架起世界桥梁:南京语言志愿服务助力城市国际化发展 Bridging Worlds: Nanjing's Language Volunteers Fuel Its Global Ambition

On April 28, 2026, nearly 100 participants, including foreign affairs officials, foreign-related service representatives, and foreign language students from four universities in Nanjing, gathered at the Jiangsu Central Asia Center for the "Spring Translation Xuanwu" foreign language volunteer service event. Through expert lectures, foreign affairs protocol training, and English presentation showcases, young volunteers used fluent language to tell the new story of Nanjing’s development and its deepening economic and trade cooperation with Central Asian countries. This event is far more than a one-off volunteer activity; it is a microcosm of Nanjing, a culturally and economically vibrant international metropolis, leveraging grassroots language services to advance its high-level opening-up and global integration.2026年4月28日，近百名参会者齐聚江苏中亚中心，参加“春译玄武”外语志愿服务活动，参会人员包括外事官员、涉外服务代表以及南京四所高校的外语专业师生。通过专家讲座、外事礼仪培训与英语讲解展演，青年志愿者们以流利的语言，讲述了南京城市发展、以及与中亚各国深化经贸合作的全新故事。这场活动远不止是一次单次的志愿行动，更是南京这座经济文化繁荣的国际化大都市，依托基层语言服务推进高水平对外开放、融入全球发展格局的生动缩影。

The Strategic Significance: Language Services as a Cornerstone of Nanjing’s Globalization 战略意义：语言服务是南京国际化发展的核心基石Nanjing has identified "international opening-up" as one of its four strategic priorities during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with a clear goal of "building a highly open international city and accelerating the enhancement of opening-up competitiveness". Against the backdrop of China-Central Asia bilateral trade hitting a record high of $106.3 billion in 2025, up 12% year-on-year, Nanjing has emerged as a critical hub for China-Central Asia cooperation, hosting the national-level China-Central Asia Trade Facilitation Cooperation Platform inaugurated at the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit.

南京已将“对外开放”列为“十五五”规划期间四大战略重点之一，明确提出“建设高水平对外开放国际城市，加快提升开放竞争力”的发展目标。2025年，中国与中亚双边贸易额同比增长12%，创下1063亿美元的历史新高，在此背景下，南京凭借第二届中国—中亚峰会上正式揭牌的国家级中国—中亚贸易畅通合作平台，已成为中国与中亚合作的关键枢纽。

In this context, foreign language volunteer services carry multi-layered strategic significance. First, they translate national strategic outcomes into grassroots practice. The China-Central Asia platform, which has driven an 82% year-on-year growth in trade with Central Asia for its operator Jiangsu Suhao Holding Group, serves as a practical training base for volunteers, turning abstract "Belt and Road" cooperation into tangible stories and cross-cultural communication services. Second, they fill the gap between professional language services and the surging demand for daily and business-level multilingual support. As Nanjing hosts over 315 German-funded projects, with bilateral trade with Germany exceeding $4.2 billion in 2025, and attracts a growing number of multinational corporations including Pfizer, BASF, and Qualcomm, there is an urgent need for flexible, accessible language services beyond commercial translation agencies. Finally, they reshape Nanjing’s international image from the bottom up. Unlike official promotional content, young "civilian diplomats" use authentic, relatable narratives to present a dynamic, innovative Nanjing to the world, fostering genuine people-to-people bonds that underpin sustainable economic and trade cooperation.

在此背景下，外语志愿服务承载着多层级的战略意义。其一，它将国家战略成果转化为基层实践。中国—中亚合作平台的运营方江苏苏豪控股集团，依托该平台实现了对中亚贸易额同比82%的增长，而这一平台也成为志愿者的实操实训基地，将抽象的“一带一路”合作转化为具象的故事与跨文化沟通服务。其二，它填补了专业语言服务与激增的日常、商务级多语种支持需求之间的空白。截至目前，南京已有超315个德资项目落地，2025年中德双边贸易额超42亿美元，同时吸引了辉瑞、巴斯夫、高通等越来越多的跨国企业入驻，市场亟需商业翻译机构之外，更灵活、更易获取的语言服务。其三，它自下而上重塑了南京的国际形象。与官方宣传内容不同，年轻的“民间外交官”用真实、有共情力的叙事，向世界展现了一个充满活力、勇于创新的南京，筑牢了可持续经贸合作背后的民间人文纽带。

