Thanks to the internet, any business is now a global business. Getting through to non-native English speakers can be a serious challenge. But just because your client knows a few English words, doesn’t mean he understands everything you’re saying. Here’s how not to get lost in translation.
“I have a good one,” I said to my friend from France.
“Why do gun-carrying Americans usually wear short-sleeved shirts?”
“No idea,” he answered. “You tell me.”
“Because they believe in the right to bear arms.”
Silence…
“Sorry, but I don’t get it,” said Philippe. “Explain.”
“Well,” I said, “I can try, but I don’t think it would make the Second Amendment any funnier.”
“Oh, was it supposed to be funny?”
“Well, Philippe, some people think that puns are bad by definition.”
“What’s a pun?” Philippe wanted to know.
Have you ever had a conversation like that? All along you…
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Hi Paul
Yet again, another masterpiece of excellent content. Many thanks for raising awareness around how language can be misconstrued once translated into another language!
Thanks Lindsay!
Everybody, please check out Lindsey’s website: http://www.lindsayabbottvoiceover.com/
She’s amazingly multi-talented and her voice will warm your heart in many ways!
Hi Paul
I’ve only just seen your kind words, thank you!
In Dutch we’d say: “Wat in het vat zit, verzuurt niet.” Or in plain English: “Things that are carefully stored away, don’t go bad.” You’re very welcome, Lindsay!
Hi, Paul.
I agree with Lindsay’s post. It’s always a pleasure reading your blogs. I enjoy reading them in the morning as a great way to start my day.
I can’t help but relate to this blog’s topic of language. I had a similar incident, but it had to do with sarcasm rather than puns. A few months ago, I asked a friend if he was available to help me out with a project. Since it was a last minute thing, he couldn’t do it and I said something sarcastic. I considered it a friendly tease, but a few weeks ago I had lunch with him and he remembered the conversation as me being mean to him (he thought it was funny). That made me realize the dangers of sarcasm—sometimes joking, even when it’s innocent, can unintentionally hurt the other person’s feelings. What a great lesson I learned! I’m now in the process of learning to bite my tongue when I’m tempted to say something sarcastic =)
What Lindsay said.
The best thing we can do when establishing a relationship with someone from another country is to learn. The best way to be responsive to the needs of a client – no matter where they’re from – is to learn. To learn, we have to be listening. But we can’t listen if we’re always doing the talking.
Many thanks again, Paul, for another hearty bowl of wisdom soup.
Thanks for another terrific, thoughtful and practical post, Paul. As I sit here sipping a glass of wine, I’ll leave the blogging to you, lest I fall prey to #1. As an American-born blonde of Polish ancestry who is bilingual in Spanish and spent a year in Salamanca, Spain, all you said resonates with me. I will share your post with those I know in various industries, because unfortunately many U.S. businesspeople still aren’t ‘mindful’ about their expectations around language and culture when dealing with those for whom English is a second or third language. Thanks! Gracias! Dzi?kuj?!
Well I pack 2 pistols, Paul, but I never bare arms. 🙂
As far as language is concerned, my company localizes into at least 20 languages enforcing controlled language for machine translation. …and I am also localizing my wife. Teaching my wife and daughter our twisted American language is really fun.
As for the American language being the de facto standard, it’s a hell of a lot easier than Putonghua!
Perla: it’s very tricky for voice-overs to bite our tongue. We might kill the goose with the golden eggs. I agree with you on sarcasm: sometimes I put sarcasm in my blogs and it doesn’t always come across as such. Unfortunately, I only find that out after the fact, when I’m re-reading one of my posts, moths after it was written. Glad I could make your morning more pleasurable.
Mike: my philosophy is summed up in three words: Living is learning. Some voice-overs excel in talking but not so much in listening. I wonder why… On a different note: I’m liking your website better and better!
Dawna: wow, you’re a multi-talented voice-over powerhouse! I had the pleasure of meeting the Such a Voice team in beautiful Burlington once, and I didn”t want to leave the area! Thanks for pointing others to my blog. It’s much appreciated.
Steve: a blog without your comments is like a pair of my pants without a belt! I agree that Standard Mandarin seems much more challenging, but it’s all a matter of perspective I guess. Have you localized your wife yet? A GPS might come in handy…
Hey Paul, If you’re going to ‘roll up your sleeves’ you better have the ‘Guns’ to show for it! (Guns=Big Biceps) I guess I just proved your point!
Hi Paul,
I’m a long time reader of your blog but this is my first comment.
I couldn’t agree more with you on the topic of manners in business, especially when it comes to written communications. Simple words like ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’ should be universal.
