Translation problems

equivalent[ı`kwIv ə lənt]	ancestor[`xn^tsestə] / [`xn^tsest^ər]
Belgium[`belGəm]	Asia[`eıZə] / [`eıSə] BrE 51% / 49%
Flemish[`flemıS]	willingness[`wılıNnəs]

Often, words in one language do not have an equivalent meaning in other languages, and the concepts the words describe are often different as well. When the meaning of a word is not agreed on in advance, later misunderstanding is a strong possibility. In a humorous and helpful book about marketing overseas, David A. Ricks highlights the problems of translating with several examples of American advertising and product labels that resulted in different meanings when translated. General Motors promoted their cars in Belgium with “Body by Fisher” (a phrase familiar to Americans). But translated into Flemish it turned into “Corpse by Fisher.” “Come alive with Pepsi” became “Come out of the grave...” in German and “Bring your ancestors back from the dead” in Asia. Pet milk failed in France because “pet” has the meaning “to break wind.” In reading and responding to foreign-origin documents written in English, a Ukrainian business person needs to realize that differences exist in vocabulary. Success in international communication will be achieved partly through willingness to investigate and understand the differences and to use words and expressions relevant to the country involved. For example, in writing to someone in Britain you should use the British variant of the word, but in communication with American partners, use the American variant.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

1. to be agreed on in advance – to reach an agreement in preparation for a particular time or event in the future;

2. to be a strong possibility – a real chance that something might happen or be true;

3. Flemish [`flemıS] – the Germanic language spoken in northern Belgium; from or relating to the northern part of Belgium where Flemish is spoken;

4. Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan, which is now an operating division of Generals Motors Corporation. The Fisher brothers were: 1. Frederick John (1878-1941); 2. Charles Thomas (February 16, 1880-1963); 3. Lawrence Peter (October 19, 1888 – September 3, 1961); 4. William Andrew (1886-1969); 5. Edward F. (1891-1972); 6. Alfred J. (1892-1963); 7. Howard A. (1902-1942). They produced car bodies for the likes of Cadillac, Buick, Ford and Studebaker before General Motors purchased 60 percent of the company in 1919. Fisher Body existed as a separate division with GM until a 1984 reorganization, when Fisher’s 23 stamping, body-assembly and trim plants were folded into GM’s larger manufacturing organization. The emblem “Body by Fisher” has come to have a meaning like that of “sterling” on silver. It is an assurance of quality in the closed bodies of General Motors cars and of many other makes of trustworthy cars as well.

5. embarrassment [ım`bærəsmənt] – a feeling of being nervous and ashamed because of what people know or think about you.

Task 2. Study the following words.

Which of the following words means: · a drink that contains alcohol, usually a lot of alcohol (used esp. in AmE); · a South American cowboy especially of the plains (pampas) of Argentina; · any of several types of very strong alcoholic drink, each of which has a special, often sweet or fruity taste, usually drunk in small quantities after a meal; · awkward and uncomfortable in the company of other people?

Task 3. In the text “ Cross-cultural Barriers to Business Communication” (Task 1) find antonyms of the following words.

1.refuse, turn down, reject;	3.eager, keen;	5.candid;	7.honest;
2.strange, unfamiliar;	4. common;	6.patient;	8.trust.

Task 4. Complete the table with other possible forms.

NOUN	VERB	ADJECTIVE	ADVERB
misunderstanding ---------- ---------- ---------- stereotype ---------- ---------- vulgarity ---------- ---------- willingness ----------	---------- ---------- perceive ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- desire ---------- ---------- ----------	---------- ---------- ---------- imaginary ---------- ---------- familiar ---------- ---------- generalized ---------- straightforward	---------- originally ---------- ---------- ---------- strictly ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

Task 5. Answer the questions.

1. Because of what “barriers” to communication are misunderstandings between business people of different cultures especially likely to occur?

2. Do all cultures have stereotypes or preformed ideas about other cultures?

3. What do stereotypes generalize?

4. What is the stereotypical American?

5. Can anyone jump to conclusions based on stereotypes?

6. Can different perceptions of time lead to misunderstandings?

7. What does American straightforwardness lead Americans to?

8. What is not uncommon in among Ukrainians who make appointments?

9. In what countries can nonchalant attitude toward time be found?

10. What time perceptions of time exist in Ukraine or in Mexico?

11. How do the Japanese use time to their advantage in negotiations with Americans?

Task 6. Translate into English.

