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Contents
摘要 (1)
Abstract (2)
1. Introduction (3)
2. Brief Introduction of Functionalism (4)
2.1 The Skopos Theory (4)
2.2 The Functional it y plus Lo yalt y (5)
3. Brief Introduction of Business Negotiation Interpreting (6)
3.1 The Features of Business Negotiation (7)
3.2 The Difficulties of Business Negotiation Interpreting (8)
4. Guide to Business Negotiation Interpreting from Functionalism Perspective10 4.1 From the Skopos Theory Perspective (11)
4.2 From the Functionality plus Loyalty (15)
5. Conclusion (16)
摘要
随着经济的发展与科技水平的进步，中国与世界其他国家贸易合作变得越来越密切。继中国成为世界第二大经济体之后，在国际贸易中占有举足轻重的地位，那么商务谈判也就成为了重中之重。由于各国之间还存在着语言和文化等方面的差异，口译人员在涉外商务谈判中扮演着重要角色。他们用自己的双语知识、跨文化知识、涉外商务和涉外法律等方面的专业知识帮助不同国家的企业谈判人员进行沟通并达成共识或签订合同。口译人员翻译时应根据谈判所要达到的目的，使用符合商务谈判特殊环境下的表达方式，使译文符合目的语接受者的表达习惯。功能主义翻译理论认为译者应根据不同的翻译目的采用相应的策略，这恰好满足商务谈判特殊的环境以及其确定的目的。功能主义翻译理论包含目的论和忠实原则两部分，这不仅为译者提供了灵活的翻译理论基础，使沟通更加顺畅，同时也约束译者忠实于谈判者的意图，从而使商务谈判顺利进行。因此，唯有在功能主义理论的指导下，方可避免或者减少由语言障碍和文化差异给商务谈判口译带来的实际困难，从而最终促进商务谈判成功，达成合作，实现利益的最大化。
关键词：商务谈判；商务谈判口译；功能主义翻译理论；语言障碍；文化差异
Abstract
With the rapid economic development and the improvement of science and technology, trade cooperation and communication spring up frequently between China and other countries and regions. After China has been the second economy, it holds a significant position in international trade and commerce, thus, business negotiation will be far more important. However, due to language difference and cultural distance among the major countries, interpreters, who help negotiators with their bilingual knowledge, cross-cultural knowledge, professional knowledge of international business and legal affairs to reach agreements or enter into contracts, are indispensable in business negotiation. According to business negotiation, interpreters have to apply proper ways that comply with business negotiation to maketarget language listeners understand what they have said. Functionalism theory gives us a means that interpreters can vary their strategies with their purposes of translation, which exactly meets the needs of business negotiation and completes these goals. Functionalism theory contains two parts: the Skopos Theory and the Functionality plus Loyalty. Thus, functionalism theory provides business negotiation interpreting with various translation theories, making communication easier, and prevents interpreters from going against the negotiators, leading to smooth progress of the negotiations. Only with the guidance of functionalism theory, can we reduce or even avoid the difficulties that come from the interpretation because of language barrier and cultural difference, which will promote business negotiations successful and reach agreements, maximizing the benefits.
Key Words:Business Negotiation; Business Negotiation Interpreting; Functionalism Theory; Language Barrier; Cultural Difference
On Business Negotiation Interpreting from the Perspective of Functionalism
Lei Xiaofei
School of Foreign Languages 401120
1．Introduction
The cooperation of international trade that prompts business negotiation becomes the newly-developed profession. Besides, in business negotiations, interpreters need to convey the main information from one party to the other party smoothly and correctly in order to complete the negotiation, so they must be equipped with keen responses, experienced translation ability and excellent command of cultural background knowledge. Nevertheless, due to various restrictions and the imperfection of traditional translation theories, interpreters manage to deal with a lot of difficulties without theoretical support. Fortunately, the rise of Functionalism Theory in the 1970s, deals with all those problems almost.
Functionalism Theory includes two essential parts: the Skopos Theory which is the core part and the Functionality plus Loyalty as an important supplement. Its core holds that translation is a purposeful activity and that translation end justifies the means, which provides a sound reason for interpreters to be free to take the initiative on employing any appropriate strategy, if their particular purposes could be realized and make any readjustment; if it is needed to recognize the intended target text function (Huang Yun, 2011).