The Nanjing Model: Innovative Practices and Their Replicability 南京模式：创新实践及其可推广性The "Spring Translation Xuanwu" event embodies a mature "government-university collaboration" model that sets Nanjing’s foreign language volunteer services apart, with three core strengths that make it highly replicable for other Chinese cities pursuing internationalization.“春译玄武”活动体现了一套成熟的“政校协同”模式，这也是南京外语志愿服务的核心特色，其三大核心优势，让这套模式对国内其他谋求国际化发展的城市具备极强的可推广性。

First, it builds a sustainable collaborative mechanism that integrates government guidance and university intellectual resources. Co-hosted by the Nanjing Municipal Foreign Affairs Translation Center and the Foreign Affairs Office of Xuanwu District Government, the event links four universities (Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, and China Pharmaceutical University) with frontline foreign affairs and foreign trade departments. This model aligns with the "Triple Helix" framework proven effective in cross-border service practices: it leverages the government’s policy and platform resources, universities’ talent pool, and enterprises’ practical demand to form a closed loop of "training-practice-service". Unlike fragmented volunteer activities in many cities, Nanjing’s initiative is backed by the city-wide Foreign Language Volunteer Service Alliance, which has more than 50 member units, including 12 district-level teams and nearly 20 college teams, ensuring long-term, standardized operation rather than one-off events.

第二，平衡了前沿技术与传统专业能力建设，为志愿者适配AI时代做好准备。活动邀请了上海外国语大学高级翻译学院赵政廷教授，解析机器翻译崛起背景下译员面临的全新挑战与核心技能，同时市外事翻译中心开展了中亚各国国情与外交礼仪的实操培训。这种双重聚焦，直击了当前外语志愿服务的一大核心痛点：很多志愿者既不具备与AI工具互补、而非被其替代的能力，也缺乏在正式外事场景中规避沟通偏差的跨文化交际能力。这一做法也契合全球语言服务行业的发展趋势——兼具技术素养与文化胜任力的译员，市场需求正持续攀升。

Third, it anchors volunteer services to the city’s core economic development priorities, rather than limiting them to superficial tourism or event support. Volunteers do not just provide translation services; they gain in-depth understanding of Nanjing’s industrial upgrading, cross-border e-commerce cooperation with Central Asia, and new energy industry cooperation cases, and integrate these into their presentations. This practice transforms volunteers from passive language service providers into active participants in the city’s opening-up, and has been validated by similar successful practices in other first-tier Chinese cities. For example, Guangzhou’s "Language Messengers" program also links foreign language volunteers with local industrial and trade development, while Beijing’s international volunteer service huts integrate multilingual services with community governance.

第三，将志愿服务锚定城市核心经济发展重点，而非局限于表层的旅游或赛事保障。志愿者们不只是提供翻译服务，更深入了解南京产业升级、与中亚跨境电商合作、新能源产业合作等案例，并将其融入讲解内容中。这一做法让志愿者从被动的语言服务提供者，转变为城市对外开放的主动参与者，这一点也已被国内其他一线城市的同类成功实践所验证。例如，广州的“语言使者”项目同样将外语志愿者与本地工贸发展绑定，北京的国际志愿服务岗亭则将多语种服务与社区治理深度融合。The replicability of Nanjing’s model lies in its low threshold and high scalability. It does not rely on massive financial investment, but on the systematic integration of existing government, university, and enterprise resources. For any Chinese city with a certain number of universities and foreign trade demand, this "government-led, university-participated, demand-oriented" model can be adapted and implemented, with adjustments to match local industrial characteristics and international cooperation priorities.

