I am a native Chinese speaker born and educated in Taiwan, but have been living and studying (at the University of Sydney) in Australia for more than a decade. I have a Diploma in Business Management (Taiwan), a Bachelor of Arts with major in Chinese Studies (USYD) and Master of Arts, major in Translation and Interpreting (UNSW). I have a specific interest in traditional Chinese script and classical texts, a deep knowledge of Chinese classical prose, poetry, fiction, history and modern literature, especially early 20th century literature. I gained outstanding academic results and was awarded the Winston G Lewis Prize in Chinese History in 2007.

My MA in translation included practice in the areas of legal, medical, business, economics, finance, tourism and education. While I tend to specialize in business, finance, economics and the arts, I have experience translating texts from a wide range of fields. I use SDL Trados 2009 as my CAT tool which assists in maintaining the quality and efficiency of my translations.

Working as a team with my husband, I have been a freelance translator for the internationally-known Taiwan Panorama magazine since 2003, as well as doing translation/editing/proofing for TED. My husband Geoff is a native speaker of English and lecturer at the University of Sydney. If you google “Sophia Chen Panorama,” you will find many examples of our Chinese – English translations for Taiwan Panorama.

I possess great enthusiasm for learning new things and gaining knowledge. I am confident in my abilities and optimistic for life. I always take responsibility for things I undertake, and I am flexible and easily adapt to new systems or environments. I have above average IT skills and am an excellent communicator, as well as a calm and efficient organizer. I am energetic and enjoy challenges.

My interest includes reading―history, philosophy, literature, current economic affairs, music―listening to classical, jazz, and playing the piano, and others such as Chinese calligraphy, painting, travelling and tennis.