Can you introduce the profession of aerial translation in detail?

If you want to travel between Beijing and Paris every week, then you can try to be an aerial interpreter. This profession is slightly different from that of a flight attendant. The most important thing is that your foreign language must be good. Some foreign airlines entered the Chinese market, and when faced with more than half of the Chinese passengers on board, they suddenly felt that it would be much more convenient to have a Chinese translator on the plane.

From the 20th to the 22nd of this month, 30 candidates who passed the preliminary selection participated in the interview for Air France’s recruitment of in-flight translators. This is another recruitment after Air France first recruited in-flight translators in February 1997. In the previous one, 6 Beijing girls became the lucky ones among more than 50 applicants. The number of applicants this time increased significantly, and the proportion of men was also higher than last time. The difference is that this time the age of applicants has been relaxed, from 26 to 30 years old, and applicants are required to have certain work experience.

The interview examiners were two representatives from Air France and Zhou Yinghui, the company’s public relations manager in China. The interviews are all conducted in French and last for 40 minutes per person. They mainly examine the candidates' language proficiency, coping ability and their overall quality. Although Ms. Zhou reminded the candidates to pay attention to their attire when notifying them to participate in the interview, perhaps because of the cold weather in Beijing, few of the girls taking the exam were in formal attire, and many were dressed casually.

“At first, the French didn’t understand that Chinese girls wore trousers to take exams. I explained to them that you can’t go out wearing skirts in Beijing in the winter. In fact, clothing is not the most important thing. We value a person’s talents and potential more,” Zhou Yinghui said.

For most applicants, being able to travel between Beijing and Paris is the main reason that attracts them to apply. Of course, generous salary is also an important condition.

Marie Christina is a French examiner who came specifically to take the recruitment exam. She has worked on airplanes for 15 years, from flight attendant to flight attendant, and is now responsible for the recruitment, training and management of flight attendants. She said: "At Air France, flight attendants are a lifelong career. As long as your physical condition allows, you can continue to work until retirement age. Our requirements for flight attendants are to be sociable, enthusiastic, independent and team-oriented. Spirit."

Interviewer

Jiang arrived at the exam location, 30 minutes before the exam started, and she was the first candidate to participate in the interview. Because she was afraid of traffic jams, she left the house an hour early. This was an exam she had been waiting for for two years. For this reason, she flew back from France specially a week ago.

Two years ago, Air France recruited in-flight translators for the first time. Jiang was out of town. When she learned the news, the recruitment had ended. Although she was reluctant to send in her resume, she ultimately missed the opportunity. . When he learned about the recruitment, Jiang Gang went to France to study for three months. She sent her resume back from France and attached a letter, which said: "I am confident in myself. I hope you can consider my conditions and give me an interview opportunity. I will return to China for the interview."

Jiang said that it has always been her dream to fly around in the sky. "I think I am particularly suitable for this industry, really." Jiang repeated this sentence to the examiner many times. "I like it very much, and I am confident at the same time."

After graduating from college, Jiang worked in a French company for two years. She said that her foreign boss was good at everything but a bit irritable. However, she has a knack for getting along with her boss. At least, in this interview, when answering "Talk about a service you have provided to others", she had something to say: "Every morning, I prepare a cup of coffee for my boss before he arrives. When I see the coffee, the boss Always a pleasure”.

Because Jiang has working experience in a foreign company, Jiang pays attention to her dress. She was the only girl wearing a dress who took the exam that morning. Her shoulder-length hair, just the right amount of light and decent clothing, including her sitting posture when talking, all earned her points. But Jiang seemed dissatisfied with his performance. "I wasn't nervous at first, but once I started speaking, I was a little nervous facing several examiners, especially the French ones. I didn't know how to answer many questions."

