绵阳师范学院
科生毕业文（设计）
题 目
Skills of Business Interpretation Under
the Cultural Differences Between
Chinese and English
汉英文化差异
商务口译技巧
专 业
英语（商务英语）
院 系
外国语学院
学 号
200604420508
姓 名
**
指导教师
*** 老师
答辩时间
二○**年十二月
文工作时间： 20**年 **月 20** 年 12月
汉英文化差异商务口译技巧
学 生：**
指导教师：***
摘 ： 篇文中笔者先谈口译概念分类特点理文化差异口译技巧接着简单介绍商务英语文化差异中笔者着重阐述口译技巧现实中应问题笔者认口译作门翻译学科种高效时性交流工具桥梁存意义文化差异基础笔者商务英语口译进行分析认仅仅掌握理技巧够断实践中口译技巧理断提高发展文目事口译工作者学口译员说希予帮助掌握口译精髓完善提高
关键词：商务英语文化差异口译口译技巧
Skills of Business Interpretation Under the Cultural Differences Between Chinese and English
Undergraduate Ren Xiang
Supervisor Chen Wenhui
Abstract：In this paper the author simply introduces basic contents of interpretation including concept categorical classification characteristics and skills under cultural difference circumstance and then briefly discusses the cultural differences in business English The main part of this paper is about skills of interpretation and its application in practice The author thinks that interpretation is not only a translating art but an effective and timely tool and bridge of communication so its significance is quite great Based on cultural differences in translation the author makes a brief analysis on business English interpretation The author claims that it is not enough that one merely knows its theories and skills Only in practice can his or her interpretive ability be improved This paper is supposed to give some help to a working interpreter and those who are learning interpretation and the author hopes that they can get benefits and improve themselves from this paper and interpretation
Key words business English cultural differences interpretation interpretive skills
Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 A General Account of Interpretation 1
21 Definition of Interpretation 1
22 Characteristics of Interpretation 1
23 Categorical Classification of Interpretation 2
231 Simultaneous Interpreting 2
232 Consecutive Interpreting 3
233 Whispered Interpreting 3
234 Relay Interpreting 3
235 Liaison Interpreting 3
24 The Qualification Requirements for an Interpreter 3
241 Solid Language Foundation 3
242 Wide Knowledge Range 4
243 Loyalty to Work 4
244 High Psychological Quality 4
245 Outstanding Memory 4
246 Quick Thinking and Response 4
247 Fluent Expression 5
25 The Process of Interpretation 5
3 Business Interpretation 5
4 Cultural Differences in Business 6
41 The Relationship Between Language and Culture 6
42 Common Cultural Differences in Business 6
421 Business Hospitality 7
422 Business Negotiations 7
423 Product Packaging Design and Trademark Language 7
424 Time Efficiency Consciousness and Dealing with Issues 8
5 Main Theories and Skills of Business Interpretation 8
51 Main Theories of Business Interpretation 8
52 Main Skills of Business Interpretation 8
6 The Application and Skills of Business Interpretation for Practice 9
61 Some Interpretive Practice on Common Occasions 9
62 On Difficult Interpreting Occasions 9
7 Conclusion 10
Bibliography 12
Acknowledgments 13
1 Introduction
As the world gets smaller people gets closer they talk they discuss they meet each other and they deal with businesses But different countries and societies possess different cultures In international business trade businessmen need to know very well about each other in order to make longterm and satisfactory cooperation Culture also teaches people values with which they view things When people who come from different societies try to communicate literal interpreting is irrevocable and far from enough they may confront different problems although they could use gestures or other communication ways With different cultural background people may understand the same word or expression differently Interpretation is crosscultural communication boosting economics politics culture education technology and academic exchanges It is irreplaceable for promoting the development of human society Provides with ample typical examples this paper introduces business English interpretation under Chinese and English cultural differences and also emphasizes interpretive skills including anticipation parsing repetition supplementation omission and conversionin order to make people deal with businesses more easily and know very well about the cultural differences between Chinese and English And it also tries to provide interpretive practice on common occasions and virtual scenes such as what if I can’t interpret which may occur in interpretation This paper is supposed to help interpreters and learners feel at ease in real situation and make them be more professional
2 A General Account of Interpretation
Interpretation can be defined as different concepts according to different degrees The characteristics the categorical classification the qualification requirements for an interpreter and the process of interpretation are also introduced as follows
21 Definition of Interpretation
Interpretation is the act in which interpreters are simplifying the words in a sentence to attain a concrete sentence that people will easily understand What’s more Interpretation is a process of communication (MacFarlane 1994 cited in Hall & McArthur 1993) To understand communication interpreters must describe firstly this process through a commonly used and simple communication model with its basic elements the communication source the encoder the message the channel the decoder the communication receiver (Berlo David K 1960)
22 Characteristics of Interpretation
Interpretation is a kind of unpredictable unprepared bilingual activity And it has big pressure in spot atmosphere Besides it has personality and heavy responsibility synthetically applying listening speaking reading writing and other operating activities
Interpretation is different from translation Interpreting occurs in real time in the presence — physical televised or telephonic — of the parties for whom the interpreter renders an interpretation Translation is the transference of meaning from text to text (written or recorded) with the translator having time and access to resources (dictionaries glossaries etc) to produce a faithful true and accurate document or verbal artifact
Interpretation is also held to a standard of accuracy Interpreters try to achieve total accuracy at all times Details of the original speech can be omitted from the interpretation into the target language without a pause Conversely in signed languages when a word is used for which their is no sign expansion may be necessary in order to accurately interpret the message and give the recipient the same message as those who are hearing it from the speaker The trained professional simultaneous interpreter however never omits original source language rather they learn to provide the same information in the target language For example when interpreting English to Spanish they may shorten the interpretation rendered with gender specific usage and reflexive pronouns not used in English
In court interpretation it is not acceptable to omit anything from the source no matter how fast the source speaks since not only is accuracy a principal canon for interpreters but mandatory The alteration of even a single word in a material way can totally mislead the tiers of fact The most important factor for this level of accuracy is the use of a team of two or more interpreters during a lengthy process with one actively interpreting and the second monitoring for greater accuracy
23 Categorical Classification of Interpretation
Interpretation can be classified by five categories namely simultaneous interpreting (SI) consecutive interpreting (CI) whispered interpreting relay interpreting and liaison interpreting Simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting are very common and important and in this part this paper talks about them
231 Simultaneous Interpreting
