Unit 3 : Part A

1. 21st Century College English: Book 2 Unit 3 : Part A The Tale of a Cultural Translator UESTC

2. Intensive Study The Tale of a Cultural Translator 1 Joint ventures involving Western and Japanese companies often run into conflicts — a multitude of little things that escalateinto big emotional battles in which all the parties keep exclaiming: “What’s wrong with them!? Can they understand that …?!” But because the conflicts are mainly due to cultural differences, neither side can understand — unless they have a “cultural translator”. UESTC

3. Intensive Study 2The first cultural translator I ever met was an installation engineer, George by name, who worked for an American company where I was the director of international operations. The company had just started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and the American management needed someone to train the Japanese employees in its unique technology. George’s solid understanding of the equipment, its installation and use made him the best-qualified employee for the job, so everyone was happy when George accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan. UESTC

4. Intensive Study 3From the start, George was well accepted by all the Japanese employees. Japanese managers often distrust anyone sent to represent US owners, but George was so naturally nonassertive that no one could see him as a threat to their careers. So they felt comfortable asking his advice on a wide range of matters, including the odd behavior of their partners across the ocean. Engineers throughout the company appreciated George’s expertise and his friendly and capable help, and they got into the habit of turning to him whenever they had a problem — any problem. And the secretaries in the office were eager to help this nice bachelor learn Japanese. UESTC

5. Intensive Study 4Sooner than anyone expected, the company became a profitable, thriving and growing venture. George’s first two-year contract came to an end. By then, he could speak good Japanese, and had picked up Japanese habits. He drank green tea at all hours, ate rice at every meal and had even learned to sit properly on Japanese tatami mats. So when George was offered a second two-year Japanese contract, he accepted at once. Another contract followed, and George’s love affair with Japanese culture continued. UESTC

6. Intensive Study 5 But as George’s sixth year in the country was coming to an end, an unexpected difficulty became apparent: The Japanese engineers had surpassed George in their knowledge of the rapidly-changing technology. He had nothing left to teach them. 6 Was this the end for poor George? Was there nothing more he could offer to the now-matured joint venture he had served so loyally? Would he have to leave the country he had come to love? No! Faced with the threat of an unwilling departure from Japan, George reinvented himself as a “cultural translator”. UESTC

7. Intensive Study 7 The idea came to George one day when the Japanese joint-venture president was — again — offended by a message from the American management. As usual in such situations, he stormed into George’s office and threw the message in front of him in a fury. And George, as usual, read the message and explained in his calm manner what the Americans had really meant by it, not what it sounded like in the context of Japanese culture. UESTC

8. Intensive Study 8 Fortunately for everyone, both the Japanese and American sides of the joint venture had heard enough horror stories about cultural conflicts to recognize the value of George’s skills, so when he proposed this new position for himself, the idea was quickly approved. The wisdom of this decision was proved again and again over the years. UESTC

9. Intensive Study 9 At times something far more important than good English was needed. One such case was when the Japanese accountant had to explain the $46,534 spent on 874 December-holiday presents. Or there was the time when the Japanese personnel manager had to justify keeping a chemist on the payroll even though the company no longer needed his expertise. In cases like these, everyone turned to George. UESTC

10. Intensive Study 10 Somehow or other, he made their messages sound at least halfway sensible to Americans. And when there was something that even George couldn’t “translated” into American-style sense, he would write, “This will sound crazy, but you should go along with it anyway. UESTC

11. 11It worked the other way around, too. When the American managers visited Japan, George accompanied us everywhere to ensure that we don’t do or say anything too stupid from the Japanese viewpoint. Whenever we did that anyway, he came to the rescue at once: “What they really mean is …” Whole multitudes of difficulties never arose thanks to George’s skill at smoothing over small conflicts before they became big, emotional and costly. UESTC

12. Intensive Study 12Since leaving that company in George’s capable hands, I’ve advised many firms on international operations. And my first recommendation is always the same: Don’t worry about language problems — the first thing you need is a cultural translator. (776 words) UESTC

13. run into — meet by chance; encounter unexpectedly • e.g. • I ran into Joe yesterday on Main street. • After a promising start, the company ran into debt. Translate 如果你不当心，会碰到麻烦的。 Key You will run into trouble if you don’t take care. UESTC

14. … — a multitude of little things that escalate into big emotional battles in which all the parties keep exclaiming: “… a multitude of — a very large number of • e.g. • It didn’t work out quite like I intended it for a multitude of reasons. More to learn UESTC