Nowadays, most of the researches on business negotiation interpreting are discussing the advantages and disadvantages of strategies or methods, which are taken
in business negotiation (Wang Jianhua, 2007). However, in this paper, according to the two specific problems or issues in business negotiation interpreting: language barrier and cultural difference, the author will explore how to adjust methods to solve the difficulties and improve the quality of business negotiation interpreting from Functionalist approach perspective. As there is lacking in researches on the combination of Functionalism and business negotiation, the author hopes that this paper is a good example and will effectively deal with the two challenge—language barrier and cultural difference.
2. Brief Introduction of Functionalism
2.1 The Skopos Theory
As we have mentioned in the above part that Functionalism has experienced four periods. In the first period, German translator Reiss first put forward Text Functionalism Theory as a criterion for translation criticism. She thought the concrete translation should be provided in case for special demand (Jia Xue, 2013). We can get the point that translated texts are translated or interpreted by the restriction of the purpose of the source text.
Afterwards, H. J. Vermeer showed his approval to this idea and came up with the Skopos Theory which was totally different from the traditional translation theories. He held the ideas that the function of translation or interpretation was that the target texts and source texts would do the same impact on and get the same reaction of receivers. Moreover, translation was a communicative activity with some kind of purpose, which meant translation end justifies the means. (Nord, 2001：112).That is totally separated from the traditional translation theories, especially the Equivalence Theory.
In addition, Mantari built the Theory of Translation Action. It looks upon translation as a more complicated activity and proposes a series of influential roles such as interpreters, initiators, and readers (or receivers) (Jia Xue, 2013). Her view further explains that people’s action is implied with a certain purpose in a specific occasion, which indicates that the Theory of Translation Action helps us avoid
limiting in the information of source text and to pay more attention to all relevant parts.
When the target text is intended to achieve a purpose or function other than everything of the original and when the target text addresses audiences which are different from the intended readership of the original, the Skopos Theory is the best choice for business negotiations to achieve their goals that are realizing benefit maximization. In other words, adequate translation should be “adequate to” the requirements of the translation brief. Within the framework of the Skopos Theory an adequate translation is goal-oriented determined by the skopos of the translation. Thus, the Skopos Theory can guide the business negotiation interpreting effectively, which will finally accomplish the goals of business negotiations.
3. Brief Introduction of Business Negotiation Interpreting
Since its entry into the WTO in 2002, our country has quickened the pace of stepping in line with international standards in such fields as economy and trade. A developing China will, as always, generate cooperation opportunities with other countries around the world for achieving win-win situation, thus, business negotiation becomes more and more important. We have to improve the quality of business negotiation interpreting so as to promote cooperation and maximize profits under the direction of Functionalism Theory. However, business negotiation is a volatile and complex process, so translators or interpreters have to reorganize their language in order to adjust their translation to the target text. Successful business negotiation is the result of both parties performed well with the language that interpreters apply in every appropriate way to express negotiators’ real intention. Therefore, they should know well how to deal with unpredictable challenge but the common situation, and to manage the two difficulties: language difference and cultural distance, in business negotiation.
3.1The Features of Business Negotiation
In brief, business negotiation is a process that in order to coordinate the relationship between business and meet their needs, people try to find a final
settlement of the dispute and reach an agreement and sign the contract through the consultation and the dialogue (Pu Lijing, 2011). Moreover, Business negotiation is a collection of policy, technology and artistry in social and economic activities, so the author thinks that it can be characterized in the following five aspects based on its definition.
First, it is a process of compromise. In a business negotiation, there must be some conflicts and contradictions as both the parties stand for different interests. Only when they adjust their own needs and interests, can they reach an agreement with concessions and compromises.
Second, business negotiation is a contradictory unity on both cooperation and conflict. Without conflicts, there is no negotiation between both parties. Thus, the success of business negotiation is good for both parties, a win-win situation. In business negotiation, any party of them will consider their own interests firstly. And they have to sacrifice their own interests appropriately in order to achieve cooperate on above promise.
Third, business negotiation benefits both parties without equality. It is true that there are many rivals, so the negotiators have to use their strengths to get the best interests. And they should have professional qualities that help them to in charge of the negotiation.
