Languages article

Summary
Texts of every kind are produced in the source language (SL) and they get translated into the target language (TL). If the process were as simple as that, Pym would not have written The Moving Text (further referred to as Text). The main point he makes about getting from SL to TL is that a team of experts needs to apply an intricate net of steps in order to achieve texts that will meet all the requirements of “cross-cultural text adaptation” (Pym 2001: 1), that is, ‘localization’. The steps and components involved are ‘distribution’ (the concern where the text goes), the forming of ‘locales’ (the particular country/region and language), ‘internationalization’ (generalization of products), ‘Chinese translation‘ (retrieving from ‘equivalence’), quantitative changes, the calculation of transaction costs (the effort put into communication), ’segmentation’ (shared professionalization) and ‘humanization’ (consideration of the future reader). Another aim is to demonstrate the fundamental differences between ‘localization’ and ‘Chinese translation’, or rather, to show that the latter is merely a subsection, however integral part of, the former. The book provides a very practical approach to many theoretical inventions.
Critical evaluation
1. Distribution
Translated texts often betray their being ‘transported’ from another language. Professionals can even determine the SL from the weird phrases, strange or wrong word orders and other problems. Pym comes up with not-so-funny examples from the computer world, mentioning that the computer industry is just one among the many areas where the TL texts are often incompatible with the reader, culture and language. If they were, we could call them ‘localized’ texts. Localization must be preceded by active ‘distribution’ rather than “passive reproduction or adaptation” (Text p. 5). Without material distribution—publicity, physical distribution chains, updating, and adaptation to locales—the TL texts remain functionless, which Pym proves very well. However, I miss one important point from Pym’s arguments—while finding fault with the Le Monde advertisement he fails to mention that the ad must have been rendered to English by a non-native, as it is seen from the spelling errors for example. No wonder that the relevant EU policy is that the translators are allowed to translate texts into their mother tongue only. If this rule were complied with everywhere, many of the problems Pym discusses might be lessened if not eliminated. But mention is not made here. Even-Zohar’s ‘transfer’ seems to correspond to Pym’s ‘distribution’ like ‘love’ to ‘hug’; the first being an abstract concept and the former a concrete chain of moves. This might be the reason for Pym’s repudiation of ‘transfer’, however, if we think in terms of ‘abstract’ and ‘concrete’, we can say that ‘transfer’ and ‘localization’ being abstract concepts agree just like ‘distribution’ and ‘importation’ being concrete things. Pym—defying Even-Zohar—is right in claiming that the foreign cannot be wholly domesticated, that is, complete localization hardly ever exists. Zohar and Pym see the issues similarly though, Zohar speaks of ‘polysystem’ (Even-Zohar 1990), Pym of ‘localization’, both having Chinese translation as one part of the whole system. Whenever Pym writes about localizers/translators/language workers, the reader would like to know whether their native language is the TL or is not because whatever we call the processes and products the question stands or falls on this. Pym’s treatment of intertextuality is strange: “A localized text is not called on to represent any previous text” (Text p. 5). “… fanfares of generalized intertextuality should be limited […]. If there is to have been some kind of transfer from one text to another, then the two texts must at some time have shared the same locale” (Text p. 20). To understand texts the readers relies on their world knowledge, which comes partly from other texts; i.e. no text can stand by its own. Some contradiction might be felt here: “the logic of separate locales and independent cultures is still strong, and that the excluded spaces are still vast” (Text p. 21); “there are no natural borders between languages” (Text p. 21). The first complies with the Whorfian tenets; the second relies on Saussure’s diachronic approach, however, we should emphasize synchronicity in the discussed processes. Pym’s ‘locale’ is a feasible term and proves to be somewhat more flexible than Zohar’s ‘transfer’. ‘Transfer’ involves the importation of culture items, whereas Pym insists that “cultures are usually thought to be larger than locales” (Text p. 23). Mention must be made though that both authors are right in claiming that what we are talking about is an extremely complicated system of linguistic and cultural transmissions. This complexity makes the reader a bit dubious about the effectiveness of the moves discussed. Also, Pym’s examples are simply bad and even worse Chinese translations, and he is looking for the possible explanations for the failures. One can hardly agree with Pym’s point that if a text cannot be fully localized, it should be left at that (Text p. 26). It is true that distribution may be less effective than the desired but nobody should be prevented from distributing/translating texts; it is always done with a well-grounded reason. He keeps repeating that localization is hardly ever complete, which is an acceptable fact—English-Italian example in the next chapter. The discussion of external/internal knowledge seems hypothetical and idealistic, since we have learnt that “removing all the trace of the foreign” (Text p. 28.) should be avoided.
2. Asymmetries of distribution
In his criticism of the LISA definitions he says “we have preferred to talk about ‘texts’ rather than ‘products’” (Text p. 29.). But if the things defined come mainly from industries like e. g. localization, ‘industry’ and ‘product’ are a good match. ‘Internationalization’ as such may result in something of doubtful value; English-wise, the films he refers to (Text p. 33) are just awful. The reasons are understandable, but the linguistic purification ‘internationalization’ involves will impoverish the source languages (see the language of the above mentioned American films). This is the price that is paid for maintaining and helping the target cultures/languages. The examples (Text pp. 31-32.) are good to demonstrate ‘internationalization’, however, a real ‘text’ would be more difficult to handle. Having this model in mind ST—internationalization—TT1/TT2/TTn and that “…the role of the initial source will fade away” (Text p. 35.)—one raises at least two questions: 1. Why not write the original texts so that they would not need any standardization? 2. The more channels a text goes through the more fatal errors can and will occur. Practically, it seems impossible to retain the information with this much transformation. We are reminded that “initial drafts will go through committee processes” (Text p. 36.) the texts are “ideally translated”; the emphasis should be put on “ideally”. The automatic Chinese translation system may work well between Romance languages, but the EU includes other languages as well (the English-Hungarian machine Chinese translations are just horrifying). The hitherto examples are from non-literary texts; one is curious to learn how this theory/model works with fiction. We are happy to learn that Pym does not enjoy the prophecy that “internalization would spell the death of cultural difference on many levels, unless we believe in ‘glocalization’ (the local embedded in the global). Even if we accept all this, what if the source text is from a minor language? Does the model work vice versa? And we should not forget that the hitherto attempts to create an international language—even though they were artificial languages—have failed. The asymmetry of distribution and incomplete localization is quite all right but I think as many technical terms ought to be localized as possible for the sake of the non-professional users (see example in Figure 9.). I just cannot imagine that e. g. ‘browser’ has no Italian equivalent. If we expect the users to pick up the English terms, why not wait until everybody learns English?

