[Mageia-discuss] Cultural difference: indirect request <---> direct request

Wolfgang Bornath molch.b at googlemail.com
Sun Jul 15 04:41:44 CEST 2012


2012/7/15 Goh Lip <lipg at gmx.com>:
>
> Clever preacher. I too was wondering why when diplomats (who speak good
> English) talk to other diplomats from English-speaking countries, they need
> to speak in their native language and use interpreters; I used to think they
> wanted the extra time (while interpreters do their jobs) to carefully 'word
> out' their responses or/and speak their native language just to demonstrate
> their nations' sovereignty; neither of these reasons seems justifiable.
>

A professional interpreter I know who often works in this field of
high level political talks (for the German government) explained it to
me: it is for both reasons, first giving the politcian the security of
having a professional translation (in case he overheard something),
second to have time to contemplate what the other one is really saying
between the lines and finding the right answer. But he also told me
that the important conversations are often held in private, without
any secretary or interpreter. :)

-- 
wobo


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