In simultaneous interpretation (SI) the interpreter renders the message in the targetlanguage as quickly as he or she can formulate it from the source language while the sourcelanguage speaker continuously speaks a spoken language SI interpreter sitting in a soundproof booth speaks into a microphone while clearly seeing and hearing the sourcelanguage speaker via earphones The simultaneous interpretation is rendered to the targetlanguage listeners via their earphones Moreover SI is the common mode used by sign language interpreters although the person using the source language the interpreter and the target language recipient must necessarily be in close proximity
232 Consecutive Interpreting
In consecutive interpreting (CI) the interpreter speaks after the sourcelanguage speaker has finished speaking The speech is divided into segments and the interpreter sits or stands beside the sourcelanguage speaker listening and taking notes as the speaker progresses through the message When the speaker pauses or finishes speaking the interpreter then renders a portion of the message or the entire message in the target language Full (ie unbroken) consecutive interpreting of whole thoughts allows for the full meaning of the sourcelanguage message to be understood before the interpreter renders it in the target language This affords a truer more accurate and more accessible interpretation than does simultaneous interpretation
233 Whispered Interpreting
In whispered interpreting the interpreter sits or stands next to the small targetlanguage audience whilst whispering a simultaneous interpretation of the matter to hand this method requires no equipment but may be done via a microphone and headphones if the participants prefer Whispered interpreting is used in circumstances where the majority of a group speaks the source language and a minority ( no more than three persons) do not speak it
234 Relay Interpreting
Relay interpreting occurs when several languages are the targetlanguage A sourcelanguage interpreter renders the message to a language common to every interpreter who then renders the message to his or her specific target language For example a Japanese source message first is rendered to English to a group of interpreters then it is rendered to Arabic French and Russian the other target languages
235 Liaison Interpreting
Liaison interpreting involves relaying what is spoken to one between two or among many people This can be done after a short speech or consecutively sentencebysentence or as whispering aside from notes taken at the time no equipment is used
24 The Qualification Requirements for an Interpreter
An interpreter as the bridge between two sides plays a very important role in interpretation especially in business If there exists any error in business interpretation the business negotiation would be interrupted In this part this paper introduces seven qualification requirements for being a professional interpreter
241 Solid Language Foundation
Interpreters should not only master their native language but other foreign language they have to grasp well That is to say they are required to master a bilingual language obtaining all aspects of a rather high level in listening speaking reading writing translating That’s obviously the basic element of interpretation
242 Wide Knowledge Range
Interpreters should not only have solid language foundation but also have wide knowledge range They should be aware of current affairs science and technology politics business economy human geography literature and art folk rituals common sense and so on For example interpreters who are frequently engaged in business negotiation should be familiar with international trade and should master the basic vocabularies and in the professional way of expression such as trade names specifications packaging inquiry quotation transportation payment insurance claims commodity inspection contracts Otherwise it is difficult for interpreters to make business negotiation work
243 Loyalty to Work
In interpreting process the interpreters as an intermediary between the two parties is essential supplementary staff People speaking different languages can communicate with each other only through an interpreter Interpreters’ working style and demeanor could be related to the interests of a whole nation and the interests of people Thus in interpreting work and related activities interpreters must demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility and patriotic sentiments and also have a rigorous work attitude discipline should not do harm to the nation and personality
244 High Psychological Quality
As interpreting work is mostly occurred with numerous people surrounded interpreters often have to face a number of listeners For this reason interpreters should break through psychological barriers make efforts to overcome selfcultivation and form a good psychological quality of calmly facing the audience
245 Outstanding Memory
As a good interpreter one must have good shortterm memory because when one is interpreting he doesn’t have enough time to make all the notes The process of memory includes encoding storage and retrieval Memory training is a key step however which is often neglected by some professional interpreting training
246 Quick Thinking and Response
While interpreters are at work they usually listen remember and speak at the same time their attention needs to be highly concentrated Speaker's remarks would evaporate away in a second This demands interpreters to have quick thinking and responding ability good logical ability generalizing ability and comprehensive ability In interpreting process some interpreters may not understand or hear clearly some individual words or encountered some difficulties the solution is that interpreters should avoid panic and they can flexibly interpret according to the specific context
247 Fluent Expression
As interpretation is called a verbal translation oral expression and pronunciation are obviously taken into account Speaking fluent English would make interpreters deeply impressed Similarly speaking standard Mandarin would make interpreters earn additional rewards Therefore interpreters should have good bilingual skills While interpreting interpreters should be articulate in loud and clear voice And the pace should be moderate expression should be made accurately and naturally
25 The Process of Interpretation
Interpretation is a process of communication (MacFarlane 1994 cited in Hall & McArthur 1993) Generally this process obtains three fundamental elements the setting the visitor and the agency The process can be regarded as the encoder which is defined by Berlo (Berlo David K 1960) as being responsible for taking the ideas of the source and putting them in a code The encoder in interpretation is the 'interpreter' a person who verbally visually or through any other means serves as translators of the natural and cultural environment (Knudson DM Cable TT and Beck L 1995) The interpreter as an encoder has a relationship with the visitor and is part of the agency And then the message is the purpose of interpretation and interpretation itself can have several goals depending on the perspective as they relate to the setting as they relate to the agency and as they relate to the visitor In general interpretation is a communication process that interrelates a setting through an agency with a visitor and aims to reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects (Tilden Freeman 1977)
3 Business Interpretation
On one hand more and more enterprises and their products make themselves known all over the world while the world economy increases rapidly Business communication between China and the foreign countries becomes more frequent It is like a bridge which transmits Chinese enterprises products and service to the world and in return China brings in advanced management techniques and capitals from eastern countries As a consequence Chinese enterprises develop rapidly and among world’s developed enterprises the difference is becoming very slim
