Page 253 - Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Communication Competence Language and Communication Problems Practical Solutions

The impact of culture on interpreter behaviour 231

3.2.2. Zero renditions of ‘sensitive’ requests
The day before the end of the visit, the British company was planning to take
the visitors to London for some shopping and sightseeing, and wanted to know
if there was anywhere in particular in London that they would like to visit. The
Chinese visitors, however, wanted to be given their ‘pocket money’ so that
they could use it during the shopping trip. On this and previous occasions,
when the British company signed a contract in China, they would add the cost
of the delegation visit to the contract price, and there was an unofficial under-
standing that any balance remaining at the end of the visit would be given to the
visitors as personal ‘pocket money’. The Chinese wanted to receive this money
now, so that they could spend it in London. They were concerned that they
would have no opportunity to use it if they did not receive it until just before
they left for the airport. However, despite repeated requests by the Chinese
visitors, the interpreter failed to interpret it on each occasion, until Xing (the
researcher who was present) intervened. This is illustrated in the following
extract:

(5) Meeting on the penultimate day of the visit. Int = Interpreter; Res = Re-
searcher
Sajid: could you please ask them is there anything specific that they want to do
in London because obviously we don’t have much time left (gesturing to
look at watch) (.) we must make plans (???)
Int: ta shuo nimen shi bu shi you teshu de yaoqiu zai Lundun [he asked if you
have anything specific to do in London]
Shen: tamen yao ba women de feiyong suan yi suan dei (.) yaoburan mingtian
meiyou shijian le. [they should work out our expenses otherwise there
will be no time for it tomorrow.]
[not interpreted]
Sajid: (???) where do they want to go specifically? to Oxford Street (.) (???)
Int: Lundun de hua tamen bijiao da yidian, Niujin Jie, yitiao shangyejie,
[well, London is a big city. Oxford Street, a shopping street]
Sajid: because we want to make this visit as fruitful as possible for them. (???)
but for now (.) what do they want to do specifically? they want to go to
the Bank of China to change money? can you ask them?
Int: ta de hua jiushishuo Lundun de hua, ye jiu shuo, yao zoulu de hua, cong
zhe bian zou na bian de hua jiu shaowei yuan yidian, zheyang, ni ruguo
xiang zai zhe er jiushishuo yige defang gouwu jiushishuo shi ba, zuo
wan le zhi hou ta keyi kaiche, zai huan yige di’r [in London, that is, if
you walk, from this side to that side, it is a bit far. So if you decide to go
shopping in one place, after you have finished, they can pick you up, and
take you to another place.]
[Chinese visitors discuss among themselves]