I found it helpful to consider the differences between the types of interpretations and understanding that translations are not always perfect. It will be important to remember to be respectful by speaking to the person you are addressing, while still being visible and audible to the interpreter.

Knowing the language or not, there are many cultural phrases that do not translate. I thought it was very interesting that the Chinese to do not know the phrase “have fun,” having fun,” or “had fun.” This is very good to know, indeed, because I use this phrase quite often. There are also some very good rules to know when using a translator. I thought it was useful to know not to use sarcasm or to be careful with some words that need capitalization.

When I gave a product demonstration tour and lecture across Mexico, I used an interpreter. I am very familiar with Spanish pronunciation because I grew up in Oxnard, California, though I have never studied Spanish. While on tour, many in the audience could not figure out, though I could not understand well Spanish, how I could pronounce all their names and terms. I had to explain this. I could, however, answer simple yes / no questions in Spanish. By speaking in their native language, I was able to build rapport with the audience. This made me a more effective speaker and a better salesman. Because of this experience, I feel that to have a greater chance at success in China you have to at least try to speak some of the language. Undergrad courses are free for grad students at Cal Poly. I encourage all of you to take a Chinese class, or six, while you are here, if you are serious about China.

Reading “How to speak through a Chinese interpreter” had some good suggestions for how I could have lessened this feeling. By positioning myself to the person I was trying to have a conversation with, instead of waiting for her to tell me what was said, I would have felt like more than a bystander. When I am in China I must remember this, because sliding into the background will deprive me of a large part of the experience.

I am sure all of the points are very accurate and they seem easy enough to understand, but once one begins a conversation with a translator in between I imagine it would be much harder. Another thing to remember is that a translator will not make up for lack of knowledge of the culture and their customs and traditions. While it is important to have a good translator, one must also be aware of the appropriate non-verbal gestures and body language that occurs between cultures.

Like the Imagethief blog post said, I found that finding a good translator and building a relationship with that person is critical in getting the best and efficient translation done. Often times great friendships are formed because of the translator-translatee relationship. Imagethief is also correct in describing how much longer it takes to have a conversation when everything is being repeated. That is something to be prepared for.

One surprising part of the tips was #1 Don’t say “have fun”. I’m not sure why this doesn’t translate in Chinese culture and what would be a way to express this idea that Chinese would understand. I agree that it is an important tip since the normal American would not think of it. The other tips were ones that I would expect, use complete sentences, avoid slang and sarcasm, etc. I also agree on the importance of communicating with the person you are addressing and not the interpreter. Speaking directly to an interpreter can cause distrust between parties.