NEWS

20 October 2011 FTR Executive Director moderates three panel discussions at Singapore Writers' Festival

Tan Dan Feng, Executive Director of FTR/Interlexis moderated three discussion panels at the Singapore Writers' Festival 2011.

In "Mining Singapore's Linguistic Diversity: Multilingual Yet Mute?" with Mohamed Ali, Huzir Sulaiman and Ho Chee Lick, the panel examined the implications of globalisation and multilingualism in multicultural Singapore. The limits of bilingualism and how Singaporeans can better access writing from the four official languages were brought up. The participants highlighted how Singapore can tap and exploit its linguistic diversity, including the Chinese and Indian dialects, to create more compelling cultural capital.

In "A Scythe through the Bamboo Curtain" with Yang Lian, Frank Dikotter and Chong Yuan Chien, the panel discussed the advantages and challenges faced by writers outside China in writing about China. The concept of "insider versus outsider" was discussed as award-winning poet Yang Lian and writer Frank Dikotter shared personal experiences in dealing with Asia's political and cultural behemoth.

In "The Electronic Age: Who's Still Buying Books?" with Yeng Pway Ngon, Zion Zhou and Lim Denan, two veterans of Singapore's publishing scene and a representative of the world's largest Chinese literary content owner discussed the future of Chinese language books. Covered in the lively and free-flowing discussion were evolving models of content delivery, differences between the English and Chinese language book trade and the diverse reading habits among Chinese readers across Greater China.

27 August 2011 Public speech by FTR Executive Director at SIM University on the evolution of translation

Tan Dan Feng, Executive Director of FTR/Interlexis was invited to deliver a public lecture at SIM University on 27 August. Entitled "From ink to hyperlink: How translation has evolved in the digital age", the lively session looked at how the way translation is carried out has changed over the past two decades. With advancements in information and communication technology, translators can now tap on a vast range of innovative tools to help them work more efficiently, even as some worry that continual improvements in automated translation capabilities may render human translators obsolete in the future.

An introduction was given to new translation models such as cloud-translation and crowd-translation to underscore how important it is for translators to continually adapt and learn in order to stay relevant. Yet even as things evolve, it has become clear that certain qualities and values that make a good translator are timeless and unchanging. Specific examples and cases were highlighted to provide an overview of the current state of the translation ­field and what a modern translator needs to know.

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01 September 2010 – Relocation of office premises

07 June 2010 – Successful conclusion of Shangri-La Dialogue 2010

The 9th IISS Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, successfully concluded in Singapore. This marks the eighth consecutive year FTR/Interlexis has served the high-level international forum, providing a team of over 20 linguists and interpreters.

FTR/Interlexis interpreters provided interpreting for dignitaries that included South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the defence chiefs of over ten major powers at the plenary and breakout sessions.

15 April 2010 – FTR/Interlexis selected again to translate for China-Singapore Joint Forum on Leadership

Interlexis/FTR, has been selected for the second year in a row to translate for the China-Singapore Joint Forum on Leadership, involving senior leaders and officials of both countries. Materials translated included official speeches, informational materials and training materials.

The event saw attendance from top leaders including Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Li Yuanchao. Translations covered various aspects of policies and economic and political development.

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7 October 2009 – FTR/Interlexisawarded ministry-wide contract to translation for the Ministry of Education, Singapore