On the other hand perhaps businessmen have heard so much about business opportunities in foreign countries but have no idea how and where to start Due to language and cultural difference it may be difficult for them to travel around the world or to do business The choice of a good interpreter may be one of the most important choices people make when conducting business in foreign countries Businessmen need an experienced and professional business interpreter sourcing and purchasing assistant When they go abroad especially to attend the trade show or to visit their suppliers they might need some assistance to break down that language barrier between them and the people they are negotiating with for best result
Business interpretation denotes the actual product of this work that is the message as thus rendered into speech sign language writing nonmanual signals or other language form This important distinction is observed to avoid confusion Functionally an interpreter is a person who converts a thought or expression of a source language into an expression with a comparable meaning in a target language in real time The interpreter's function is to convey every semantic element (tone and register) and every intention and feeling of the message that the sourcelanguage speaker is directing to the targetlanguage recipients
4 Cultural Differences in Business
Nowadays the official language in international business is English which requires interpretation in business English to be more professional Both China and eastern countries have different historical developments different environments and different cultural heritage Consequently there exists much difference in thinking personality sense of worth behavior and custom If this difference is not paid attention to Chinese enterprises in foreign countries would make others misunderstand while dealing with business because of incorrect interpretation which leads business communication among foreign enterprises to have negative effect Thus this part elaborates the relationship between language and culture first and then discusses common cultural differences from four aspects which are business hospitality business negotiations product packaging design and trademark language time efficiency consciousness and dealing with issues
41 The Relationship Between Language and Culture
Culture is a very broad term It narrowly refers to literature music art etc but broadly speaking it is a sociological term According to sociologists and anthropologists what is called culture refers to a society which has a general pattern of unique beliefs practices systems goals and technology (Robertson 1981)
Language as a part of the culture is the product of culture and also the carrier of culture Behind each language there exits different customs and mode of life and thinking which are closely related and language together with culture plays a vital role Language has no vitality without culture Learning language and learning its culture are actually inextricably linked
42 Common Cultural Differences in Business
Common cultural differences including business hospitality business negotiations product packaging design and trademark language time efficiency consciousness and dealing with Issues are introduced as follows which are typical and distinct in business
421 Business Hospitality
As the first part of business activities business hospitality is the key to the smooth implementation of business activities In this session how to exchange greetings is one of the compulsory subjects receptionists should study Their behaviors will be in large part on behalf of the company's image which has a great impact between the two sides while making cooperation
In China handshake is a very natural movement at first meeting while Europe and the United States who are used to embrace Looking at each other in the eye English speakers consider it sincere and honest Otherwise they consider it sly and dishonest Therefore as an English idiom goes Never trust a person who can't look at you in the eye But the black is slightly different While they are speaking they stare at each other looking around Helping the old in China is considered the traditional virtues while the old in Europe countries would not appreciate or even would be angry or disgusted Moreover in the dinner reception in foreign countries do not try to persuade each other to eat more but on their own
422 Business Negotiations
Business negotiations are the most important content In international business negotiations as negotiators from different countries and regions holding different languages beliefs habits values codes of conduct ethical standards as well as the psychology of negotiation and these aspects are important factors affecting negotiation process In international business negotiations if negotiators are not properly familiar with these differences it is possible in the negotiations to lead to unnecessary misunderstandings which is not only rude to people but loses many opportunities for successful negotiations Therefore to seize opportunities in business negotiations one should know well about the culture of the named country
423 Product Packaging Design and Trademark Language
Different preferences to the product packaging design and trademark language are the superficial manifestation of culture In translating process one should take into account not only the exact language information but also cultural uniqueness For example 双羊 is translated as goats 金鸡奖 as Golden Cock Prize 白象 as White Elephant etc Even though their semantic information is correct but it is such a bad translation in term of cultural information equivalence In addition as the Japanese do not like the lotus the Italians hate chrysanthemum and people who believe in Islam taboo pig pattern etc all of these should be paid much attention for business professionals to avoid loselose situation
424 Time Efficiency Consciousness and Dealing with Issues
In western countries the view of time is closely linked to the importance of money time is money is deeprooted Thus they very much value their time and often make elaborate arrangements and plans in their daily life and form good habits of keeping appointments on time On the contrary the Chinese people treat the time as dispersed and time can be disposable so they are often talking with several people or doing different things at the same time they have very large arbitrariness Of course not all Western countries have the same view of time such as the Italian compared with the Swiss as well as Arab countries Japan South Korea
5 Main Theories and Skills of Business Interpretation
In this part this paper introduces the theories and skills of business interpretation
51 Main Theories of Business Interpretation
Interpretive theory is a general category of theory including symbolic interactionism labeling ethnomethodology phenomenology and social constructionism (Murray EG Smith 1997) Interpretive theory is typically contrasted with structural theories which claim to remove the subjectivity of the actor and the researcher and assume that human behavior can best be understood as determined by the pushes and pulls of structural forces Interpretive theory is more accepting of free will and sees human behavior as the outcome of the subjective interpretation of the environment Structural theory focuses on the situation in which people act while interpretive theory focuses on the actor's definition of the situation in which they act
Interpretive theory seeks reciprocal intersubjective understanding of subjects Max Weber (18641920) consolidated and developed a rich mass of interpretive theory of religion in his volumes on Judaism Christianity the Protestant Ethic Confucianism Hinduism and Islam
