Translators from university join fight against virus in capital transit center

Wearing a mask, gloves, goggles and protective suit, Yu Linmin trudged around an exhibition center that had been turned into a transit center for inbound passengers in Beijing and translated for a foreigner who was filling out forms.

Yu, a 30-year-old teacher from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, is a volunteer translator at the New China International Exhibition Center.

International flight passengers arriving in Beijing are being screened for fever and coughing at the airport.

Those who do not show symptoms are routed to the exhibition center, about 8 kilometers from the airport, for further checks before heading to quarantine sites.

"No winter lasts forever, and spring is sure to follow," says a banner hanging on the wall where the smell of disinfectant lingers in the air.

"We usually maintain a distance of no less than 1 meter from passengers while helping them fill in forms including their name, nationality and address or explaining why they came here and what they are going to do," Yu said.

"We also need to ease their anxieties."

The translators try to share self-protection knowledge with the passengers, including wearing masks correctly, frequent hand washing and disinfection.

To facilitate communication with foreigners, the transit center provides multiple language services, including English and Japanese, to inbound passengers.

Yu came to the center on Sunday with 28 students from the university.

They will work for 14 days and sleep in nearby hotels and then undergo a 14-day quarantine at a designated venue.

That means the translators won't be going home for nearly a month.

Members of the volunteer team work in three shifts to provide translation services for inbound foreigners, with each shift lasting six or seven hours.

"We don't drink during our shifts, because if we go to the bathroom we have to put on new protective suits," he said.

Yu said he became a volunteer because he was deeply moved by the dedication of medics across the country.

"When I first came here, I was a bit worried about being infected. But once I got busy and saw that everyone at the center does their utmost to help others, I forgot the fears and hardships," he said.

International megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai are at the forefront of curbing imported COVID-19 cases.

Beijing reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case from overseas by noon Thursday, bringing the total number of imported cases in the nation's capital to 150.

Translators have taken part in the fight against the virus since the early stages of the outbreak.

To help foreigners in China and beyond better understand the virus, a team from the Beijing Language and Culture University has launched an electronic guide in other languages on the prevention and control of COVID-19.

As of Tuesday, the guide has been made available online in 23 languages in various forms such as text, audio and video, and more versions are being prepared.

Foreigners can check information related to protective measures as well as diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 either on the WeChat account of the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Language Resources of the university or by scanning a QR code.

"I volunteered to participate in the project," said Hao Jinghan, a student of the university.

"I think our translation will be useful for sharing the experiences in the prevention and control of COVID-19 with other countries."

Hao encountered many difficulties with translation, such as handling complicated medical terms.

"Time is tight and the tasks are tough," she said.

"To better express the part that I'm in charge of, I usually browse a large amount of information and seek advice from native speakers."

Han Lintao, a teacher from the university who also participated in the translation project, said the volunteer effort helps foreigners become informed about the situation in the nation.

"Through our translation, we can give them a glimpse of China's efforts and share our experience in the fight against the virus," Han said.