might respond to a request with“maybe,”“I will try my best,”or“we will have to
consider this”to signal a negative reply. In this case, a literal translation devoid of
any cultural nuances can be potentially misleading. Members of the U.S. team are
conditioned to hearing a more direct reply, such as a simple“no”or even“that is
out of the question.”Thus, they could easily misconstrue a literal interpretation to
be a positive reply.
Many other examples may be offered when the translation process can alter the
meaning of what is being said. The Spanish wordahoraoffers a specific instance of
what we are referring to. Among Spanish speakers, the common meaning is that
something will be done within a few minutes to several hours. However, the word is
usually translated into English as“now,”which implies immediately or right away. To
add greater urgency, the Spanish speaker in Mexico would useahoritaorahoritita. But
in Venezuela or Costa Rica, to indicate that the action will be immediate, the word
used might be“ahoritico.”So, evenwithinthe Spanish language, there are major lin-
guistic differences among what is used in Spain, South America, Central America,
Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking nations. These variations are so great that it is
impossible to translate any given passage in a way that would suit all of the parties.
It is obvious that translation tasks require an extensive awareness of cultural fac-
tors. As an illustration, if translating a Japanese novel into English, the translator
would need to be aware of contemporary colloquialisms and slang. For example, if
the novel mentions a large truck (oki torakku), it could become“eighteen-wheeler”
or “semi”in American English, but in the United Kingdom,“articulated lorry”
would be a more appropriate term. Similarly, if the Japanese novel mentioned an
“American dog” (Amerikan doggu), the Australian version would use“Dagwood
Dog,”and the U.S. adaptation would be“corn dog.”
Equivalency problems across cultures are not only common with single or multiple
words but also on countless occasions when the issue or concept that is being trans-
lated is without an equivalent. One case involves the Dalai Lama. When two Ameri-
can psychologists asked the Dalai Lama, who speaks perfect English, to discuss the
topic of low self-esteem at a conference, the Dalai Lama told them that he would be
delighted but that he did not know what low self-esteem meant. Although the two
Americans tried in a variety of ways to explain the concept to the Dalai Lama, he
continued to be confused. After countless examples and detailed explanations, the
Dalai Lama said he now understood what they were trying to say. He added, however,
that the reason he was having trouble with what the Americans were trying to say
was that in his culture, people did not think poorly of themselves and, therefore,
had no concept of low self-esteem. In this example, you see yet another difficulty in
translation—difficulties that deal with a lack of matching concepts.Working with Interpreters
As stressed throughout this chapter, interactions with people from other cultures speak-
ing different languages continue to increase. Hence, the ability to work through an
interpreter becomes essential if your message is to be conveyed correctly. Use of an
interpreter involves establishing a three-way rapport among you, the interpreter, and
the audience. Thus, it is important to select an interpreter or translator who best suits
your particular situation. The following are some of the more important considerations.286 CHAPTER 8•Verbal Messages: Exchanging Ideas Through Language
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