Interpretive theory involves building a second order theory or theory of members' theories which is stated by Schutz
52 Main Skills of Business Interpretation
Interpretation is an art Generally the skills of interpretation lie in six standards anticipation parsing repetition supplementation omission and conversion For example accepting the interpretation task interpreters should make some preparation work including technical and psychological preparation Of course the contents of translation are paramount To grasp the key elements of the speakers' words interpreters must maximize the use of their memory at the same time they must deal with the information promptly expressing by translating the original language into our own language And interpreters can summarize skills as following Firstly be familiar with the place where you are going to interpret Secondly use the elements of speech like volume pitch rate pause pronunciation and enunciation appropriately Thirdly keep excellent appearance and decent manner Body language is as important as verbal language Dressing stance posture eyecontact and expression are the factors which an interpreter should consider Besides notestaking is very important and necessary in interpretive skills In consecutive interpreting notetaking is a must task It is better for an interpreter to form his own habit of using language of notetaking like abbreviations symbols pictures and letters while he is learning Language structure rules skills and content of notetaking are discussed in this part Number interpretation is a challenge for interpreter which is also an important part in business science and technology Different numeral usage in Chinese and English adds difficulties to interpretation
6 The Application and Skills of Business Interpretation for Practice
With the theories and skills an interpreter should put them into practice On common occasions the interpreter needs to pay attention to the details which may occur during the process This part provides solutions and suggestions for interpreters
61 Some Interpretive Practice on Common Occasions
Speakers at interpreted meetings can ensure better communication of their message into other languages by slowing their delivery slightly and by adding a pause of one or two seconds at the end of each paragraph although in practice interpreters have to deal with difficulties such as the speaker speaking too fast background noise or other constraints What’s more Interpreting is different from normal communication the interpreter does not just actively integrate the speaker's new information into the old information like common good listeners do In fact from the old information that the interpreter holds only those assumptions should be readily retrievable (and actually used in inferential processes) that are similar to the speaker's In some cases then the interpreter may have to suppress some assumptions of their own In all cases the interpreter needs to hold all incoming information from the speaker in the same way that the speaker holds it whether that is in an attitude of belief or disbelief To summarize the interpreter consciously or unconsciously manipulates his own cognitive environment in a manner that is not natural to an individual
62 On Difficult Interpreting Occasions
No experienced interpreter can be versed As the old saying goes The old revolutionary is likely to face new problems Therefore interpreters will always encounter unexpected situations in which they can not interpret At this time interpreters need to be flexible in prevailing circumstances Ask for help explain the function learn to interpret at once use tools cleverly chase for the most important Firstly ask for help The audiences in prevailing circumstances can become the interpreter’s teachers In interpreting process interpreters could ask for help by asking questions modestly with skills However according to the occasion not all situations can be used with this approach Secondly explain the function If the interpreters do not know the professional terms or the corresponding words in the target language interpreters can explain to the audience to understand their functions such as bitumen (asphalt bitumen) could be interpreted as a black and sticky thing for paving road Third learn to interpret at once While interpreters are listening to others they need to take notes of the new words timely and maybe these new words will be used for later interpretation The process of interpretation is a process of learning new knowledge Forth use tools cleverly Although it is impossible for interpreters to use dictionaries as translators interpreters can still use charts formulas and other tools to better fulfill the tasks Interpretation also needs to be worked ingeniously Finally chase for the most important On September 24 1985 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's visit to China gave an impromptu speech at a farewell banquet When talking about impressions of this trip he said I am overwhelmed with those tremendous changes taking place in China I feel like suddenly coming out of a decompressing chamber Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew used a phrase of suddenly coming out of a decompressing chamber to describe the significant changes in contrast If the interpreter does not understand this meaning they can grasp the central meaning China's dramatic changes completely are out of my expectation which is really amazing
7 Conclusion
Business interpretation is the practice of facilitating oral and signlanguage communication between two users of different languages in business communications This paper makes a research mainly on business interpretation And it discusses about the cultural differences between Chinese and English under which this paper introduces interpretive skills and interpreting practices in order to help those who are working or learning in this field The significance of this paper is to give practical suggestions to those who take part in interpreting work and learners And this paper aims to make them avoid being shocked once these differences appear As business interpretation is irrevocable and useful in international business trades and negotiations it plays such an important role And also the cultural differences should be paid much attention to so that the negotiation goes well Once they are neglected cultural differences would be a huge problem during the negotiation As a consequence the author hopes this paper may give some help to those who are willing to perform better in business interpretation
Bibliography
[1] Berlo David The Process of Communication An Introduction to Theory and Practice[M] USA Holt Harcourt School Rinehart and Winston Inc 1960
[2] Knudson Beck Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources[M] State College Venture Publishing Inc 1995
[3] Mates Benson Elementary Logic Second Edition[M] New York Oxford University Press 1972
[4] Murray E G Smith and Murray EG Smith Early Modern Social Theory[M] Interpretive Readings Book Toronto Univ of Toronto press 1998
[5] TaylorBouladon Conference Interpreting — Principles and Practice 2nd Edition[M] London BookSurge Publishing 2007
[6] Tilden Freeman Interpreting Our Heritage (3rd ed)[M] Washington The University of North Carolina Press 1977
[7] 梅德明 高级口译教程[M] 北京：海外语教育出版社2006
[8] 梅德明 中级口译教程第二版[M] 北京：海外语教育出版社2003
[9] 阮绩智 高级商务口笔译[M] 口译篇海：浙江学出版社2007
[10] 田廓 口译技巧漫谈[J] 长沙铁道学院学报(社会科学版)2005(1) 57
[11] 王蕾 浅谈口译笔记技巧[J] 辽宁师专学报(社会科学版)2004(2) 1013
Acknowledgments