南京模式的可推广性，核心在于其低门槛与高可扩展性。它不依赖巨额的资金投入，而是对政府、高校、企业的现有资源进行系统性整合。对于国内任何拥有一定数量高校、具备外贸发展需求的城市而言，这套“政府主导、高校参与、需求导向”的模式，都可结合本地产业特色与国际合作重点进行适配落地。

Growth Beyond Words: What Volunteers Gain from the Experience 语言之外的成长：志愿者的收获与蜕变For the young university students who make up the core of the volunteer team, participation in these activities delivers far more than a volunteer certificate; it fosters all-round growth in professional competence, career development, and global vision.

对于作为志愿队伍核心的青年大学生而言，参与这类活动的收获，远不止一张志愿服务证书，更是在专业能力、职业发展、全球视野三个维度的全方位成长。

Professionally, volunteers gain practical, industry-focused experience that cannot be obtained in the classroom. Unlike campus interpretation exercises, the on-site training at the China-Central Asia Trade Platform exposes them to real-world foreign trade scenarios, professional terminology in cross-border logistics, new energy, and agricultural product trade, and the norms of formal foreign affairs reception. The training on AI-era translation skills also helps them build a core competitive edge in a job market increasingly impacted by machine translation, equipping them with the ability to use AI as an auxiliary tool while maintaining the human touch and cultural nuance that machines cannot replicate.

专业层面，志愿者获得了课堂中无法习得的、聚焦行业的实操经验。与校园里的口译练习不同，中国—中亚贸易平台的现场实训，让他们接触到真实的外贸场景、跨境物流、新能源、农产品贸易领域的专业术语，以及正式外事接待的规范准则。AI时代翻译技能的相关培训，也帮助他们在受机器翻译冲击日益加剧的就业市场中，构建起核心竞争力，掌握了将AI作为辅助工具、同时保留机器无法复刻的人文温度与文化细节的能力。

In terms of career development, the program serves as a bridge between campus and the workplace. Nanjing’s foreign affairs departments, foreign-related enterprises, and multinational corporations can identify outstanding talents through volunteer activities, while volunteers gain access to internship and employment opportunities in the foreign affairs, foreign trade, and cross-cultural communication sectors. This is particularly valuable as the global language service market, valued at $71.8-78.8 billion in 2025, is projected to grow to $130-144 billion by 2032, creating strong demand for language talents with practical experience. Many volunteers have noted that the experience has clarified their career direction, inspiring them to pursue careers in cross-border communication and public welfare services.职业发展层面，该项目成为了连接校园与职场的桥梁。南京外事部门、涉外企业、跨国公司可通过志愿活动发掘优秀人才，志愿者也能获得外事、外贸、跨文化交流领域的实习与就业机会。这一点的价值尤为凸显——2025年全球语言服务市场规模达718亿至788亿美元，预计到2032年将增长至1300亿至1440亿美元，市场对具备实操经验的语言人才需求旺盛。很多志愿者表示，这段经历厘清了他们的职业发展方向，激励他们投身跨境交流与公益服务相关事业。

On a personal level, the experience nurtures a strong sense of responsibility and a global vision. When volunteers use English to tell the story of Nanjing’s development and China’s opening-up to international audiences, they move beyond the role of language learners to become cross-cultural communicators. This shift fosters a deeper understanding of China’s position in the global economy, and a stronger sense of mission to contribute to the country’s high-level opening-up. As many volunteers shared, the experience has ignited their enthusiasm for foreign language learning and public welfare service, encouraging them to continue participating in foreign language volunteer work and contribute to Nanjing’s international development.个人成长层面，这段经历培育了志愿者强烈的责任意识与全球视野。当志愿者们用英语向国际受众讲述南京发展与中国对外开放的故事时，他们已经超越了语言学习者的身份，成为了跨文化传播者。这一身份转变，让他们对中国在全球经济中的定位有了更深刻的认知，也生发出为国家高水平对外开放贡献力量的使命感。正如很多志愿者分享的那样，这段经历点燃了他们的外语学习热情与公益服务初心，激励他们持续参与外语志愿服务，为南京的国际化发展添砖加瓦。

