Do not stare at your interpreter with suspicion

How to start a day with a good laugh? Read this piece : How to succeed when doing business in Japan, over Smart Business.

Japanese language has several levels of honorary expressions. As described by the common saying ‘Treat your customers like god,’ people will use a very high level of honorary language with their business counterparts. The higher the level of respect, the longer the expression may become. For example, after a long, long greeting speech made by a Japanese business partner, the interpreter may simply say, ‘Welcome to our company.’ Do not stare at your interpreter with suspicion. She is not hiding anything from you or trying to trick you. Instead, slightly bow (nod your head) with a nice smile and show your appreciation to such a polite and respectful greeting.

And this snippet too : "Although Japan does not have laws that allow gender discrimination ...", gender discrimination is the norm, unless you are an interpreter, a massively female occupation. 


The key point to remember for business people is indeed to keep a tamed attitude, in voice tone and body language. The rest is largely the competence of the interpreter to usher you in the communication loop.

How not be a part of the encounter

Tracking press articles with Googles News and keywords like "interpreting" or "interpreter" allows at times for thought provoking encounters. What about for instance this article from the battlecreekenquirer.com, on a program that teaches community interpreting.

Here are bits of though provoking stuff:

"in the class, students learn "how to not be a part of the encounter as the interpreter ... Really all they are is a pipeline for language".

"They learn the importance of translating exactly what is said, Varricchio said, without allowing emotions to play a role. They learn skills to usher relationships between the two parties almost as if the interpreter didn't exist."

Doesn't this exist in a vacuum where speeches were perfect, that is perfectly articulated and meaningful? In court interpreting at least, I perceive the issues at stake. In medical settings too, to some extend. But why deny the presence of the interpreter as a major disturbing factor of the communication dynamics? Checking emotions that may upturn the interpreter even in business settings comes as the most valuable suggestion here I wish one day to dig deeper into.

Flowery and conceptual discourse should be kept at bay

And add to this marketing feel good latest jargon. In business settings, there are several reasons why the client should keep in mind to stay with a simple speech to be effective. Flowery language, catch-phrase laden enthusiastic presentations of products or corporations benefit simplicity and allows the interpreter to adequately decorate the core meaning with a locally well understood business jargon, tone and manner that fit local understanding. The same applies at least very much here in Japan with conceptual stances. In business at least, the less conceptual bones to munch on, the better.

Is the interpreter entitled to suggest the client to control her speech blooming? Yes, granted the interpreter stresses with enough authority that the scheme is to get the message through, and that business flowers are the equivalent of literary citations and good jokes. They only put useless stress on the interpreter and do not benefit the speaker. Without authority when suggesting to keep things simple,  the interpreter takes the risk to be perceived as inadequate to the job. Whereas the client has authority on her corporation and product's content and context, the interpreter must suggest that authority in the knowledge of what works and what doesn't is her own turf. I don't suggest that this should apply to any situations. There are official, formal situations where the speaker will be expected to show off culture and expose her wits with "bon mots". But the meeting room is not an adequate place to do so, all the more that flowery and witty speeches - usually coming with cultural hints and bits - may actually be totally foreign to the listener's cultural context.

Keeping things simple does not mean talking to children but sticking to the fact. Being factual, rather than theoretical is a requisite, at least in Japan's business settings.