Firstly I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all those who have lent me hands in the course of my writing this paper and also to leaders teachers and working staff in the School of Foreign Languages Secondly I hereby express gratitude to my dear supervisor Ms Chen Wenhui without her effort this paper can not be accomplished In the process of revision she made great contribution on data correcting and analyze Besides she supplemented each chapter and gave me so many useful and practical suggestions This paper is rather a common achievement than a private possession Finally I thank again my teachers and classmates who have helped me finish this paper deeply from my heart
Ren Xiang
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科生毕业文（设计）
题 目
Skills of Business Interpretation Under
the Cultural Differences Between
Chinese and English
汉英文化差异
商务口译技巧
专 业
英语（商务英语）
院 系
外国语学院
学 号
200604420508
姓 名
**
指导教师
*** 老师
答辩时间
二○**年十二月
文工作时间： 20**年 **月 20** 年 12月
汉英文化差异商务口译技巧
学 生：**
指导教师：***
摘 ： 篇文中笔者先谈口译概念分类特点理文化差异口译技巧接着简单介绍商务英语文化差异中笔者着重阐述口译技巧现实中应问题笔者认口译作门翻译学科种高效时性交流工具桥梁存意义文化差异基础笔者商务英语口译进行分析认仅仅掌握理技巧够断实践中口译技巧理断提高发展文目事口译工作者学口译员说希予帮助掌握口译精髓完善提高
关键词：商务英语文化差异口译口译技巧
Skills of Business Interpretation Under the Cultural Differences Between Chinese and English
Undergraduate Ren Xiang
Supervisor Chen Wenhui
Abstract：In this paper the author simply introduces basic contents of interpretation including concept categorical classification characteristics and skills under cultural difference circumstance and then briefly discusses the cultural differences in business English The main part of this paper is about skills of interpretation and its application in practice The author thinks that interpretation is not only a translating art but an effective and timely tool and bridge of communication so its significance is quite great Based on cultural differences in translation the author makes a brief analysis on business English interpretation The author claims that it is not enough that one merely knows its theories and skills Only in practice can his or her interpretive ability be improved This paper is supposed to give some help to a working interpreter and those who are learning interpretation and the author hopes that they can get benefits and improve themselves from this paper and interpretation
Key words business English cultural differences interpretation interpretive skills
Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 A General Account of Interpretation 1
21 Definition of Interpretation 1
22 Characteristics of Interpretation 1
23 Categorical Classification of Interpretation 2
231 Simultaneous Interpreting 2
232 Consecutive Interpreting 3
233 Whispered Interpreting 3
234 Relay Interpreting 3
235 Liaison Interpreting 3
24 The Qualification Requirements for an Interpreter 3
241 Solid Language Foundation 3
242 Wide Knowledge Range 4
243 Loyalty to Work 4
244 High Psychological Quality 4
245 Outstanding Memory 4
246 Quick Thinking and Response 4
247 Fluent Expression 5
25 The Process of Interpretation 5
3 Business Interpretation 5
4 Cultural Differences in Business 6
41 The Relationship Between Language and Culture 6
42 Common Cultural Differences in Business 6
421 Business Hospitality 7
422 Business Negotiations 7
423 Product Packaging Design and Trademark Language 7
424 Time Efficiency Consciousness and Dealing with Issues 8
5 Main Theories and Skills of Business Interpretation 8
51 Main Theories of Business Interpretation 8
52 Main Skills of Business Interpretation 8
6 The Application and Skills of Business Interpretation for Practice 9
61 Some Interpretive Practice on Common Occasions 9
62 On Difficult Interpreting Occasions 9
7 Conclusion 10
Bibliography 12
Acknowledgments 13
1 Introduction
As the world gets smaller people gets closer they talk they discuss they meet each other and they deal with businesses But different countries and societies possess different cultures In international business trade businessmen need to know very well about each other in order to make longterm and satisfactory cooperation Culture also teaches people values with which they view things When people who come from different societies try to communicate literal interpreting is irrevocable and far from enough they may confront different problems although they could use gestures or other communication ways With different cultural background people may understand the same word or expression differently Interpretation is crosscultural communication boosting economics politics culture education technology and academic exchanges It is irreplaceable for promoting the development of human society Provides with ample typical examples this paper introduces business English interpretation under Chinese and English cultural differences and also emphasizes interpretive skills including anticipation parsing repetition supplementation omission and conversionin order to make people deal with businesses more easily and know very well about the cultural differences between Chinese and English And it also tries to provide interpretive practice on common occasions and virtual scenes such as what if I can’t interpret which may occur in interpretation This paper is supposed to help interpreters and learners feel at ease in real situation and make them be more professional
2 A General Account of Interpretation
Interpretation can be defined as different concepts according to different degrees The characteristics the categorical classification the qualification requirements for an interpreter and the process of interpretation are also introduced as follows
21 Definition of Interpretation
Interpretation is the act in which interpreters are simplifying the words in a sentence to attain a concrete sentence that people will easily understand What’s more Interpretation is a process of communication (MacFarlane 1994 cited in Hall & McArthur 1993) To understand communication interpreters must describe firstly this process through a commonly used and simple communication model with its basic elements the communication source the encoder the message the channel the decoder the communication receiver (Berlo David K 1960)
22 Characteristics of Interpretation
Interpretation is a kind of unpredictable unprepared bilingual activity And it has big pressure in spot atmosphere Besides it has personality and heavy responsibility synthetically applying listening speaking reading writing and other operating activities
Interpretation is different from translation Interpreting occurs in real time in the presence — physical televised or telephonic — of the parties for whom the interpreter renders an interpretation Translation is the transference of meaning from text to text (written or recorded) with the translator having time and access to resources (dictionaries glossaries etc) to produce a faithful true and accurate document or verbal artifact
Interpretation is also held to a standard of accuracy Interpreters try to achieve total accuracy at all times Details of the original speech can be omitted from the interpretation into the target language without a pause Conversely in signed languages when a word is used for which their is no sign expansion may be necessary in order to accurately interpret the message and give the recipient the same message as those who are hearing it from the speaker The trained professional simultaneous interpreter however never omits original source language rather they learn to provide the same information in the target language For example when interpreting English to Spanish they may shorten the interpretation rendered with gender specific usage and reflexive pronouns not used in English
In court interpretation it is not acceptable to omit anything from the source no matter how fast the source speaks since not only is accuracy a principal canon for interpreters but mandatory The alteration of even a single word in a material way can totally mislead the tiers of fact The most important factor for this level of accuracy is the use of a team of two or more interpreters during a lengthy process with one actively interpreting and the second monitoring for greater accuracy
23 Categorical Classification of Interpretation
