[From the history] I was the translator for the King of Nepal
Zhu Jingqi
This reflective piece recounts the Zhu Jingqi’s(朱景琪) experience serving as interpreter for Nepal’s King Birendra during his 1993 visit to Xi’an. It provides a personal and detailed look into diplomatic translation, official protocol, and cultural exchange, highlighting both the challenges of high-level interpretation and the warmth of Nepal–China relations.
Introduction:
During translation, it is very important for the translator to put themselves in the right position. During visits, I paid particular attention to this point.
First of all, the most important part is to focus on your own translation task and not try to grab the spotlight.
The first time I translated for a foreign head of state was for Nepal’s King Birendra. It was 1993, and I was 50 years old.
The Affectionate King
In 1962, I was admitted to the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade (now known as the University of International Business and Economics). Due to the Cultural Revolution, my assignment was postponed for a year. After six years, I graduated from the Department of Translation as an English major. After graduation, I never had the opportunity to engage in translation work.
After I was transferred to the Foreign Affairs Office of Shaanxi Province in 1978, I felt that an opportunity had finally arrived. However, the leaders asked me to "do the propaganda work first," and that "first" lasted twelve or thirteen years. During this period, I translated some brochures, but because the publicity work was very demanding, translation was done only in my spare time.
Later, I helped out in other departments, doing some interpretation work on a piecemeal basis, including for some ministers.
But this was the first time I was translating for a foreign head of state, and I felt a little nervous. I was already older and worried about what would happen if I could not translate properly. Moreover, there were two full-time translators from Beijing, and it would be very embarrassing if I made a mistake.
The night before the foreign dignitaries arrived, I lay in bed for a long time and could not fall asleep. How could I translate well the next day without proper rest? I got up and looked at my watch. It was one o’clock in the morning, so I immediately took two tablets of Valium.
I woke up at half past six but felt dizzy. I did not know if it was because I had not slept well or due to the effects of the medicine. With such an important responsibility, I did not dare slack off, so I got up immediately. At 4:40 p.m. on September 22, a Boeing 737 special plane landed smoothly at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport.
The first to disembark was a comrade from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He whispered a few words to Pei Changju, Deputy Director of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Deputy Director Pei asked me to board the plane to invite the king.
This was my first time inviting a guest to disembark, and I did not know what to say in the moment. When I boarded the plane, I saw a couple sitting on the left side of the first-class cabin. A person from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said to a colleague next to him, “This is the director of the Foreign Affairs Office who has come to invite the king. Please translate for the king.”
When I heard that I was mistaken for the director, I quickly said I was not the director. But since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted, I could not argue at that point.
I did not clearly hear what the translator said, but it seemed that the middle-aged man wearing a boat-style floral cap was the king. He leaned forward and reached out to shake my hand. I quickly said, “Welcome to Xi’an, Your Majesty.” After that, the king and queen stood up. I hurried down the ramp and stood behind Governor Bai Qingcai.
Visiting Shaanxi were His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah. Thirty-six people arrived with them, including the Nepali Ambassador to China, other senior officials, and several journalists. Accompanying the distinguished guests were 17 others, including the Minister of Labor and his wife, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and translators from the translation division.
Five Nepali students studying at Xi’an Highway University also made a special trip to the airport to present flowers to the king and queen.
When Governor Bai saw the king and queen, he said only one sentence: “Welcome to Shaanxi.” After shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with the officials behind him, the king was presented with flowers by two children. Then everyone got into their respective cars.
In September 1993, the author of this article interpreted for Vice Governor Liu Chunmao during the King of Nepal’s visit to Shaanxi.
Since my seat was a foldable flip chair in the middle of the car, I had difficulty lowering it. Governor Bai Qingcai, seated behind me, helped me unfold it. Unexpectedly, the king also turned sideways to assist me. I was deeply flattered. Never in my life had I been treated like that. During his brief stay in Xi’an, the king helped me flip the chair three times. This touched me deeply. He seemed to have no airs at all and was kind and approachable, despite being 48 years old.
Improving
The king was of medium build, well-proportioned, slightly plump, and had a mustache on his upper lip. He wore a suit jacket over a cardigan, so he did not wear a tie. During his two-day stay in Xi’an, he never wore one. Sometimes he wore trousers, which made his legs appear thin. When expressing appreciation or surprise, he would tilt his head in a manner common among people from the Indo-Chinese Peninsula.
King Birendra was very friendly toward China, and this was his eighth visit. He did not know much about Xi’an and often asked about the local tombs, such as why they had not been excavated, where the soil came from to build such high mounds, why Xi’an was chosen as the ancient capital, whether Marco Polo had been here, and whether the Silk Road passed through. When Governor Bai explained that Xi’an was the starting point of the Silk Road, the king exclaimed, “Westerners came here to learn from you even back then.” Governor Bai modestly replied, “It was mutual learning.”
The high-level meeting and banquet that evening were the highlights of my translation responsibilities, so I hoped the Ministry of Foreign Affairs translator could share the task. Unexpectedly, one of them said, “Isn’t there already an interpreter here?” I responded that while I handled the daily activities, tonight’s events were particularly important, and we could learn from their expertise. Only then did she agree to co-interpret the banquet. I alone handled the interpretation during Vice Governor Liu Chunmao’s meeting.
Upon entering the hall, I looked anxiously at the interpreter’s seat. But once I sat down and took out my notebook and pen to prepare for shorthand, I quickly settled into my role. Aside from the two people speaking, I saw no one else, not the ministers, ambassadors, or bureau chiefs. I focused only on their conversation and began interpreting like a machine. It went smoothly, and I felt increasingly confident.
Later, I interpreted for Governor Bai Qingcai’s speech at the welcome banquet. I felt the translation went smoothly. His speech was brief, mostly introducing Shaanxi and responding to the king’s questions.
In translation work, it is important for the translator to maintain the right positioning. During the visit, I remained mindful of this, focusing on my role and avoiding drawing attention.
However, I noticed that Vice Governor Liu often walked slowly and lagged behind, for reasons I did not understand. When the king could not see him, he spoke to me instead. A photojournalist captured this on camera. After returning home, my wife and daughter told me they saw me on television many times. I felt uneasy and somewhat wronged. It truly was not intentional.
I was familiar with the Terracotta Warriors and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda because I had translated many materials about them. During the visit, King Birendra expressed his admiration for China’s long history and Xi’an’s many cultural relics. He said, “I have long known about China’s ancient history and have always wanted to see it for myself.” After visiting those sites, he told Vice Governor Liu, “Although countries highlight their own civilizational achievements at different times, China has always had a foundational civilization and is renowned for it.”
He also suggested that a chart be created at the Terracotta Warriors Museum to show a comparison of scientific and cultural development among countries during the same period, more than 2,000 years ago. For example, the chart could show the level of Chinese alloy technology and carriage systems, alongside those of Egypt, Rome, India, and Spain. This would help illustrate the point more clearly.
When he spoke at length, I took out my notebook and jotted down notes to ensure nothing was lost in translation.
On the evening of the 23rd, King Birendra and his entourage attended a performance of Tang Changan music and dance at the Tangle Palace. They received a warm welcome from Chinese and foreign audiences. After the show, the king and queen went onstage to thank the performers one by one and took a group photo with them. He told Vice Governor Liu, “It is especially meaningful to watch this cultural performance after visiting historical sites from one or two thousand years ago. It deepens the understanding of China’s ancient civilization.”
At 10 a.m. on the 24th, when the special plane carrying King Birendra and his delegation took off, I finally felt a great weight lift from my shoulders. I thought to myself that I had completed an important translation task well.
The part of his account (in Chinese) can be found here.