尽管南京的外语志愿服务已取得亮眼成效，但当前的服务供给，与全市外资企业、外贸相关部门多元化、多层级的需求之间，仍存在一定缺口。First, the core demand of foreign-funded enterprises and foreign trade departments is for professional, scenario-based language services. For multinational corporations, this includes not only basic interpretation for business negotiations and exhibitions, but also professional translation of technical documents, policy interpretation for foreign investment and industrial policies, and localization services for brand promotion in the Chinese market. For small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises, there is a strong demand for flexible, low-cost multilingual services for cross-border e-commerce live streaming, international social media operation, and product certification document translation, which is exactly the niche that volunteer services can fill.其一，外资企业与外贸部门的核心需求，是专业化、场景化的语言服务。对于跨国企业而言，这类服务不仅包括商务谈判、展会活动的基础口译，还涵盖技术文件的专业笔译、外资与产业政策的解读、以及品牌在华推广的本土化服务。对于中小外贸企业而言，跨境电商直播、国际社交媒体运营、产品认证文件翻译等场景，对灵活、低成本的多语种服务需求旺盛，而这正是志愿服务可以填补的市场空白。

Second, there is a growing demand for small language services beyond English. As Nanjing deepens cooperation with Central Asian countries, Germany, and other European and Asian economies, there is an increasing need for volunteers proficient in Russian, German, Spanish, and Central Asian languages such as Uzbek and Kazakh. Currently, most volunteer services are English-focused, creating a clear supply gap in small language services.其二，英语之外的小语种服务需求日益增长。随着南京与中亚各国、德国等欧亚经济体合作的不断深化，市场对精通俄语、德语、西班牙语，以及乌兹别克语、哈萨克语等中亚语种的志愿者需求持续上升。而当前的志愿服务大多以英语为主，小语种服务供给存在明显缺口。

Third, there is a demand for long-term, fixed-point language services for the daily life of foreign nationals in Nanjing. Foreign residents in the city need multilingual support in medical treatment, education, community governance, and daily consumption, which requires a normalized volunteer service system rather than temporary event-based support.其三，在宁外籍人士的日常生活，需要长期、定点的语言服务保障。在南京居住的外籍人士，在医疗、教育、社区治理、日常消费等场景中，都需要多语种支持，这需要一套常态化的志愿服务体系，而非临时的活动式保障。To bridge the gap between supply and demand, Nanjing’s foreign affairs departments and volunteer service alliance can take three key steps. First, establish a demand-supply docking platform to regularly collect language service needs from foreign-funded enterprises, foreign trade departments, and communities, and match them with volunteers with corresponding language skills and professional backgrounds. Second, expand the volunteer pool to include not only foreign language students, but also international students in Nanjing, foreign residents, and industry professionals with foreign language skills, to enrich the diversity of language options and professional expertise. Third, strengthen targeted training based on specific industry needs, such as cross-border e-commerce, medical treatment, and legal services, to improve the professionalism of volunteer services and ensure they can meet the practical needs of enterprises and departments.

为了弥合供需缺口，南京外事部门与志愿服务联盟可重点推进三项工作。第一，搭建供需对接平台，定期收集外资企业、外贸部门、社区的语言服务需求，与具备对应语言能力和专业背景的志愿者进行精准匹配。第二，扩充志愿者人才池，不仅吸纳外语专业学生，还可纳入在宁留学生、外籍常住人士、具备外语能力的行业专业人士，丰富语种选择与专业领域的多样性。第三，围绕跨境电商、医疗、法律服务等特定行业需求，强化针对性培训，提升志愿服务的专业度，确保其能够满足企业与部门的实际需求。