15. … — a multitude of little things that escalate into big emotional battles in which all the parties keep exclaiming: “… escalate — v. increase in intensity, degree, or amount; make or become greater or more serious • e.g. • The UN must do something before the war escalated beyond control. • The inflation rate has been escalating in many Asian countries. More to learn UESTC

16. … – a multitude of little things that escalate into big emotional battles in which all theparties keep exclaiming: “… party — n. person or people forming one side in a legal agreement or conflict • e.g. • A third party from outside the village was brought in as a witness. UESTC

17. transfer — n. the process by which sb. or sth. moves or is moved from one place, job,etc. to another e.g. • David was fed up with his job in London so he asked for a transfer to the Paris office. Translate Blake’s transfer to an Italian football club came as a shock to all his supporters. Key 布莱克转会到一个意大利足球俱乐部令他的所有拥趸大为震惊。 UESTC

18. accept (sb.) — v. think of (sb.) as part of the group and treat him in the same way as other members of it; treat (sb.) as welcome e.g. • The children gradually began to accepther. • He was never really acceptedby his fellow workers. UESTC

19. but George was so naturally nonassertive that no one could see him as a threat to their careers. Paraphrase the sentence: ? George was by nature so easy and modest that his presence in the joint venture didn’t pose any threat to the positions of Japanese managers and employees UESTC

20. get into the habit of doing sth. — start to do sth. so often that it becomes a habit e.g. • He’s got into the habit of switching on the TV as soon as he gets home. • I got into the habit of studying in the library when I was in college. Fill in the blank Once __________ (他养成了用筷子吃饭的习惯), he preferred them to a knife and fork. • he’d got into the habit of eating with chopsticks UESTC

21. come to an end — stop; finish e.g. • The team’s run of success seems to come to an end. • And here the storycome to an end. Translate When this temporary job comes to an end, he’ll be unemployed again. Key 这份临时工作干完以后，他就又失业了。 UESTC

22. pick up — learn or acquire easily without making much effort e.g. • George picked up a few Japanese phrases when he was on a business trip to Tokyo. • We need someone who will pick the job up quickly. Translate 我不知道孩子们上哪儿学到这些无礼的字眼的！ Key I don’t know where my children have picked up those rude words! UESTC

23. at all hours — at any time; all the time e.g. •The restaurant serves meals at all hours. • She is inclined to telephone at all hours of the day or night. UESTC

24. Tatami Tatami is a rectangular mat used as a floor covering in Japanese houses. It consists of a thick straw base and a soft, finely woven rush cover with cloth borders. A tatami Measures approximately 6 by 3 feet (180 by 90 cm) and is about 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Text-related information UESTC

25. surpass — v. be even better or greater than; go beyond e.g. • His time for the 100 meters surpassed the previous world record by one hundredth of a second. Translate 你的优异表现已经超出了所有人的期望。 Key Your excellent performance has surpassed everyone’s expectations. UESTC

26. be faced with — be confronted with; be made to meet (sth.bad or difficult) e.g. • Faced with the threat of losing their jobs, the workers on strike decided to go back to work. • He is faced with a difficult choice after graduation: to go back to his hometown or stay in the big city. Fill in the blank __________ (面临严重的财政问题), the company had to lay off some of the workers. • Faced with severe financial problems UESTC

27. … , George reinvented himself as a “cultural translator”. Translate the sentence: ? 乔治将自己重新塑造成了一名“文化翻译”。 UESTC

28. … when the Japanese joint-venture president was — again — offended by a message from the American management. The adverb again can be used to indicate and emphasize a similarity between the situation, action or subject that is happening or being discussed now and a previous one. e.g. •My last question is again a somewhat personal one. • Again, that’s very impossible. UESTC

29. storm — v. move or walk quickly and noisily in an anger e.g. • After the argument shestormedoff. • He stormed round the house in a rage. UESTC

30. The wisdom of this decision was proved again and again over the years. Paraphrase the sentence: ? The decision (to act as a cultural translator) was proved sensible by one incident after another during all these years. UESTC

31. justify — v. give good reasons for / to do (sth.) e.g. • Does the end alwaysjustify the means? • It’s hard to justify making everyone wait for so long. Translate 你怎能为这样对待你的母亲而辩护？ Key How can youjustify yourself for treating your mother like that? UESTC

32. Somehow or other, he made their message sound at least halfway sensible to Americans. somehow or other — in some way; in one way or another • e.g. • Somehow or other, we will get the machine working again. • Don’t keep the secret from him; he will know it somehow or other. More to learn UESTC

