hold an MA in Chinese Linguistics and Pedagogy obtained from the University of Alberta.
As of 2021, I hold a PhD in Applied Linguistics with specialization in Computer Mediated Discourse Analysis.
My monograph, Inclusivity and Belonging in Chinese Discourse, was published in 2024.
Thus far I have worked on and contributed to projects ranging from employment contracts, drama/movie subtitling, Buddhist art/relic articles, academic journal articles, chapters of finance and stock investment materials, and economic articles to website translation,short stories, and news articles. I also have experience in dealing materials that involve IT/web scripting, java codes, and the environment and environmental policies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Translation Projects (Chinese; *out of date*):
-Employment Contract (1)
-Marriage Certificates (4)
-National ID (4)
-Household Registers (2)
-Website translation and localization for Chinese visa application (3)
- Short children’s stories of the fiction genre (3)
- Business owner interview (1)
- Personal essays/odes (2)
- Travel/tourist attraction articles for specific cities (11)
*****Includes historical relics/landmarks
*****History
*****National attractions
*****Special characteristics
*****Special Holidays and Religions (Eastern Orthodox/Christmas)
*****Buddhist Temples
*****Lunar New Year
*****Sale Seasons for shopping
*****Churches/Cathedrals
- Travel/tourist visa application information for specific cities (1)
- Hotel HVAC system instructions (1)
- News Article on famous Yangqin player Dr. Liu Yuening (1)
- Research Report on Tourism (1)
- Analytical Report Figures on Tourism (2)
- Resume (2)
- Business Introduction (2)
- Specialized Biography Articles (4)
- Environmental Report (1)
- Article on APPs for Tourism (2)
- Tour Package Advertisement (5)
- Medical Article Excerpt on Goiter/Hyperthyroidism Surgery(1)
- Travel Log (1)
- Interview (1)
- Festival Program (1)
- Driver's License (47)
- Master's Degree (1)
- Transcripts (1)
- Divorce Certificate (1)
- Beijing NGO Association for International Exchanges Initiative (1)
- China's Energy Development and Outlook Report - 27,000 words(1)
Recent Subtitle Projects: (Chinese)
Motion Picture Film (Romantic/Historical Comedy - 68 minute runtime).
Interview with cancer survivor (43 minute runtime)
Dubbing Projects:
Interactive Exhibit/Theme Park Announcements (15)
AI Product Promotional Videos (10)
Please contact me if you may be in need of my services or a collaboration, I look forward to working with you and the opportunity to grow professionally.
Kerry Sluchinski, PhD, MA
Associate Translator: Chinese - English,
Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta (ATIA)
TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certified
秦克里 PhD, MA
副翻译 :中译英
阿尔伯塔省翻译与口译者协会
资格证: TESOL/TESL/TEFL
Keywords: Chinese, English, literature, academic, articles, finance, contracts, essays, subtitling, economics. See more.Chinese, English, literature, academic, articles, finance, contracts, essays, subtitling, economics, proofreading, general, Japanese, news, journals, . See less.
Member since Oct '16
