TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION PROBLEMS

When conversing in English with people in a country whose primary language is other than English, you will increase the chances of being understood correctly if you use short sentences and words; avoid humor;

avoid jargon, slang, and idioms; and provide examples whenever possible.

In situations in which people do not have a common language, the services of an interpreter may be needed.

When using a translator, it is important to realize that the translation may not be the meaning intended. In his book Blunders in International Business, ¹⁰ Ricks points out numerous errors in translations that have proved embarrassing, to say the least, and in some cases have had a nega-tive impact on sales:

• The message “Buy American Made,” which was to be placed on T-shirts trying to convince consumers to buy U.S.-made cars, rather than Japanese-made automobiles, was translated into Japanese as

“Buy an American Maid.” ¹¹

• A U.S. manufacturer advertised its car battery as “highly rated”;

after translation, the battery, when introduced in Venezuela, was described as “highly overrated.” ¹²

Interpreters selected to help people who do not share a common lan-guage should be both bilingual and bicultural to assure that the intended

messages are conveyed. Suggestions for using interpreters in business sit-uations include the following:

• Become acquainted with the interpreter prior to your interaction with the intended business associate; fi nd out about cultural differ-ences in nonverbal behaviors, such as eye contact and gestures, as well as local customs regarding small talk.

• Ask the interpreter to apologize for your lack of ability to speak the other person’s language.

• Speak slowly and avoid words with multiple meanings; for example, use the word expensive, which has only one meaning, rather than the word high, which has more than 30 meanings. When you must use technical terms, review them with the interpreter in advance.

• Suggest that the interpreter translate in phrases or short sentences, rather than waiting until the end of a long sentence.

• During the conversation, speak to your colleague rather than to the interpreter.

• Learn a few words and phrases in the other person’s language so that your parting comments will be in your colleague’s language.

A fi nal thought when using interpreters is to avoid sarcasm or innuen-dos, because they are diffi cult to translate. Try to state concepts in more than one way to be sure the point you are making is understood. Also, remember that the word you have used may not have an exact duplicate in the other language. Not all languages have the same verb tenses; many verbs have multiple meanings. In the English language, for example, the verb get can mean to buy, borrow, steal, rent, or retrieve. When interpret-ers are bicultural and have ethnic compatibility with pinterpret-ersons for whom they will be translating, the chances of a successful translation increase.

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Conversation suggestions for the countries with which the United States conducts a majority of its international business follow.

Canada

• Maintain eye contact during conversations.

• Avoid touching when conversing; Canadians prefer to keep their distance during conversations.

• Remove your sunglasses or hat during conversations.

• Avoid the thumbs-down gesture, which is viewed as offensive; Canadians are conservative when it comes to gesturing.

• Maintain a reserved, formal demeanor.

China

• Use neutral facial expressions; avoid showing emotion when conversing.

• Be modest about your abilities; boasting is considered rude.

• Speak softly; speaking in a loud voice is rude.

• Avoid expansive gestures.

England

• Avoid speaking in superlatives.

• Humor is common in conversations, especially humor that is self- deprecating and sarcastic.

• Be less direct during conversations.

• Avoid touching, and keep your distance while conversing.

• Avoid discussions of politics and religion.

France

• Choose appropriate topics of conversation: sports, art, music, food, wine, and travel experiences.

• Avoid personal topics.

• Expect the French to engage in lively discussions; they enjoy a debate.

• Maintain eye contact during conversations but avoid a prolonged gaze.

• Avoid smiling when passing someone on the street.

Germany

• Avoid using the hands for emphasis during conversations because it is better to appear calm than to use fl amboyant gestures.

• Use smiles with discretion because Germans smile only when conversing with people they know well.

• Select safe topics for conversations: sports, travel, and world politics.

Remember that Germans prefer to talk about substantive topics rather than engage in small talk.

• Avoid such topics as personal income, family life, and World War II.

• Keep your distance during conversations.

Japan

• Expect the Japanese to ask personal questions; they view it as a way of showing interest.

• Avoid discussing politics, religion, or how much things cost.

• Choose appropriate topics for small talk: food preferences and other topics related to eating.

• Expect periods of silence during conversations because the Japanese value silence.

• Speak softly and avoid showing emotion when conversing.

• Keep your distance during conversations and avoid touching the Japanese.

• Avoid direct eye contact.

Mexico

• Break eye contact frequently while conversing; constant eye contact is perceived as aggressive.

• Feel free to touch the arm or pat the back of the person with whom you are conversing.

• Stand close while conversing; stepping back is considered rude.

• Avoid placing hands on hips or hands in pockets during conversations.

• Choose these topics for small talk: the weather, places visited in Mexico, travel plans, and soccer. Talking about your family or other personal top-ics is also appropriate.

• Avoid these topics during conversations: politics, the Mexican-American War, and border violations.

Netherlands

• Avoid standing too close during conversations; do not pat people on the back or touch them in public.

• Choose appropriate topics for light conversation: sports, travel, and world affairs.

• Avoid discussions about money.

• Maintain direct eye contact during conversations.

South Korea

• Avoid excessive smiling during conversations because this is associated with shallow persons.

• Avoid touching older persons or those of the opposite gender while conversing.

• Stand close to South Koreans during conversations.

• Avoid continuous eye contact because this suggests aggressiveness.

Taiwan

• Maintain a reserved demeanor and talk softly.

• Choose appropriate conversational topics: the weather, travel experiences, and the family. Be prepared for personal questions.

• Avoid such topics as communism and politics.

• Keep your distance when conversing; avoid touching the other person.

• Use a minimum of eye contact.