Fourth, the purpose of the business negotiation is to enter into contracts or cooperative relationship. As a matter of fact, its ultimate goal is that negotiators gain the maximization of economic benefits, so they take the price negotiations as the central task of the business negotiation. Therefore, they will try their best to maximize the greatest interests.
Fifth, for interpreters the most difficult part in business negotiation is that time is limited and urgent. In business negotiation, negotiators would like to fight for their benefit with any chance and to reach agreements with their partners as soon as possible, gaining the best value.
Based on the above five, we can figure out that the most difficult challenges on
business negotiation interpreting are that interpreters must deal with language barrier and cultural difference in complicated and volatile business environment as soon as possible. Thus, we will further discuss the two difficulties of business negotiation interpreting in the next part.
3.2 The Difficulties of Business Negotiation Interpreting
The essence of business negotiation is that interpreters use language that receivers could have a better understanding to convey the main ideas or attitude of speakers, resulting in win-win situation through their interpreting. Thus, interpreters need to master the features of business negotiations so that they can adjust their ways to accomplish their tasks, which will help to make business negotiation go smoothly and enter into agreements.
Business Negotiation interpreting is an act of intercultural communication, and a more complicated form of communication, because during the process the content of one language is transferred into that of another which contains different cultures. Not only linguistic barriers but also cultural gap will come into existence (Wang Lingjun, 2010). In other words, business negotiation interpreting is not only the transference from one language to another, but also a form of special communication the interpreter coordinates exchanges between participants with different languages and cultures. Besides, as we all know, interpreting to some degree is more practical than translation, especially business negotiation interpreting because of the characteristics of business negotiation. Although Functionalism Theory provides a solid theoretical orientation, the process of a business negotiation is quite complex, unpredictable, and could be impacted by large amounts of factors. Thus, it is very difficult for interpreters to overcome the two difficulties—language barrier and cultural difference during business negotiation interpreting.
Language is a kind of tool that people can not only express ideas, but also convey emotions, so language serves as a crucial link between both parties in a business negotiation. And languages are based on the concepts, experiences, and views and so on. Thus, language barrier is inevitable in any interpreting, as different
languages have formed their own features, such as pronunciations, syntactic structure, institutionalized expressions, and so on, and which will have a great influence on business negotiation interpreting. The most difficult part is that business negotiation interpreting is greatly professional. The language of business negotiation includes linguistic form, vocabulary, and content, which are closely related to its profession. Besides, business negotiation language emphasizes simplicity and formal specification, embodying international commonality (Chu Yanshan, 2014). Nevertheless, negotiators can be easily broken down due to a lack of mutual understanding of language, while Functionalism Theory will motivate the interpreters to fight for better results in business negotiation.
Specially, cultural difference is very difficult as it is impossible to acquire through exercises. Culture is so complex and ubiquitous that almost every aspect of human life is touched, shaped by culture.One of the widely received definitions of culture was formulated by the English anthropologist Edward Taylor, which is used in Encyclopedia Br itannica (1983). “Culture…is that complex whole includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”(Wang Lingjun, 2010) Thus, Culture is reflected in communication practices, and at the same time, communication practices shape cultural life, that is, we can find out that business negotiations interpreting and culture cannot be separated from one another because each influences each other. Culture can influence negotiating styles in different ways, because negotiators from another nation are different in language, belief, behaviors manners, and way of thinking, value and attitudes and so on. Different cultures express different ways of doing business (Pu Lijing, 2011).And it is much more difficult than language barrier, as it contains so many aspects of social life and is affected by those.
However, Functionalist approach provides a solid theoretical basis for solve the two problems of business negotiation interpreting. As interpreting is a re-creative process, on the basis of Functionalist approach, listeners are the decisive factor. Like that in business negotiation interpreting, the other party of business negotiation is the
factor that affects the interpretation. Thus, whether the business negotiation can go smoothly and whether the cooperation can come to agreements are decided by whether the other party of business negotiation gets the real intention of the partner through the interpretation, which means interpreters who want to complete interpreting well and overcome the two difficulties of business negotiations interpreting must interpret under the guidance of the Skopos Theory and the Functionality plus Loyalty.