Interpretation can be classified by five categories namely simultaneous interpreting (SI) consecutive interpreting (CI) whispered interpreting relay interpreting and liaison interpreting Simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting are very common and important and in this part this paper talks about them
231 Simultaneous Interpreting
In simultaneous interpretation (SI) the interpreter renders the message in the targetlanguage as quickly as he or she can formulate it from the source language while the sourcelanguage speaker continuously speaks a spoken language SI interpreter sitting in a soundproof booth speaks into a microphone while clearly seeing and hearing the sourcelanguage speaker via earphones The simultaneous interpretation is rendered to the targetlanguage listeners via their earphones Moreover SI is the common mode used by sign language interpreters although the person using the source language the interpreter and the target language recipient must necessarily be in close proximity
232 Consecutive Interpreting
In consecutive interpreting (CI) the interpreter speaks after the sourcelanguage speaker has finished speaking The speech is divided into segments and the interpreter sits or stands beside the sourcelanguage speaker listening and taking notes as the speaker progresses through the message When the speaker pauses or finishes speaking the interpreter then renders a portion of the message or the entire message in the target language Full (ie unbroken) consecutive interpreting of whole thoughts allows for the full meaning of the sourcelanguage message to be understood before the interpreter renders it in the target language This affords a truer more accurate and more accessible interpretation than does simultaneous interpretation
233 Whispered Interpreting
In whispered interpreting the interpreter sits or stands next to the small targetlanguage audience whilst whispering a simultaneous interpretation of the matter to hand this method requires no equipment but may be done via a microphone and headphones if the participants prefer Whispered interpreting is used in circumstances where the majority of a group speaks the source language and a minority ( no more than three persons) do not speak it
234 Relay Interpreting
Relay interpreting occurs when several languages are the targetlanguage A sourcelanguage interpreter renders the message to a language common to every interpreter who then renders the message to his or her specific target language For example a Japanese source message first is rendered to English to a group of interpreters then it is rendered to Arabic French and Russian the other target languages
235 Liaison Interpreting
Liaison interpreting involves relaying what is spoken to one between two or among many people This can be done after a short speech or consecutively sentencebysentence or as whispering aside from notes taken at the time no equipment is used
24 The Qualification Requirements for an Interpreter
An interpreter as the bridge between two sides plays a very important role in interpretation especially in business If there exists any error in business interpretation the business negotiation would be interrupted In this part this paper introduces seven qualification requirements for being a professional interpreter
241 Solid Language Foundation
Interpreters should not only master their native language but other foreign language they have to grasp well That is to say they are required to master a bilingual language obtaining all aspects of a rather high level in listening speaking reading writing translating That’s obviously the basic element of interpretation
242 Wide Knowledge Range
Interpreters should not only have solid language foundation but also have wide knowledge range They should be aware of current affairs science and technology politics business economy human geography literature and art folk rituals common sense and so on For example interpreters who are frequently engaged in business negotiation should be familiar with international trade and should master the basic vocabularies and in the professional way of expression such as trade names specifications packaging inquiry quotation transportation payment insurance claims commodity inspection contracts Otherwise it is difficult for interpreters to make business negotiation work
243 Loyalty to Work
In interpreting process the interpreters as an intermediary between the two parties is essential supplementary staff People speaking different languages can communicate with each other only through an interpreter Interpreters’ working style and demeanor could be related to the interests of a whole nation and the interests of people Thus in interpreting work and related activities interpreters must demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility and patriotic sentiments and also have a rigorous work attitude discipline should not do harm to the nation and personality
244 High Psychological Quality
As interpreting work is mostly occurred with numerous people surrounded interpreters often have to face a number of listeners For this reason interpreters should break through psychological barriers make efforts to overcome selfcultivation and form a good psychological quality of calmly facing the audience
245 Outstanding Memory
As a good interpreter one must have good shortterm memory because when one is interpreting he doesn’t have enough time to make all the notes The process of memory includes encoding storage and retrieval Memory training is a key step however which is often neglected by some professional interpreting training
246 Quick Thinking and Response
While interpreters are at work they usually listen remember and speak at the same time their attention needs to be highly concentrated Speaker's remarks would evaporate away in a second This demands interpreters to have quick thinking and responding ability good logical ability generalizing ability and comprehensive ability In interpreting process some interpreters may not understand or hear clearly some individual words or encountered some difficulties the solution is that interpreters should avoid panic and they can flexibly interpret according to the specific context
247 Fluent Expression
As interpretation is called a verbal translation oral expression and pronunciation are obviously taken into account Speaking fluent English would make interpreters deeply impressed Similarly speaking standard Mandarin would make interpreters earn additional rewards Therefore interpreters should have good bilingual skills While interpreting interpreters should be articulate in loud and clear voice And the pace should be moderate expression should be made accurately and naturally
25 The Process of Interpretation
Interpretation is a process of communication (MacFarlane 1994 cited in Hall & McArthur 1993) Generally this process obtains three fundamental elements the setting the visitor and the agency The process can be regarded as the encoder which is defined by Berlo (Berlo David K 1960) as being responsible for taking the ideas of the source and putting them in a code The encoder in interpretation is the 'interpreter' a person who verbally visually or through any other means serves as translators of the natural and cultural environment (Knudson DM Cable TT and Beck L 1995) The interpreter as an encoder has a relationship with the visitor and is part of the agency And then the message is the purpose of interpretation and interpretation itself can have several goals depending on the perspective as they relate to the setting as they relate to the agency and as they relate to the visitor In general interpretation is a communication process that interrelates a setting through an agency with a visitor and aims to reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects (Tilden Freeman 1977)
