Culture and Translation

- David Katan, Translating Cultures, St. Jerome, Manchester, 1999 (Chapters 10-11)

• Interlocutors in each communication event will, usually out-of-awareness, arrange themselves and others along the context scale.

Text

Cont

ext

• House buyingThe written sale particulars• Advertising- LCC cultures: slogans, wordplay, the text,

informative, factual (‘Naughty but nice’ = chocolate; By Schhhhhhh … you know who = Tonic water; Just do it = sneakers)

- HCC cultures: visuals, aesthetics, feelings, expressive (Oliviero Toscani’s pictures for Benetton)

• Clarity: priority on simplicity‘KISS’ principle: ‘keep it short and simple’‘the C-B-S style’: clarity, brevity and sincerity‘Proper words in proper places make the true

definition of style’ (Swift)‘Be short, be simple, be human’ (Gowers)

- The Economist Pocket Style Guide- Le figure e lo spazioLe figure sono sempre rigorosamente

volumetriche, più vicine al rigore spaziale della scultura che alle estenuate cadenze melodiche medio-bizantine.

- To induce a feeling, poetic language- Information? Facts?The figures have a disciplined geometry, closer to

sculpture than to the sweeping curves of Middle Byzantine.

• Gli speaker possono restare 7 giorni presso l’albergo

- Implied information: the dates, the type of room, paid by conference

Single room accomodation for speakers will be paid by the conference organizers for a maximum of 6 nights between 7 th and 16 th July.

• Formality and informality in the text- Long sentences ≠ short sentences- Coordinating conjunctions ≠ full stops- Impersonal ≠ personal- Formal register ≠ informal register- Complicated grammatical constructions ≠ simple

grammatical constructions- Nominal style ≠ verbal style- ‘Baroque constructions’ ≠ clear construction

• Distancing devices:- It is possible to use the telephone (May/Could/

Can I use the phone?)- It is essential that this is read (You

must/should/ought to read this)- This is how it is done (This is how we do it/you

should do it)• Titles- HCC: the status- LCC: categorization, definition

• In Germany: Herr Doktor Muller and Frau Doktor Muller

• In Italy• In England: Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms

- Buongiorno Signor Presidente- Good morning Mr Donaggio

Affective Communication

•Transmission of information•Interpersonal communication •HCC: communication implies an affective response•LCC: communication does not imply an affective response

Orientation Language Possible cultural priority

Indirect Indirect (conditionals, softners), silence, indirect eye-contact

Conflict avoidanceFace-savingHarmonyTact and diplomacyAvoidance of power distance

Direct Direct (present tense, imperatives), raised voices, direct eye-contact

Acceptance of conflictAcceptance of power distanceClarityImmediacy

• Indirectness and miscommunicationHCC: indirect orientation‘It’s not what we say but how’Silence is goldenSugar the pill

LCC: clear, unambiguous and explicit communication

Grice: Cooperative maxims1) The maxim of quantity: as much information as

needed

2) The maxim of quality: speak truthfully3) The maxim of relevance: things that are relevant4) The maxim of manner: say things clearly and brieflyExample of misunderstandingPresident Nixon and Prime Minister Sato: trade and the Okinawan islands‘I will deal with the matter in a forward-looking manner’‘Nixon felt betrayed and thought all Japanese polititians liars and utterly untrustworthy’

• Grice’s cooperative maxims do not function in the same way across cultures

• Translation: to mediate, to manipulate, the right interpretative frame

Example‘Has my business proposal been accepted?’Asian businessmen’s answers:- If everything procedes as planned, the proposal

will be approved (Yes)- We cannot answer this question at this time. (No)- Yes, your approval looks likely, but … (No)

• The meaning of ‘Yes’Yes: not only direct affirmation, the receiver

understandsExampleEnglish: Thank you for your presentation – it was

very clearItalian: Yes

- Oh, really?- Thank you very much.- Well, that’s very kind of you.

• The meaning of ‘no’- The relative frequency of ‘no’ per half-hour in

negotiations:Japanese: 8.4American: 9Brazilian: 84.7The meaning of no is culture bound- American culture: say what you mean- Japanese culture: harmony, no strong statement- Brazilian: a spontaneous expression of feelings.

It is negotiable (Unreliable)

• British indirectnessFreedom, respect for privacy, not wishing to

impose (listener oriented)Indirect use of language, ‘indirect requests’, ‘thank

you’

Italy: self-expression (author oriented), involvement

Example (Children)A: Could I have a go on my bicycle, please?B: No.A: (exit crying)

• Example (Italo Calvino - Colquhoun)- Signorina, - chiese- Dimmi.- Perché piange?

- ‘Signorina’ he asked.- Yes? [not ‘tell me’]- ‘Why are you crying?’

- Imperative: coercive and face threatening act.

In Amsterdam•Moroccan: I must have one kilo of onions•Dutch: Such a thing we ask here politely.

•HCC: politeness is implicit in the context•LCC: politeness in the text (not in the context)

• Cushioning: a metaphor for the mental process‘Send this fax’: to soften it I need some cushions.

- Mediators: to context their interlocutors (familiarity, position, delicacy of the request, the social context, more urgency, good rapport, bad rapport) and be aware of the degree of inderectness required

• Example (Servegnini)In a restaurant in Bologna‘I want to change my table’And in England?‘I am afraid this table is not entirely convenient’.

Semi-serious appropriate translations- Your English is somewhat unnatural = Your

English is frightening

- I agree up to a point = What a stupidity- I’m a bit tired = I’m in pieces- She’s not very tall = She’s a short girl- She’s not very nice = She’s unpleasant

Resta il fatto che gli inglesi non sempre vogliono dire quello che dicono, e quasi mai dicono quello che vogliono dire.

• Send this fax, please = Spedisca questo fax• Can you … = Mi può spedire questo fax?• Could you … = Mi spedisca questo fax, per

favore.• I wonder if I could ask you … = mi potrebbe

spedire questo fax?• I was wondering if I could ask you … = mi

potrebbe spedire questo fax?• Do you think I could ask you to … = ‘’

• Facts/FeelingsExpressive or instrumental orientations- Expressive cultures: orientation towards feelings,

people, relationships, non-verbal communication- Instrumental cultures: orientation towards facts, self-

control, the issuesExampleA meetingAnglo/American approach: a written agenda, the chairExpressive cultures: ideas, feelings, opinions (Real

decisions may have already been made).

• The Verbalization of Emotion- Internalization of feelings: Children should be seen but not heard.Keep a stiff upper lip.Bite the bullet.Big boys don’t cry.Self-control.- The percentage of respondents who would

keep their feelings to themselvesItaly: 29; USA: 40; UK: 71(to wear your heart on your sleeve)

• Verbalization of emotion in British society only takes place after breaking-point.

• ‘We may think that a Frenchman who curses us in a traffic accident is truly enraged, close to violence. In fact, he may simply be getting his view of the facts in first and may expect a similar stream of vituperation from us in return.’

• Under/OverstatementOrientation Language Possible cultural

priorities

Overstatement Hyperbole Visibility of speaker and feelings, full expression of meaningSpotlight in speakerUnderstatement perceived as:Sign of weakness

Understatement Litote Speaker modestyListener to construct full meaningOverstatement perceived as: sign of conceit.

• Examples• Job interview• Clean-up campaignKeep America BeautifulKeep Britain TidyTieni pulito il tuo paese.

• Turn-taking- Anglo-Saxon verbal interaction is without

conversation overlaps- Japanese: silence- Brazilians: overlaps.