4. Guide to Business Negotiation Interpreting from Functionalism
As interpreters are qualified with enough subjectivity and creativity, good perception of intentionality, and excellent emotional management, they can cope with complex and volatile business environment and unpredictable challenges in business negotiation interpreting. Besides, in order to maximize profits, they can try their best to overcome the two difficulties of business negotiation interpreting with the direction of Functionalist approach and regulate translation strategies which help them to make cooperation with the other. As a matter of fact, Functionalism Theory is the best way to business negotiation interpreting that is instant translation in cross-cultural and complex and uncertain environment, and it does stress the purpose of business negotiation but the beauty of interpretation. Furthermore, the goal of business negotiation interpreting is to help both the parties to reach consensuses. That is to say, business negotiations by means of interpreting achieve their communicational aim and then realize the maximum of interests.
To sum up, we can find out that only under the guidance of Functionalism Theory, can business negotiation interpreting benefit business negotiation and gain mutual profits. Moreover, only when interpreters get the right point of speakers and their interpretation are oriented by target language listeners based on Functionalism Theory, can they play as communicative bridge to facilitate business negotiation. Just as the ideas of Functionalism, the only and final purpose of interpreting is to make the discussion successful. In the following part, the author will explore how to overcome
the two difficulties in practice: language barrier and cultural difference, with the direction of the Skopos Theory and the Functionality plus Loyalty.
4.1From the Skopos Theory Perspective
The Skopos Theory, as the core of Functionalism Theory, provides theatrical evidence for instructing interpreters to measure changing complicated business environment. Indeed, there are many interpreting strategies such as addition, omission, alteration, and reorganization, for interpreters to settle conflicts and difficulties in business negotiation in accordance with the Skopos Theory. At various degrees many scholars have expressed their personal opinions or views on these issues and shared their strategies, and most of them are forced on the strategies themselves. However, we should know that all these strategies are used to solve the two main problems in business negotiation. Therefore, the author would talk about how to deal with the two main difficulties rather than specific strategies of business negotiation interpreting. Even though the interpreters master the various strategies, they may have no idea about which strategy is the best one and why they should apply that one but others. Besides, the purposes of the business negotiations are to reach agreements but the sense of beauty like literary translation. Consequently, interpreters should follow the principle that fulfills the purpose of business negotiation first and flexibly process measures and strategies for realizing the maximum of interests.
4.1.1 The Elimination of Language Barrier
Language, in different social communities, has its own features or characteristics as we have noted the above, such as, pronunciation, syntactic structure, institutionalized expression, and so on. Thus, interpreters must follow the rules of the target language. Besides, as affected by their own habit, people in different cultural backgrounds will have various ways to speak, and they will hold various views on the same things or expressions. In addition negotiators in different cultural background may usually employ contrary or entirely different methods to share their thought. Interpreters may not only master the features of language, but also realize that they should show the information in the way that fits the habit of target language receivers. Moreover, they should clear what is the speakers’ real intention, and then
take their information into another language in a better way with t he Skopos Theoty’s direction. As mentioned before, the Skopos Theoty makes the purpose of business negotiation clear, so no matter in what way, as long as they can realize maximized profits. For example,
(1) In a business negotiation, a representative of the American party hoped that his partners could ensure product quality and when he referred to a company that cooperated with his firm ago, he said, “The company cut corners on the new product by using less expensive part in the design.” (Chu Yanshan, 2014)
Then the interpreter said, “那家公司再这个新产品生产上偷工减料，他们再设计中使用廉价的零件。” As is know to all, “cut corners” has a basic meaning, doing something the cheapest or easiest way. In this situation, if the interpreter wants to deal with language barrier so as to state clear what the representative of American party mean, he must well master the institutionalized expression of the target language, because the same expression stands for different meanings in various contests. Combining with “using less expensive part in the design” and his linguistic knowledge reserve, he can get the point of “cut corners”, which is cheating on workmanship and materials. Finally, he can convey the representative’s blame on that company and warning to the Chinese party through translating into “偷工减料”under the guidance of the Skopos Theory. Only he has a strong understanding of the linguistic knowledge of the target language and interprets with the direction of the Skopos Theory, can he eliminate language barrier.
Of course, the language of business negotiation is very professional, so interpreters must translate as exact as possible. Now, let’s look at an example.