3 Business Interpretation
On one hand more and more enterprises and their products make themselves known all over the world while the world economy increases rapidly Business communication between China and the foreign countries becomes more frequent It is like a bridge which transmits Chinese enterprises products and service to the world and in return China brings in advanced management techniques and capitals from eastern countries As a consequence Chinese enterprises develop rapidly and among world’s developed enterprises the difference is becoming very slim
On the other hand perhaps businessmen have heard so much about business opportunities in foreign countries but have no idea how and where to start Due to language and cultural difference it may be difficult for them to travel around the world or to do business The choice of a good interpreter may be one of the most important choices people make when conducting business in foreign countries Businessmen need an experienced and professional business interpreter sourcing and purchasing assistant When they go abroad especially to attend the trade show or to visit their suppliers they might need some assistance to break down that language barrier between them and the people they are negotiating with for best result
Business interpretation denotes the actual product of this work that is the message as thus rendered into speech sign language writing nonmanual signals or other language form This important distinction is observed to avoid confusion Functionally an interpreter is a person who converts a thought or expression of a source language into an expression with a comparable meaning in a target language in real time The interpreter's function is to convey every semantic element (tone and register) and every intention and feeling of the message that the sourcelanguage speaker is directing to the targetlanguage recipients
4 Cultural Differences in Business
Nowadays the official language in international business is English which requires interpretation in business English to be more professional Both China and eastern countries have different historical developments different environments and different cultural heritage Consequently there exists much difference in thinking personality sense of worth behavior and custom If this difference is not paid attention to Chinese enterprises in foreign countries would make others misunderstand while dealing with business because of incorrect interpretation which leads business communication among foreign enterprises to have negative effect Thus this part elaborates the relationship between language and culture first and then discusses common cultural differences from four aspects which are business hospitality business negotiations product packaging design and trademark language time efficiency consciousness and dealing with issues
41 The Relationship Between Language and Culture
Culture is a very broad term It narrowly refers to literature music art etc but broadly speaking it is a sociological term According to sociologists and anthropologists what is called culture refers to a society which has a general pattern of unique beliefs practices systems goals and technology (Robertson 1981)
Language as a part of the culture is the product of culture and also the carrier of culture Behind each language there exits different customs and mode of life and thinking which are closely related and language together with culture plays a vital role Language has no vitality without culture Learning language and learning its culture are actually inextricably linked
42 Common Cultural Differences in Business
Common cultural differences including business hospitality business negotiations product packaging design and trademark language time efficiency consciousness and dealing with Issues are introduced as follows which are typical and distinct in business
421 Business Hospitality
As the first part of business activities business hospitality is the key to the smooth implementation of business activities In this session how to exchange greetings is one of the compulsory subjects receptionists should study Their behaviors will be in large part on behalf of the company's image which has a great impact between the two sides while making cooperation
In China handshake is a very natural movement at first meeting while Europe and the United States who are used to embrace Looking at each other in the eye English speakers consider it sincere and honest Otherwise they consider it sly and dishonest Therefore as an English idiom goes Never trust a person who can't look at you in the eye But the black is slightly different While they are speaking they stare at each other looking around Helping the old in China is considered the traditional virtues while the old in Europe countries would not appreciate or even would be angry or disgusted Moreover in the dinner reception in foreign countries do not try to persuade each other to eat more but on their own
422 Business Negotiations
Business negotiations are the most important content In international business negotiations as negotiators from different countries and regions holding different languages beliefs habits values codes of conduct ethical standards as well as the psychology of negotiation and these aspects are important factors affecting negotiation process In international business negotiations if negotiators are not properly familiar with these differences it is possible in the negotiations to lead to unnecessary misunderstandings which is not only rude to people but loses many opportunities for successful negotiations Therefore to seize opportunities in business negotiations one should know well about the culture of the named country
423 Product Packaging Design and Trademark Language
Different preferences to the product packaging design and trademark language are the superficial manifestation of culture In translating process one should take into account not only the exact language information but also cultural uniqueness For example 双羊 is translated as goats 金鸡奖 as Golden Cock Prize 白象 as White Elephant etc Even though their semantic information is correct but it is such a bad translation in term of cultural information equivalence In addition as the Japanese do not like the lotus the Italians hate chrysanthemum and people who believe in Islam taboo pig pattern etc all of these should be paid much attention for business professionals to avoid loselose situation
424 Time Efficiency Consciousness and Dealing with Issues
In western countries the view of time is closely linked to the importance of money time is money is deeprooted Thus they very much value their time and often make elaborate arrangements and plans in their daily life and form good habits of keeping appointments on time On the contrary the Chinese people treat the time as dispersed and time can be disposable so they are often talking with several people or doing different things at the same time they have very large arbitrariness Of course not all Western countries have the same view of time such as the Italian compared with the Swiss as well as Arab countries Japan South Korea
5 Main Theories and Skills of Business Interpretation
In this part this paper introduces the theories and skills of business interpretation
51 Main Theories of Business Interpretation
Interpretive theory is a general category of theory including symbolic interactionism labeling ethnomethodology phenomenology and social constructionism (Murray EG Smith 1997) Interpretive theory is typically contrasted with structural theories which claim to remove the subjectivity of the actor and the researcher and assume that human behavior can best be understood as determined by the pushes and pulls of structural forces Interpretive theory is more accepting of free will and sees human behavior as the outcome of the subjective interpretation of the environment Structural theory focuses on the situation in which people act while interpretive theory focuses on the actor's definition of the situation in which they act
