Speaking his language

New Yorker June Y. Mei has been translating for former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji for many years and that long relationship has proved useful when rendering a book of his speeches and articles into English. Mei Jia chats with the translator about why ideas, not just words, are so important.

When former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji visits the United States, he always calls on his most trusted interpreter, New Yorker June Y. Mei. That long professional relationship has now resulted in Mei translating the first of Zhu's two-volume book Zhu Rongji on the Record. It has already been hailed an authentic interpretation that manages to not only present the factual information, but also reflect Zhu's forthright and forceful speaking style.

Subtitled The Road to Reform 1991-1997, the book is jointly published by Foreign Language Press and the US' Brookings Institution Press. It's the latest of Zhu's books to be translated for an English audience. Mei is currently working on volume two.