For many years my work regularly kept me far from home (Sydney,Australia) and it became my custom to learn a little bit of the language in every location I worked in….at the very least I made a conscious choice to learn how to saw ‘hello’, ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘please’, ‘thankyou’ and ‘i’ll have a beer thanks’ 🙂
Whether the rest of the world likes it or not, English has become, as you say, a defacto standard, but even this ‘standard’ is somewhat dysfunctional…..when it comes to the written word, I believe US English spelling dominates (thanks to MS Word defaults perhaps?!), when it comes to the spoken word I believe the British English (RP) has an edge over US English (or as my NIDA Accents instructor called it ‘General American’) when it comes to being understood by non-native English speakers. Having said that however, when it comes to pop music, even my 6 year old daughter who was born and raised in Australia, from Greek and Egyptian heritage, songs with an American accent….Hannah Montana has alot to answer for in my household….
Cheers,
Con
Hi Con, it’s great to see a long time reader reply to one of my stories. Welcome! There’s so much great information floating around online and off-line… I’m honored that you see enough value in my writings to read my blog regularly.
I wish there were more people like you who make a concerted effort to learn some useful local expressions and customs (instead of curse words). It’s not only respectful; it’s a great way to open many doors that would otherwise stay closed much longer.
I once ran into a guy who proudly professed that he didn’t need to do all that.
“I speak the only universal language people really understand,” he said in a loud voice.”
No, he wasn’t referring to music.
Instead, he took a dollar bill out of his wallet and held it up in the air, bellowing:
“As we say in America: money makes the world go round.”
Money clearly can’t buy manners. I wonder what he’d do if he’d run out of money… That would probably shut him up, don’t you think?
Con, best of luck recreating your company website!
One thing I would like to add to this thread may seem trivial to some until we examine the words closely, and the nuances of language is what we’re discussing. Increasingly, the response to ‘thank you’ has become ‘no problem,’ whereas it had always been ‘you’re welcome.’ My feeling is, especially in a business scenario, the word ‘problem’ is a negative and, theoretically, business people are in business to solve problems.
Whether we are brought our food at a restaurant, or receive an supply of product from a distributor, we thank those responsible (including the waiter or waitress and the delivery truck driver) for, essentially, having done their job. When the response is “no problem,” the words say “my servicing your needs did not pose a problem.” On the other hand, when the response is “you’re welcome,” the words say “it was my pleasure to serve you.”
Those who use ‘no problem’ undoubtedly are performing the duties of their job satisfactorily. They mean well. But those hearing the words – especially if they’re not familiar with the colloquialisms of American English – may choose in the future to do business with the person who takes pleasure in providing service over the person who provides the service even though it doesn’t pose a problem by doing so. While most Americans probably don’t give a second thought to ‘no problem,’ we don’t know how those words are perceived by someone from another country, in a different culture. And it doesn’t matter what the intent was; perception is what counts.
As it relates to voice-over, it’s all about the words.
What a perfect example, Mike! It’s not trivial at all. In fact, your observation is rather profound.
I hope I’m not going to sound like a stuffy professor, but the way I look at it, language is a reflection of perception. It’s the tip of the iceberg of an intellectual and emotional process. In that way, language reveals part of what is actually going on, underneath (but in a limited, symbolic way).
Whether we realize it or not, we consciously or unconsciously choose the words we use and give out clues of how we perceive the world and filter information.
Your “no problem” example illustrates what some would call a “meta-program” or an unconscious filter. In this case, it’s known as a Direction Filter and this has to do with whether or not we prefer to move toward what we want, or away from what we don’t want.
The “no problem” people are moving away from what they wish to avoid, namely a problem. The “my pleasure” people are moving toward something they strive for, which is creating a pleasurable experience for their customers.
As I am typing these words, I realize that I could easily write a whole new blog about this and I might even do that in the near future. In fact, it would be my pleasure!
Paul,
A real masterpiece!
I absolutely agree about all the topics you hit on.
If only this would become the “new normal”.
Cheers and “Bob’s you uncle”.
DC Goode
Dennis, a comment from you is like receiving a goodie bag after walking the red carpet!
And for those of you who are wondering why the man from U.N.C.L.E. is called Bob, follow this link.
Paul, this is my first time reading your blog, and I have a feeling it won’t be my last. Captivating, fun, informative, and rings true, prodding people in the right direction – I loved it! I haven’t had too many business dealings with people out of the U.S. but have friends who live in other countries, and have traveled to other countries enough to understand the language issues that come up. Your suggestions will stick with me for future communication with people both in and out of the U.S., because clarity is important in any communication, especially in business. Thank you for your insights!
Warmly,
Jill
P.S. I’m looking forward to the upcoming blog about “No problem” vs. “You’re welcome”!
Hi Jill, thanks for becoming a returning visitor. Please spread the news… to any country and culture!
So far, my examples have been pretty innocent. Ultimately, people want to be understood and some of them even wish to understand. We can’t do that without being mindful of the language we use.
Language can be a bridge and it can also be a wall. Hopefully, my words of warning and advice will help all of us overcome some obstacles and climb these walls together.
Otherwise we might end up burning our bridges and other sacred things that will only inflame and insult people.