33. Somehow or other, he made their message sound at least halfway sensible to Americans. The word halfwayis used as an adverb to mean fairly or reasonably. e.g. • Any halfway decent teacher should be able to explain it. • He halfway surrendered to their demands. UESTC

34. go along with — agree with; accept; support e.g. • She’ll go along with your decision. • We’ll go along with your suggestions, although they’re not exactly what we want. UESTC

35. It worked the other way around, too. Paraphrase the sentence: ? It was also effective with messages from the American management to the Japanese. UESTC

36. ensure — v. make sure, guarantee e.g. • This letter will ensure you an interview. • The door did not lock, but at least it ensured a reasonable amount of privacy. Translate This medicine will ensure you a night’s good sleep. Key 这药可以保证你一夜好睡。 UESTC

37. thanks to — because of; owing to; with the help of • Cf. • due to • — because of • e.g. • It is reported that accidentsdue todriving at high speed have increased a lot. e.g. • Thanks to a cool summer, our electricity bills have been very low. • The play was a great success thanks to the effort and commitment of everyone involved. More to do UESTC

38. Exercises • Vocabulary V. Study the use of “due to” and “thanks to” and then use them to complete the following sentences. 1. The big emotional battles are mainly _____ cultural differences. 2. One company I worked for avoided this entire problem _____ the sensitivity of one of their employees. 《读写教程 II》:Ex. V, p. 65 • due to • thanks to UESTC

39. Exercises • Vocabulary V. Study the use of “due to” and “thanks to” and then use them to complete the following sentences. 3. _____ circumstances beyond our control, the store will be closed for the entire month of August. 4. _____ effort and good will of everyone involved, the Christmas party was a great success. • Due to • Thanks to UESTC

40. Exercises • Vocabulary V. Study the use of “due to” and “thanks to” and then use them to complete the following sentences. 5. All flights have been delayed _____ a thick fog. 6. _____ the public’s generous donations, the earthquake victims were able to rebuild their homes within two months. • due to • thanks to UESTC

41. smooth over — make (problems or difficulties) seem less serious or more pleasant e.g. • Perhaps a gift of flowers will help to smooth your quarrel over. Translate 比尔试图平息和妻子的争吵。 Key Bill tried to smooth over his argument with his wife. UESTC

42. Unit 3 • Exercises Exercises • Comprehension • Vocabulary • Listening UESTC

43. Exercises • Comprehension 《读写教程 II》:Ex. II, p. 64 UESTC

44. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 1. What kinds of “little things” is the author talking about in the first paragraph? Why does she say that “neither side can understand” the conflicts? Key: She’s talking about cultural differences: different ways of doing things in different cultures; different attitudes, traditions, beliefs, etc. she says neither side can understand because people are not usually conscious of their deepest cultural attitudes. UESTC

45. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 2. What were the steps that led to George’s transfer to Japan? Key: The American company George worked for started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and they needed someone to train the Japanese engineers. George was the most highly qualified employee for the position, and he accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan. UESTC

46. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 3. What were the qualities that the Japanese like in George? How did these qualities contribute to his becoming a “cultural translator”? Key: The Japanese liked George’s nonassertive nature, his expertise and his willingness to help; it’s also implied that they liked his efforts to learn Japanese, and that the secretaries liked the fact that he was single. These qualities contributed to his becoming a cultural translator by making the Japanese trust him, feel comfortable with him, and grow accustomed to asking him for all kinds of advice. UESTC

47. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 4. Why did George have to “reinvent himself”? And why was his “reinvention” quickly approved by the company? Key: He had to “reinvent” himself because his expertise as an engineer was no longer needed, but he didn’t want to leave Japan. The company accepted his “reinvention” because they had heard lots of horror stories about cultural conflicts and recognized the value of having someone like George around. UESTC

48. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 5. What does the author mean by saying that “at times something far more important than good English was needed?” Key: The anthor means that the misunderstandings were not always merely linguistic. UESTC

49. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 6. The author gives two examples of situations that George had to “translate” to the American side of the company. What do the examples tell you about Japanese business relationships and values? Key: The examples imply that there is a strong group orientation in Japanese business, that sentiment can be as important as profit and efficiency, and that employees may be valued for something other than their material contribution to the company. The fact that these examples mystified the US side implies that in American business relations, profit and efficiency are considered more important than sentiment, and that American expect logical explanations for decisions, expenditures, etc. UESTC

50. Exercises • Comprehension Answer the following questions: 7. Why did George use the phrase “what they really mean is …” when the American managers visit Japan? Key: Because the words and actions of the American visitors could be misinterpreted by the Japanese: Things that could seem crazy or rude to the Japanese are normal to Americans. UESTC