How To Choose The Right Chinese Interpreter. Tell Me Who Do You Love.
Did a post recently, entitled,"How To Speak Through A Chinese Interpreter," setting out ten things that will improve your speaking through a Chinese interpreter. That post led to a number of comments, including one that really kinda ticked me off. And I almost never get ticked off.
The comment that really bugged me was from "Glen," who had this to say:
Hire professionally-trained interpreters and translators.
Using people from "around the office" for formal translation and interpretation tasks is unprofessional for a law firm or any business. Would you ask Jeff from accounting to fix an electrical problem? No. Hire a professional every time.
I would wager that the interpretation mistakes that your colleagues are hearing in depositions are due to the fact that the interpreter has not been trained professionally. If you use professionals, items 1 through 10 on this list are completely unnecessary.
Glen has it all wrong, but instead of simply getting all up in Glen's face (as was my first inclination), I am going to use his misstatements to expound on how to go about choosing the right interpreter. I do not purport to be an expert in interpretation, having never interpreted much more than a lunch order, but I have done so much through interpreters that I do consider myself expert in selecting them and using them.
And, contrary to what Glen seems to be saying, my method definitely involves a lot more than just pulling someone "around the office."
Glen's argument for always using a professional interpreter is both widely impractical and, at least in some instances, flat our wrong.
I choose the interpreter to suit the situation.
Sometimes the situations involves a potential client coming to my office. There it makes sense to use someone in-house who knows my firm and, most importantly, who I know will make a good impression.
Sometimes the situation requires someone who knows and understands the matter to be discussed. This will almost always again mean someone in-house because that someone will probably have been working on the matter all along. And even if that person has not been working on the matter all along, that person has probably worked on similar matters and, if not, I at least know that person has an excellent understanding of legal issues. Even most good interpreters are not good at all in dealing with complicated legal matters.
Glenn seems to fault me for using bad interpreters at depositions and he conflates that with my having used someone from around my office. I only wish. Without exception, the bad interpreters at depositions have been chosen by the other side in circumstances where I had no say. And the reason I know the interpretations were bad is because for all but the most unimportant deposition, we try to bring along someone from our office (or the client) to monitor the interpreter. We are not allowed to use our own people to interpret at depositions. The same holds true in court.
When it comes to an important, planned gathering of a large number of people, we typically bring in a professional interpreter from outside our firm, but we again bring along our own people to monitor. The reality is that great interpretation is always desirable, but having your own person there who you trust completely and you know will be looking out for your own interests can be essential.
The personality of the interpreter can also be crucial. Many will view you as they view the interpreter and if your interpreter is arrogant and off-putting, do not be surprised if you are seen the same way. Many years ago, I was involved in a big case on Sakhalin Island and I was using interpreters when I landed. All were fine, but at some point, I used one who caused an influx of compliments about my firm and me. It was apparent that everyone (both the Americans and the Russians) really liked this person and were hugely impressed by her professionalism and her language skills. I immediately doubled her wages in return for her promising to drop everything and take on my matter whenever I was in town.
And in China, if you are going to be using an interpreter for contract negotiation, you had better find someone who you not only trust, but also find someone who will not back down when confronted by the Chinese company with which you are negotiating.
Which, for some reason, reminds me of one of my favorite tricks. Try going into a negotiation with someone who the other side would never think speaks their language and never tell the other side that you have that language capability. You might be surprised at what you learn when the other side starts speaking in their language, assuming you do not understand a word of it.
Your interpreter is you, so choose wisely.
How do you choose your interpreter?
http://www.chinalawblog.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/3456
How To Choose The Right Chinese Interpreter. Tell Me Who Do You Love.:
Comments
For your enjoyment, here is a perspective from a translator:
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20050516_1.htm
Different people will have different views in a situation. When you sit down in a room full of people, please think about where they could all be coming from!
Posted by: eswn | February 4, 2010 10:09 AM
You should have called this post "Your Professional Interpreter Don't Know Diddley 'Bout China Law And I Have Friggin Had It."
Posted by: Damjan D | February 4, 2010 10:18 AM
I'm not an interpreter, but I am a translator and have much experience selecting and managing other translators.
I'm going to have to go with Glen on this one. Actually, I didn't take Glen's original comment to be an insult to you, Dan. I thought it was a general helpful statement, although a bit strong. If there is one thing that translators and interpreters complain about amongst themselves it is the fact that others think that people that merely speak the two languages can translate or interpret - they probably can't. I think it is true that a professional wouldn't have problems with any of those 10 points. I think that post would be best renamed to "How to Speak Through a Novice Chinese Interpreter." It is valid advice for those that don't have a professional interpreter available or cannot afford one.
"Would you ask Jeff from accounting to fix an electrical problem? No. Hire a professional every time." - As a translator, when I hear something like this, I think "Yes! Thank you!" The one thing I should add though is that even though "Jeff" isn't trained to fix an electrical problem or interpret for legal matters, he might just have the aptitude and turn into a great electrician or interpreter.
Posted by: Tait | February 4, 2010 10:25 AM
Excellent post Dan. Let me give an example if I may.
You're installing equipment totaling $20 million USD in China on a _tight_ schedule.
You have a 40 year old Chinese interpreter with a Masters in English and Mandarin.