Isn’t it a pity to give up your studies and come back from France to take the exam? Jiang shook his head: "I went to France to study for two reasons. One is that I like literature, and the other is that I want to visit France and learn French further." Although France is very romantic and beautiful, Jiang, who left home for the first time, still missed home. The first three months were the most difficult. When I first arrived, I couldn't quite understand the French spoken by others, let alone the professional courses taught by the teachers in class. So I miss home very much and always call home. Phone calls and transportation charges in France are extremely expensive. A three-minute phone call costs 50 francs, which is “not enough to make my mother cry on the phone.” Jiang said that France is a particularly attractive country and her classmates are very kind to her, but she does not want to stay in France because her parents, friends and boyfriend are all in Beijing.

When she came to take the exam, Jiang carried a big bag, which looked heavy. She said that it contained a dictionary for her to write her thesis. Although he studies French literature, Jiang believes that literature can only be regarded as a hobby and cannot be a career. Today, when competition for jobs is so fierce, it is important to have a job that you like and that pays well. This is why on-air translation attracted Jiang.

In a few days, Jiang will return to France, and she hopes to know whether she has passed the exam before leaving. If she passes, she will go through the withdrawal procedures, otherwise, she will continue her studies.

Ma, who graduated from Peking University, was the first man to participate in the interview. The Chinese examiner had a good impression of him. At 12 o'clock, he stood in front of the examiners on time. Obviously, his French level is good and he can handle the examiner's questions well. In front of the examiner, he is relatively relaxed.

After graduating from college, Ma entered a government agency and worked for more than two years. He felt that he should try another job because he was still young after all. The biggest benefit from previous work experience is learning how to interact with others. He was obviously well prepared for this exam and faced it calmly. Ma doesn't really want his current workplace to know about his application unless he is sure to pass the exam.

A real romantic journey

In the photo, Liu Peng, the in-flight translator who had just put on his uniform and got on the plane for the first time, looked like a little girl. Now, she has been "flying" on this route for two years. .

Every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at noon, a flight will take off from Beijing and arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France after ten hours of air flight. For two years, aerial translators traveled between Beijing and Paris.

Including the preparation time for the round trip, the working time of each flight is fourteen to five hours, with only one and a half hours of rest time, which is arranged by the flight attendant. Each in-flight interpreter has a work schedule. In addition, they also provide other services to passengers: such as assisting guests to fill in immigration documents, explaining menu contents, introducing and assisting passengers in purchasing duty-free products, and helping them with in-flight services. personnel to communicate. In addition, flight information, safety measures, travel advice and on-air broadcasts must be explained in Mandarin.

There are often "secret passengers" on the plane. They appear in the cabin like ordinary passengers to observe and evaluate the work of in-flight translators. After each flight, the flight attendant also fills in the evaluation comments. Each stewardess is only responsible for the channel she is responsible for, but the in-flight translator is responsible for the entire aircraft, constantly patrolling the aircraft, translating and answering questions at any time. Guests asked questions. When Chinese guests encounter trouble or have any requests on the plane, the first thing they think of is Chinese in-flight interpreters.

The crew that in-flight interpreters serve is not fixed. They often don’t know which crew they are working with until they arrive at the airport for handover. Therefore, they not only have to communicate with guests, but also communicate and cooperate with crew members to adapt to the working methods of different crews to ensure the smooth completion of the flight.

“The work on the plane is very intensive, and the air in the cabin is dry, so the flight attendants age quickly and wrinkles easily appear on their faces.” When Liu Peng said this, he seemed to be very old. The look on the baby's face didn't match her tone.

When working, there are dress codes for in-flight translators. Makeup is required to be CLASSIC (dignified and elegant), jewelry should be simple, and nail polish should be applied. "The pressure on the plane is so great that the cosmetics in the bottle can spray out." Liu Peng said that she once touched up her makeup on the plane. As soon as she opened the cap of the mascara bottle, the liquid inside spurted out. From then on, she tried to avoid using cosmetics on the plane.

