串場

06:02 Dec 26, 2011 

In order to be fair and square, I asked my client to ask the student what he meant by "串場." And the answer is "節目主持人." So, it should be "a master of ceremonies" in this case. The other answers might apply in other situations, so, it's nice to know the other translations. Thank you all for your contribution to the discussion.

10:20 Dec 24, 2011 

For that meaning, I agree, "Master of Ceremonies" is definitely the best translation .

02:40 Dec 23, 2011 

Since there's a disagreement on the meaning of the term here, I'd like to express my opinions. In this case, I believe 串場 means to keep the singing competition moving smoothly. For example, when a person finishes singing, the host comes in, comments on the singer, and introduces the next competitor. I don't know how it is in China, but in Taiwan, there are many methods to use for 串場, such as staging a play, singing a song, telling a joke, and playing a video. I believe "being a guest actor" is one of the meanings of 串場, but it probably doesn't apply in this case. Having said that, I must say I prefer Quek Wee Yeow's answer.