Interpretive theory seeks reciprocal intersubjective understanding of subjects Max Weber (18641920) consolidated and developed a rich mass of interpretive theory of religion in his volumes on Judaism Christianity the Protestant Ethic Confucianism Hinduism and Islam
Interpretive theory involves building a second order theory or theory of members' theories which is stated by Schutz
52 Main Skills of Business Interpretation
Interpretation is an art Generally the skills of interpretation lie in six standards anticipation parsing repetition supplementation omission and conversion For example accepting the interpretation task interpreters should make some preparation work including technical and psychological preparation Of course the contents of translation are paramount To grasp the key elements of the speakers' words interpreters must maximize the use of their memory at the same time they must deal with the information promptly expressing by translating the original language into our own language And interpreters can summarize skills as following Firstly be familiar with the place where you are going to interpret Secondly use the elements of speech like volume pitch rate pause pronunciation and enunciation appropriately Thirdly keep excellent appearance and decent manner Body language is as important as verbal language Dressing stance posture eyecontact and expression are the factors which an interpreter should consider Besides notestaking is very important and necessary in interpretive skills In consecutive interpreting notetaking is a must task It is better for an interpreter to form his own habit of using language of notetaking like abbreviations symbols pictures and letters while he is learning Language structure rules skills and content of notetaking are discussed in this part Number interpretation is a challenge for interpreter which is also an important part in business science and technology Different numeral usage in Chinese and English adds difficulties to interpretation
6 The Application and Skills of Business Interpretation for Practice
With the theories and skills an interpreter should put them into practice On common occasions the interpreter needs to pay attention to the details which may occur during the process This part provides solutions and suggestions for interpreters
61 Some Interpretive Practice on Common Occasions
Speakers at interpreted meetings can ensure better communication of their message into other languages by slowing their delivery slightly and by adding a pause of one or two seconds at the end of each paragraph although in practice interpreters have to deal with difficulties such as the speaker speaking too fast background noise or other constraints What’s more Interpreting is different from normal communication the interpreter does not just actively integrate the speaker's new information into the old information like common good listeners do In fact from the old information that the interpreter holds only those assumptions should be readily retrievable (and actually used in inferential processes) that are similar to the speaker's In some cases then the interpreter may have to suppress some assumptions of their own In all cases the interpreter needs to hold all incoming information from the speaker in the same way that the speaker holds it whether that is in an attitude of belief or disbelief To summarize the interpreter consciously or unconsciously manipulates his own cognitive environment in a manner that is not natural to an individual
62 On Difficult Interpreting Occasions
No experienced interpreter can be versed As the old saying goes The old revolutionary is likely to face new problems Therefore interpreters will always encounter unexpected situations in which they can not interpret At this time interpreters need to be flexible in prevailing circumstances Ask for help explain the function learn to interpret at once use tools cleverly chase for the most important Firstly ask for help The audiences in prevailing circumstances can become the interpreter’s teachers In interpreting process interpreters could ask for help by asking questions modestly with skills However according to the occasion not all situations can be used with this approach Secondly explain the function If the interpreters do not know the professional terms or the corresponding words in the target language interpreters can explain to the audience to understand their functions such as bitumen (asphalt bitumen) could be interpreted as a black and sticky thing for paving road Third learn to interpret at once While interpreters are listening to others they need to take notes of the new words timely and maybe these new words will be used for later interpretation The process of interpretation is a process of learning new knowledge Forth use tools cleverly Although it is impossible for interpreters to use dictionaries as translators interpreters can still use charts formulas and other tools to better fulfill the tasks Interpretation also needs to be worked ingeniously Finally chase for the most important On September 24 1985 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's visit to China gave an impromptu speech at a farewell banquet When talking about impressions of this trip he said I am overwhelmed with those tremendous changes taking place in China I feel like suddenly coming out of a decompressing chamber Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew used a phrase of suddenly coming out of a decompressing chamber to describe the significant changes in contrast If the interpreter does not understand this meaning they can grasp the central meaning China's dramatic changes completely are out of my expectation which is really amazing
7 Conclusion
Business interpretation is the practice of facilitating oral and signlanguage communication between two users of different languages in business communications This paper makes a research mainly on business interpretation And it discusses about the cultural differences between Chinese and English under which this paper introduces interpretive skills and interpreting practices in order to help those who are working or learning in this field The significance of this paper is to give practical suggestions to those who take part in interpreting work and learners And this paper aims to make them avoid being shocked once these differences appear As business interpretation is irrevocable and useful in international business trades and negotiations it plays such an important role And also the cultural differences should be paid much attention to so that the negotiation goes well Once they are neglected cultural differences would be a huge problem during the negotiation As a consequence the author hopes this paper may give some help to those who are willing to perform better in business interpretation
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Acknowledgments
Firstly I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all those who have lent me hands in the course of my writing this paper and also to leaders teachers and working staff in the School of Foreign Languages Secondly I hereby express gratitude to my dear supervisor Ms Chen Wenhui without her effort this paper can not be accomplished In the process of revision she made great contribution on data correcting and analyze Besides she supplemented each chapter and gave me so many useful and practical suggestions This paper is rather a common achievement than a private possession Finally I thank again my teachers and classmates who have helped me finish this paper deeply from my heart
Ren Xiang
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