From Obscurity to Influence: Raising the Profile of Foreign Affairs Institutions 从幕后到台前：提升外事机构的社会知晓度For a long time, municipal foreign affairs translation centers and district-level foreign affairs offices have been low-profile institutions with limited public awareness, seen primarily as back-office departments supporting official foreign affairs activities. The "Spring Translation Xuanwu" series of activities provides a valuable opportunity for these institutions to expand their social influence and enhance their public visibility.长期以来，市级外事翻译中心与区级外办都是社会知晓度较低的机构，大多被视为保障官方外事活动的后台部门。而“春译玄武”系列活动，为这类机构扩大社会影响力、提升公众知晓度提供了宝贵契机。First, brand building is the core of raising awareness. By creating a series of themed activities such as "Spring Translation Xuanwu", the "Woodpecker Campaign" for correcting mistranslated public signs, and the "Language Messengers" youth presentation program, these institutions can transform their scattered daily work into a recognizable, influential public welfare brand. Branded activities are more likely to attract media attention, public participation, and corporate cooperation, moving the institutions from behind the scenes to the forefront of the city’s internationalization efforts.

第一，品牌化建设是提升知晓度的核心。通过打造“春译玄武”、公共标识错译纠错“啄木鸟行动”、“语言使者”青年宣讲计划等系列主题活动，这些机构可将零散的日常工作，转化为具备辨识度、影响力的公益品牌。品牌化的活动更易吸引媒体关注、公众参与与企业合作，推动机构从城市国际化建设的幕后，走向台前。Second, deepening university-enterprise cooperation expands the institutions’ reach among key groups. By collaborating with universities, they can establish long-term practical training bases, and integrate foreign affairs knowledge and practical skills into campus education, making their work known to teachers and students, the core group of foreign language talents. By cooperating with foreign-funded enterprises and foreign trade departments, they can position themselves as a bridge between the government, enterprises, and talents, enhancing their influence in the business community.第二，深化政校企合作，扩大机构在核心群体中的触达范围。通过与高校合作，建立长期实训基地，将外事知识与实操技能融入校园教育，让自身工作被外语人才核心群体——高校师生所熟知。通过与外资企业、外贸部门合作，将自身定位为政府、企业、人才之间的桥梁，提升在商业领域的影响力。Third, digital communication and public participation help break the stereotype of "rigid government departments". These institutions can use social media platforms to share volunteer stories, cross-cultural communication knowledge, and foreign trade cooperation updates, making their work more accessible to the general public. They can also launch public welfare activities that encourage widespread participation, such as the public sign translation correction campaign, to let the public experience the value of their work firsthand, and build a positive image of serving the city’s development and the public.

第三，数字化传播与公众参与，打破“刻板政府部门”的固有印象。这类机构可借助社交媒体平台，分享志愿者故事、跨文化交际知识、外贸合作动态，让自身工作更贴近普通公众。也可发起公共标识翻译纠错等全民可参与的公益活动，让公众亲身体验其工作价值，树立服务城市发展、服务民生大众的正面形象。Fourth, integrating into community governance expands the grassroots influence of foreign affairs institutions. By extending foreign language volunteer services to communities, they can help build international neighborhoods, provide multilingual services for foreign residents, and promote cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign residents. This not only makes the work of foreign affairs departments relevant to the daily lives of residents, but also enhances their role in grassroots social governance, moving beyond the traditional scope of official foreign affairs work.

第四，融入社区治理，拓展外事机构的基层影响力。通过将外语志愿服务延伸至社区，助力国际化街区建设，为外籍居民提供多语种服务，推动中外居民文化交流。这不仅让外事部门的工作与居民日常生活产生关联，也强化了其在基层社会治理中的作用，突破了官方外事工作的传统边界。Nanjing’s "Spring Translation Xuanwu" event is more than just a foreign language volunteer activity; it is a vivid practice of a city using "language services +" to transform university intellectual resources into urban international competitiveness. In an era of accelerating globalization and digital transformation, language is no longer just a tool for communication, but a core soft power that supports a city’s opening-up, economic development, and cultural exchanges.