You have a 40 year old Chinese interpreter who speaks about 40 words in English, can read a little (say 8th grade level). He has worked in this environment (installing this type of equipment) on 4 other projects of similar size.
This is basically a no-brainer.
Companies do not hire me to interpret because I am fluent in Chinese, or English for that matter.
They hire me because I can understand their business, I'm "on their side" _and_ I speak and understand Mandarin. I don't have HSK certification, but for 8 years I have had repeat customers asking me to work their meetings and projects.
About Dan's trick. On several occasions a particular client has paid me to just sit in on the meetings without giving a hint of understanding Mandarin. After the meetings I report all of the crosstalk.
Is this devious? Not at all. It's business.
Posted by: theAdmiral | February 4, 2010 11:37 AM
This is an area in which US groups are at a distinct disadvantage, because in most international business situations, there is invariably someone on the other side that understands English.
Also in multilingual situations always assume that someone on the other team is a native speaker of your language, and that they understand every word that you are saying.
The other thing is that interpretation and translation are very, very different skills, and it's possible to be a good translator and a bad interpreter and vice-versa.
Posted by: Twofish | February 4, 2010 12:30 PM
eswn,
Great post. Exactly. The chief determinant, if I might use some U.S.A speak, is "getting the job done."
Posted by: Dan | February 4, 2010 1:43 PM
Damjon,
No. I shouldn't have. I think the world of professional interpreters and translators and I there are some with whom I have worked for at least a decade. I am always saying the good ones are worth their weight in gold and they are.
I do NOT have a beef with professional interpreters and translators. Not at all. I am just saying that there are times where one would be better off using a non-professional who knows the subject matter better and there are times when one would be better off using a non-professional because the cost of the professional outweighs the amount at stake.
Posted by: Dan | February 4, 2010 1:46 PM
Tait,
See my comment above. I pretty much agree with you, but I would not say "every" time.
Posted by: Dan | February 4, 2010 1:47 PM
theAdmiral,
What can I say? As much as I love ALL of our readers, I love those who agree with me even more. Particularly when they go so far as to give a great example to back me up.
Posted by: Dan | February 4, 2010 1:48 PM
TwoFish,
You are absolutely right on the differences between interpreters and translators. Very different skill sets. I also agree with your advice that one should always just assume that everything you say is being understood, no matter the language. For further proof of that, check out theAdmiral's comment above.
Posted by: Dan | February 4, 2010 1:50 PM
Oh snap!
I am glad you called me out on this because it is an important subject that warrants further discussion. Full disclosure: I am a professional translator.
My point is that professional considerations are important in selecting interpreters and translators. Much like law school and the bar exam for lawyers, advanced degrees and certification help ensure that translators and interpreters have the proper training and education to provide quality work. You make a good point that experience with the subject at hand is important, and it most certainly is. I would never suggest someone choose a language professional at random just because they hold an advanced degree. Instead, one must select an interpreter or translator with experience in contract negotiations, medical research or semiconductors, whatever the subject may be.
By the way, love the blog and the variety of topics discussed. Great stuff all around! Feel free to get up in my face as necessary, I can take it!
Best regards,
Glen
Posted by: Glen | February 4, 2010 2:03 PM
ESWN appears and lends his considerable weight to Dan's argument. Roland Soong produces soooo much quality work so consistently... years ago, I used his blog to help bolster and broaden my own Chinese literacy and I now work in the Chinese publishing industry. At any rate, if his post isn't proof enough that a "certified professional translator" isn't always the only option, I cannot imagine what would be.
Posted by: anon this time | February 4, 2010 5:05 PM
To me, preparation is everything. The interpreter needs to see any sales or briefing material in advance. He needs to be familiar with the technology in question. He needs to become familiar with the verbal idiosyncracies of the people he is interpreting for. There is nothing worse than going into a meeting cold, because there are bound to be details that need to be thought out in advance. Some English speakers use a lot of idiomatic phrases or folksy phrases. Read one of LBJs press conferences and you will get the idea. On the Chinese side, I always dreaded the day when I would come up against a speaker whose accent was almost unintelligible. It never happened, fortunately. But there were some close calls. Finally, the English speaker needs to learn how to give his interpreter a chance to speak. Speaking in long windy paragraphs just doesn't work. I never had trouble with the Chinese side, though.
Posted by: Charles Stubin | February 4, 2010 7:01 PM
When it comes to Chinese translation, it is not an easy job. Chinese is not an actual language in itself. The actual spoken languages by the Chinese population worldwide include Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and many other dialects, each unique to each region of continental China. Standard Chinese otherwise known as Mandarin, is the official language of the People’s Republic of China and hence is the most prevalent. But when it comes to specific documents, one would prefer to work with specific dialects especially if the target reach of this document falls within one region. Hence professional translators need to be proficient in the specific dialects as well.
Posted by: chinese language learning software | February 5, 2010 7:20 AM
Completely agree.
Especially about the monitoring part.
And if you find a professional interpreter who does not understand law much, you will have bigger trouble than using someone who is both O.K. in English and law. The thing is, you will prefer to use an ordinary lawyer than an eloquent layman.
When negotiating with a foreign company, I will ask the client to use an interpreter to give us time to think, but always keep in mind that we are the people to make things right.
Posted by: Yang Yuanqing | February 21, 2010 8:31 PM