1. Соціальна поведінка та етикет є важливими факторами ділового спілкування. 2. У Франції перевага надається одноразовому потискуванню рук. 3. В арабських країнах ніколи не дарують спиртне в подарунок. 4. Мусульмани моляться п’ять разів на день, і це слід враховувати партнерам по діловому спілкуванню. 5. У відповідь на запрошення завжди доречною є символічна відмова, як от: “Не хотілося б Вас турбувати”. 6. Німці, голландці, шведи надають великого значення довголіттю бізнесу партнерів по переговорах. 7. Плутанина в перекладі може призвести до непорозуміння під час переговорів з іноземними партнерами. 8. Читаючи та даючи відповіді на документи іноземних фірм, написані англійською мовою, українські бізнесмени повинні усвідомлювати відмінності вокабуляру. 9. Ніде у світі не вітається слабке, “підозріле” потискування рук. 10. В Іспанії стримане потискування рук може тлумачитися як ознака неприйняття. 11. В Англії недоречним вважається носити предмети, наприклад ручку, в передній кишені костюма. 12. В Африці та Індії не слід одразу ж переходити до справ, оскільки партнери в цих країнах з підозрою ставляться до тих, хто поспішає. 13. В арабських країнах не можна відмовлятися від їжі та напоїв. 14. Неточності в перекладі не дозволили Дженерал Моторз ефективно просувати свої автомобілі в Бельгії. 15. Небажання прийти гості без попередження може образити хазяїв дому в Індії. 16. Якщо значення слова попередньо не узгоджено, ймовірними є непорозуміння в майбутньому. 17. Успіх в міжнародному спілкуванні частково досягається використанням слів та виразів, релевантних країні, з представниками якої ви маєте справу.

Task 7. a) Translate the following sayings. Choose one to comment on.

1. “The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity – that it’s this or maybe that – you have just one large statement; it is this.” (Chinua Achebe)

2. “If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon.” (Francis Jeffrey 1773-1850)

3. “All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they’re stereotypes because they’re true.” (David Cronenberg)

4. “Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.” (Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784)

5. “The real death of America will come when everyone is alike.” (James T. Ellison)

6. “Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” (Malcolm Stevenson Forbes)

7. “Reasoning against prejudice is like fighting against a shadow; it exhausts the reasoner, without visibly affecting the prejudice.” (Mildmay)

8. “Genuine tolerance does not mean ignoring differences as if differences made no difference. Genuine tolerance means engaging differences within a bond of civility and respect.” (Richard John Neuhaus)

9. “Time is the longest distance between two places.” (Tennessee Williams)

10. “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” (William Penn)

11. “Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” (M. Scott Peck)

12. “I speak two languages, Body and English.” (Mae West)

13. “I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men and German to my horse.” (Charles V)

14. “Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.” (Will Cuppy)

15. “No matter how well you know the rules of etiquette, you will eventually offend someone who doesn’t.” (Don Rittner)

16. “Etiquette is the invention of wise men to keep fools at a distance.” (Sir Richard Steele)

17. “There are those who blithely assume that any fool with a dictionary can translate anything.” (Susan Bassnett)

18. “Translation is at best an echo.” (George Borrow)

19. “Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful.” (Yevgeny Yevtushenko)

20. “Translation is the art of failure.” (Umberto Eco)

b) Do you think the following sayings are free of prejudice? Which of the opinions given below do you share?

1. “Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?” (Clarence Darrow)

2. “The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it.” (George Bernard Shaw)

3. “There’s always something fishy about the French.” (Noel Coward)

4. “The French complain of everything, and always.” (Napoleon Bonaparte)

5. “France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country.” (Mark Twain)

6. “The French work to live, but the Swiss live to work.” (Proverb)

7. “Switzerland is a curst, selfish, swinish country of brutes, placed in the most romantic region of the world.” (Lord George Gordon Byron)

8. “Switzerland is simply a large, lumpy, solid rock with a thin skin of grass stretched over it.” (Mark Twain)

9. “The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.” (Francis Bacon)

10. “Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well informed about the United States.” (J. Bartlett Brebner)

11. “Canada has never been a melting pot; more like a tossed salad.” (Arnold Edinborough)

12. “I find that the Americans have no passions, they have appetites.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

13. “Italians come to ruin most generally in three ways, women, gambling, and farming. My family chose the slowest one.” (Pope John XXIII)

14. “Nothing and no one can destroy the Chinese people. They are relentless survivors.” (Pearl Buck)

15. “There are few virtues that the Poles do not possess and there are few errors they have ever avoided.” (Sir Winston Churchill)

16. “It is easier for a Russian to become an atheist than for anyone else in the world.” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

17. “Russia has abolished God, but so far God has been tolerant.” (John Swayze)

18. “The Jews have always been students, and their greatest study is themselves.” (Albert Goldman)

19. “The Irish are a fair people: they never speak well of one another.” (Samuel Johnson)

20. “The Irish ignore anything they can’t drink or punch.” (Proverb)

21. “An Englishmen thinks seated; a Frenchmen standing; an American pacing, an Irishman, afterwards.” (Austin O’Malley)

Task 8. Say what you know about:

1. Major energy (fast food; consumer electronics; auto-making; consumer-goods) companies.

2. Jobs in international business.

3. The demand for international business education.

4. Things that facilitate / complicate business communication.

5. Cultural factors can affect a company’s development in the international market.

Task 9. Write a composition on one of the following topics.

1. How I can excel in business.

2. A typical Ukrainian entrepreneur: profile, educational background, skills.

3. The price of being successful and rich.

4. My native place as a part of the global work environment.

5. The importance of language learning for effective cross-cultural communication.

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