南京的“春译玄武”活动，不只是一场外语志愿服务活动，更是一座城市以“语言服务+”模式，将高校智力资源转化为城市国际竞争力的生动实践。在全球化与数字化转型加速推进的时代，语言早已不再只是沟通的工具，更是支撑一座城市对外开放、经济发展、文化交流的核心软实力。

For Nanjing, the foreign language volunteer service model has unlocked a new path for high-level opening-up: it connects national strategies with grassroots practice, government resources with university talents, and supply of language services with market demand, creating a win-win situation for the city’s development, the growth of young talents, and the needs of foreign-funded enterprises. For other Chinese cities pursuing internationalization, Nanjing’s model provides a replicable, low-cost, and high-efficiency reference for leveraging grassroots language services to support global development.

对南京而言，这套外语志愿服务模式，为城市高水平对外开放解锁了一条全新路径：它将国家战略与基层实践相连，将政府资源与高校人才相融，将语言服务供给与市场需求相匹配，最终实现了城市发展、青年成长、企业需求的多方共赢。对于国内其他谋求国际化发展的城市而言，南京模式为其依托基层语言服务助力全球化发展，提供了一套可复制、低成本、高效率的参考范本。As more young volunteers take the stage to tell Nanjing’s story to the world, they are not only building bridges between China and the global community, but also becoming active participants in the new era of China’s high-level opening-up. In this process, Nanjing is steadily moving towards its goal of building an international exchange center city, using the power of language to connect with the world, and showcase the vitality of a thriving, open Chinese metropolis.当越来越多的青年志愿者站上舞台，向世界讲述南京故事时，他们不仅在搭建中国与世界沟通的桥梁，更成为了中国新时代高水平对外开放的主动参与者。在这一过程中，南京正稳步朝着建设国际交往中心城市的目标前行，以语言之力连接世界，向全球展现一座繁荣开放的中国大都市的蓬勃活力。

Key Vocabulary:1. facilitation  /fəˌsɪlɪˈteɪʃn/  n.the act of making something possible or easier; in the context of trade, refers to the simplification and harmonization of procedures for international trade（贸易）便利化；促进，简化；文中特指中国—中亚贸易畅通合作相关的流程优化与合作推进2. replicability  /ˌreplɪkəˈbɪləti/  n.the quality of being able to be copied or reproduced with consistent results可复制性；可推广性；文中指南京外语志愿服务模式可被其他城市借鉴落地的特性3. protocol  /ˈproʊtəkɔːl/  n.the system of rules and acceptable behaviour used in official occasions and diplomatic activities外交礼仪；议定书；规约；文中特指外事接待场景中的官方礼宾礼仪规范4. nuance  /ˈnuːɑːns/  n.a very slight, delicate difference in meaning, feeling, tone, or expression that is usually not very obvious细微差别；微妙之处；文中指机器无法复刻的语言表达中的文化细节与情感分寸5. competency  /ˈkɑːmpɪtənsi/  n.the ability to do something well or effectively, especially in a professional or specific context能力；胜任力；专业素养；文中特指译员在跨文化交际场景中的专业胜任能力6. inauguration  /ɪˌnɔːɡjəˈreɪʃn/  n.the act of officially opening a new building, institution, or event with a formal ceremony揭牌；落成典礼；就职仪式；文中特指中国—中亚贸易畅通合作平台在峰会期间的正式揭牌启用7. hub  /hʌb/  n.the central and most important part of a particular activity, place, or network枢纽；中心；核心；文中特指南京作为中国与中亚经贸合作的关键节点与核心载体8. bilateral  /ˌbaɪˈlætərəl/  adj.involving two groups or countries, especially in trade or diplomatic relations双边的；双方的；文中特指中国与中亚、中德之间的两国间经贸与外交合作9. paradigm  /ˈperədaɪm/  n.a typical example or pattern of something; a model or framework for understanding how something works范式；典范；模式；文中特指跨境服务领域经过验证的“三螺旋”合作框架与模式10. scalability  /ˌskeɪləˈbɪləti/  n.the ability of a system, model, or process to be expanded in size or scope without losing effectiveness or functionality可扩展性；可规模化性；文中指南京模式可根据不同城市的情况调整适配、扩大应用范围的特性