A language represents a whole culture and culture can not be explained enough without its relevant language. Both are interlinked and represent each other. With the languages, cultures also vary as the region changes and boundaries meet another border. Chinese, the world’s most spoken and ancient Asian language, has a rich historical background and a diverse culture affiliated with it. English, another giant language coming from Germanic roots, has a different set of cultures to represent. The cultures of East and West hence are poles apart which is also reflected in the language and its translation. Cultural appropriateness is an important factor in language translation, and when it is about business expansion, things get crucial. A translation that does not take into account cultural appropriateness can offend and spark controversies among the target audiences.
Culture, language, and translation
Language is a social phenomenon. People of different regions use their language to communicate and interact in their daily lives. The work ethic and practices are quite strong in different countries. Let’s take the example of China and an English-speaking country like America. If a Chinese business has to interact with an American counterpart, they will have to face multiple challenges due to cultural differences. These differences can be among communication styles, business etiquette, and more. Therefore, a Chinese company can’t ignore cultural aspects when working on Chinese to English translation services for their successful entry into the American market.
Business hierarchy
The business norms in Western countries include the practices and emphasis on individual actions. All the people in an organization in the West motivate the employees to go forward and raise their voices when needed with a strong opinion. They encourage the fostering of a diverse environment with a pool of different opinions and creativity. However, when we compare this with Chinese cultural norms, we get to know that Chinese businesses are more into business hierarchy. A junior employee does not get to reach senior executives without going through the proper route.
Priority in relationships
Likewise, when it comes to business collaborations and relationships, people in Western culture have a greater focus on contractual agreements and legal frameworks. The Chinese people on the other hand believe in building strong relationships.
Analytical over comprehensive thinking
Languages very rightly reflect the way people behave, react, and conceive ideas as well as their thinking. As English and Chinese both come from different language families, their differences and the grammar composition are evident. This difference is quite obvious in the lexical and the other differences that they carry in their thinking and business world (which is already the topic of this discussion). Chinese people have a perceptual way of thinking. Whereas people in English-speaking countries are more into analytical thinking, often making their calculations real quick.
Gender diversity
Western people have excelled in gender diversity since the very start. They work with gender equality and there is rarely any discrimination. They have empowered the different genders in the leadership role as well as in the corporate sector. The fields of science and medicine are also having many greater names. On the contrary, when we look at China the leadership roles particularly are restricted to males with an overall male-dominated society. Moreover, it won’t be wrong to say that they have learned a lot of positive traits from other countries and regions, and women have been lately excelling in different walks of life in the region. Knowing this can contribute to bringing better accuracy in the translation.
Business entertainment
Translating your business content from Chinese to English can also get better when you have a clear idea of the business entertainment practices in the west. People in the West believe in being straightforward and to the point. People find great pleasure in enjoying themselves with their colleagues, business associates, and friends over a few drinks and if they are in a sporty mood they go for golf. However, this is not the case with Chinese after-work business entertainment culture. The knowledge of the Chinese business norms in advance can complicate the overall process of expansion. Moreover, make sure that you take a local and professional translation services company on board so that they know the business norms, language, and nuances when working on your corporate translations.
Conclusion
A language talks about a certain culture. Chinese and English are both the world’s most popular and most spoken languages. The business expansions between both countries are a common practice now, for which translation plays an important role. Going through the cultural overview of the target audiences can make things better to start with. The Chinese businesses should ensure they are well aware of the business norms in the West before they plan to tap it.