After intense work, in-flight translators can enjoy some leisurely time. They like the street markets, outdoor cafes, cosmetics and fashion in Paris. Liu Peng said that she likes stores in Paris very much and has visited almost all of them. "Cosmetics are all bought there, and big-name fashions are just for viewing. They are too expensive." During the stay in Paris, the in-flight translator's accommodation is arranged by the company. Breakfast is free, and lunch and dinner are paid for by yourself. "Meals, phone calls, and transportation in Paris are all very expensive. A call to Beijing costs more than ten francs per minute, and a good dinner costs more than 100 francs." Of course, their stipends are enough to cover these costs. Liu Peng said that at most, she could stay in Paris for three days, which was enough time to visit cultural centers and museums. Even if she was alone, she would inevitably feel lonely in a foreign country that she was not familiar with. Because there is only one Chinese translator on each flight, there are very few opportunities for several in-flight translators to meet together. Most of the time, they travel alone between China and France.

Aerial interpreters can stay in Paris for more than ten days a month. Each of them has a flight schedule in their hands and flies according to the schedule. The rest of the time is up to you, as long as you arrive at the airport two and a half hours before the flight and hand over to the crew.

The deadline for Liu Peng to sign a contract with Air France is April this year. Liu Peng said she has to consider whether to continue working after the contract expires.

Duan Chunhui, who graduated from the Department of Spanish at Peking University, like Liu Peng, was one of the first batch of in-flight translators for Air France.

The understated Duan is very gentle. With her shoulder-length hair tied up and her uniform on, she was an excellent Chinese translator on board. “The most important thing about being an in-flight interpreter is to be good at communicating with people,” Duan Chunhui said. On the plane, the crew members were all French. In addition to interpreting according to regulations, the in-flight translator also had to do many things that she could not imagine. Sometimes, differences in habits can cause conflicts between crew members and passengers, causing unnecessary trouble.

For example, say thank you. The habit of foreigners is to say thank you loudly, but the Chinese expression may be more subtle, such as smiling or nodding. Foreigners don't quite understand this at first. A stewardess came to Duan Chunhui and told her: "Chinese people are rude and don't know how to say thank you." Duan Chunhui understood what was going on, so she explained to the flight attendant, nodding or smiling to express her gratitude. The next time the flight attendant saw the Chinese guests smiling at her, she was very happy to tell Duan that they were thanking me.

Many very detailed tasks need to be solved before they happen. The guests on the plane are all different, speak different languages, and have different living habits. They have to stay together for more than ten hours. In such a small space, conflicts are inevitable. Once, a guest got into trouble with the flight attendant as soon as he got on the plane. The stewardess thought the passenger had a mental problem and was extremely nervous, so she hurriedly went to find Duan. Duan comforted the passenger while chatting with him. It turned out that the passenger had a conflict with the locals in France, and got on the plane with grievances and deliberately went against the crew.

“Actually, it’s hard for you to know what you’re going to do in advance. There are work procedures and regulations, but the situation you encounter on every flight is different. Before something happens, you It is necessary to anticipate and deal with it. For example, if one or two French people are sandwiched among a group of Chinese passengers, or one or two Chinese people sit among a group of French people, the few people will definitely feel uncomfortable. At this time, you thought of it for them and helped them change their seats. The guests must be very grateful." Duan Chunhui said that her working principle is very simple, to provide considerate service as much as possible and ensure that every flight goes smoothly.

Duan Chunhui’s husband is a Chinese journalist stationed in Italy. Due to the convenience of his career, Duan can often fly to Italy to be with her husband.

Every gathering in a foreign country must be full of emotion. "I could have just let him do whatever he wanted, but I thought it was boring. It would be better to have a job of my own." Perhaps I chose to stay and work as an in-flight translator because it was convenient to see my husband.

In-flight translators enjoy the company's preferential fares. They can go to some European countries for only one-tenth of the fare. The sunshine of the Mediterranean, the Carnival of Spain, and the exotic customs add a lot of color to their lives.

France is still romantic, and the comings and goings every month have long become part of the lives of air translators.