(2) The background is that the Chinese party wants their partner to deliver the product sooner, so one of the representative say,“我方要求贵方迅速交货。”（Chu Yanshan,2014）The interpreters translates into we ask for short delivery for our order. Indeed, there is no mistake in literal meaning, but we should know that through experience, some words have their own unique phraseology. For this reason, the
interpreter cannot interpret with his own understanding and habit but take the target language party as first principle under the guidance of the Skopos Theory. He has to interpret based on the rules of the target language, so his interpretation should be that we ask for prompt delivery for our order. The Skopos Theory remind interpreters of regard the goals of business negotiation as first, which will help them to overcome language barrier.
4.1.2 Reduce Cultural Differences
As we all know that culture is the formation and evolution of historical development created by all natures, especially human beings, which is characterized by certain members of any given groups. For business negotiation, the two parties in different cultural background meet each other for common benefits, with their own particular language, customs and values. What can interpreters do if they encounter potential problems caused by cultural conflicts during business negotiation? The Skopos Theory can teach interpreters to guarantee the realization of contextual purposes during the business negotiation (Fan, 2012). The following is how it works. There is an example on institutionalized expression, which will help us to comprehend this situation. The background is that a Chinese government is negotiating with an American investment corporation, trying to persuade them to offer Chinese investment. During the negotiation, a Chinese representative says, （3）“建立一条龙服务中心，为外国投资者提供审批业务。”
The interpreter then translates it into “Set up the one-dragon service center to provide a coordinated process service for foreign investors in obtaining approval.”(Lai Hengjinh，2004)
The interpreter interprets “一条龙服务”as “one-dragon service”, which is almost impossible for American representatives to understand what it is about because of cultural diffierence. According to the Skopos Theory, the purpose of the speaker guides the interpreter to translate. Yet the real intention of the speaker is to tell the listener that the Chinese government has a complete service system and will try their best to secure Americans’ investment so that they have nothing to worry about
investing in China. Therefore, what the interpreter should do is that he helps to convey the real intention and promise of the Chinese representatives, which will give a good version and impression to American members. However, the interpreter fails to express the original meaning as a lack of relative culture of the target language. If he interprets under the guidance of the Skopos Theory, he would get rid of the restriction of the source language.
Here is another example. A Chinese company importing some goods from the United States was negotiating with a foreign exporter. When it came to the key part of payment terms, a Chinese importer said,
（4）“我们不会给你们打白条子，我们会按时付款的。”
The interpreter then said, “We shall not issue blank paper to you. We will pay you on time.”(Lai, 2004)
After his interpretiation, all foreign negotiators got confused about what the Chinese party meant. What makes the misunderstanding is cultural distance, which is the biggest barrier for negotiators and interpreters to communicate well. In fact, if the interpreter translation is oriented by the United States listeners in accordance with the Skopos Theory, the conversation will go smoothly. Obviously, interpreters should interpret what speakers say under the guidance of the Skopos Theory. Only in this way, can they convey the information accurately and the listeners will get their expression, which will avoid culture difference as much as possible.
5. Conclusion
Translation or interpretation is a very important academic sector for any country and every translation theory has its unique advantage and academic value. However, the Functionalism has opened a new perspective for translation filed, which stresses that translation strategies and approaches depend on its purpose. Thus, it laid a solid theoretical and practical foundation to deal with the two main difficulties of various textual forms, especially the business negotiations. The ultimate goal of business negotiation interpreting is to promote discussion maximizing profits while the process is very complicated and it involves many aspects of life during the business
negotiation. Therefore, the Functionalism provides theoretical guidance for business negotiation so as to accommodate the complex and violate business environment and manage the unpredictable difficulties in business negotiation as their goals or purposes are definite. Besides, only under the guidance of Functionalist Approach, can negotiators deal with unpredictable challenge and difficulties referring to any aspect, just because Functionalism allows them to adjust strategies to achieve the goals of business negotiations, which is superior to any strategy itself. Through studying Functionalism in this paper, the author not only wants to help interpreters to improve their business negotiation interpreting quality to a large extent under the guidance of Functionalist Approach, but also helps negotiators to facilitate negotiation. In other words, the major goal of this thesis is to present how to deal with language barrier and cultural difference through interpreting in business negotiations from the perspective of the Functionalist approach.
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