SIJIN XIAN
ATA-Certified English<>Chinese Translator
Mandarin Interpreter
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Working on your text is a privilege. You must be selective about who you give it to. I’m here to serve you however I can, but even if I’m not the one for you this time, I want to set you on a path to success.
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I create the reading experience
your audience deserves.
Greetings from Silver Spring, Maryland!
I'm Sijin (pronounced "Sea-jean," impossible to say without a smile), owner of Translaxian LLC. I'm an ATA-certified English-to-Chinese and ATA-certified Chinese-to-English translator, meaning I passed both exams of the American Translators Association (the current pass rate is less than 20%).
I'm the professional you hire to add the magical touch that delights your audience when just good enough is not enough. Words are vehicles for thought. With empathy as my core strength, I read your mind and help you communicate in English/Chinese on a deeper level.
(202) 361-2665
I cannot say enough about how consistently excellent Sijin’s English-to-Chinese translation is. On the foundation of meticulous care with accuracy, she invariably turns out elegant prose.
She is a pleasure to work with—always willing to discuss suggested edits (which are few) and always returning brilliant alternatives that are sourced from a deep appreciation of the importance of language and the joy in rendering one into another. I’ve worked with Sijin over many years, and we entrust her with our most important texts.
MT
Communications Director at a NYC-based advocacy organization
Sijin is both professional and easy to work with. She is always quick with a response and speedy turnaround time. She always shows great cooperation and flexibility even with the most difficult rush jobs. With Sijin, we never worry about accuracy nor formatting. For all our Mandarin language needs, we only go to one professional translator: Sijin.
Taoufik Ben Ammar, Ph.D.
Chairman, Capital Communications Group, Inc.
Your investment in top-quality translation
reflects your commitment to your audience.
And I make sure your investment is worthwhile by only taking on projects that I am 100% certain I can do an excellent job of. Here's what I do best:
Research Report Translation
Publishable quality, guaranteed.
I hold a Master's degree in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs from American University, and I specialize in scholarly or journalistic writings in the fields of government, policy, and international relations. I'm the go-to translator for research reports, best practice handbooks, and NGO submissions for several prominent organizations with a research interest in China.
Certified Document Translation
Diplomas, transcripts, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and more.
I make sure every little detail is done right, down to the formatting itself. You will receive a PDF file that includes my signed certificate of accuracy, my translation, and your original document. I can also provide a hard copy with a wet signature and have it notarized upon request. I translate both from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English, and the typical turnaround time is 1-2 business days.
Localization and Transcreation
Creativity and prose are my super powers.
Relax, I'll explain the lingo. You've probably heard that machine translation is getting incredibly powerful, and you've probably also seen hilarious machine-induced translation faux pas circling on social media. This is because computers might be good at formulaic, word-based tasks (think user agreements), but they are lacking in cultural awareness, literary flair, and creative expressions. And that's where I come in! I'll take care of your website, marketing materials, branding elements, and anything else that you need a creative human translator for.
Subtitle Translation
Localized, easy-to-read rendition that flows.
I regularly provide audiovisual translation for TV shows, films, and documentaries as a glorified couch potato. I work meticulously to cultivate the most pleasurable reading experience for the viewers by creating idiomatic and snappy subtitles with impeccable timing. It takes a village to produce high-quality video content, and I want to honor every bit of your dedication.
Spoken Translation
I convey your message and embody your energy.
A secret ingredient to my success as a movie and TV show translator is my ability to embody the characters. By putting myself in their shoes, I accurately capture the intent and spirit of their dialogues. I bring the same set of skills to my role as an interpreter: as a skilled communicator in both Mandarin Chinese and English, I make sure you are heard and understood in conversations.
Sijin has been working with Glocalize since 2018 as a Chinese linguist, both authoring and QCing timed-text subtitles for our video streaming media clients.
Foremost, Sijin's linguistic expertise is exceptional. She possesses full native fluency in both English and Chinese, as exhibited by exceedingly high-performance metrics in all her delivered tasks. Early on she demonstrated a keen attention to detail and the ability to locate and correct errors in translated work, earning her a spot on our Quality Control team.
As a QCer, she contributed unfailingly to the technical and linguistic refinement of other translators’ subtitling work. Her experience in translation covers diverse subject matter, her communication skills are exceptional, and her work ethic and problem-solving skills unmatched, making her an ideal candidate for any localization project, big or small.
Multinational Localization Company
Sijin translated my Master's Degree certificate from Chinese to English and she did an amazing job! She was punctual, precise and I couldn't be happier with the result. Working with her was a pleasure and I was really impressed by her professionalism.
Ilaria Storelli
Junior Incentive Travel & Events Planner
I advance your mission
through the art, craft, and science of words.
I have a discerning palate for what I call the flavors of words, with which I pick up the nuances and read between the lines. I take tremendous pride in my ability to compartmentalize the English and Chinese sections of my brain, so to speak, which allows my rendition to flow naturally instead of sounding stiff or "translated."
I'm drawn to the craftsmanship aspect of translation and take great pleasure in pondering over words and turns of phrase. I work best when given ample time to think and create. If you appreciate the artistic charm of a translation well done, then our collaboration will be a delight.
I have contacted Sijin in order to translate my Master's degree diploma from Chinese to English and I am extremely pleased with her professionalism and rapid response. She has provided a service of high quality with a keen attention to detail. Furthermore, in all the emails exchanged she has always been kind. In short, I would recommend her services for any professional, researcher and/or student that needs their documents to be translated with the utmost attention and professionalism.
Ricardo Kotz
Junior Researcher and Assistant Professor
I’ve been working on a few subtitle translation projects with Sijin in the last couple of years. The quality of her work has always been of a high standard, and it’s always a pleasant experience to read her translations.
Gina Guo
UK-based Chinese Translator
Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists
Professional Affiliations
Voting Member, American Translators Association
Leadership Council Member, ATA Chinese Language Division
Leadership Council Member, ATA Audiovisual Division
Member, ATA Honors and Awards Committee
Member, National Capital Area Translators Association
Appearances and Publications
Guest, "Tips to Enhance the Viewer Experience in Subtitling," El Café de la Tarde with Ale Durán (Video), 2024
Speaker, “Enjoy the Show: Tips for Enhancing Viewer Experience in Audiovisual Translation,” Chicago Area Translators and Interpreters Association, 2023
Speaker, "Human Decision-Making and Machine Assistance in Subtitle Translation Through the Lens of Viewer Experience," 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 2023
Xian, S. (2023). Human Decision-Making and Machine Assistance in Subtitle Translation Through the Lens of Viewer Experience. In: Degen, H., Ntoa, S. (eds) Artificial Intelligence in HCI. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 192-204), vol 14051. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35894-4_14
Webinar Presenter, “The Four Cornerstones of Viewer Experience in Subtitling,” ATA Audiovisual Division (Video), 2023
Featured Contestant, English-to-Chinese Translation Slam, ATA Chinese Language Division, 2023
Speaker, “Enjoy the Show: Tips for Enhancing Viewer Experience in Audiovisual Translation,” 63rd Annual Conference of the American Translators Association, 2022
Guest, “Taking the ATA Certification Exam,” Translators on Air (Video), 2017