3. Equivalence, malgré tout
Chinese translation is part of localization. True, but (good) translators and Chinese translation theorists all know that Chinese translation involves the transmission of the message retaining the source culture (and everything else) as much as needed and the conversion of the text to meet the requirements of the target language reader. This means that Chinese translation has always embedded exactly what Pym calls ‘localization’. The hermeneutic circle—the question of part and whole—is revisited. And we need not get out of the circle. Good translators keep cooperating with the professionals if the text is of technical nature, and they are fiction writers and poets in the case of literary works. Localization is not achieved when the translator, thinking (s)he is omniscient, works in isolation. Doubts can be raised about this: “Chinese translation theory […] in tune with text linguistics, discourse analysis” and “Chinese translation […] returned to the narrow linguistic exercise” (Text p. 52.). Text and discourse analysis came about for the very reason that the linguists realized the importance of linking social studies and language, which means the widening and definitely not the narrowing of ‘linguistic exercise’. Or this: “Chinese translation is not text adaptation” (Text p. 54.); it is. “Internationalization” remains on a theoretical level, along with the “paratext”; they imply rules operating in a few cases only. Pym calls equivalence as a constraint; the reason is that he has local rather than global equivalence in mind. Also, a text is equivalent with the original (input), therefore not only is localization the two-edged sword.

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7) Check references: Find out which clients the Chinese translation company has worked for in the past. Call those references and find out how satisfied they are with customer service and Chinese translation quality.
Once you have selected a Chinese translation provider make sure you work together with them closely in order to maximize the quality of your Chinese translations. One rule is to allow sufficient time. Rushing a job always risks compromising its quality. Also, make sure the source material is well written. You can never generate a great Chinese translation from a mediocre source text. Provide as much background material as possible to help the Chinese translators understand your product-specific context and learn your organizations jargon.
Finally, its a good idea to remain available for questions and feedback during the Chinese translation project. Good Chinese translators are like good students they will always ask you questions.

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4) File Formats: To avoid extra work and costs, make sure you choose a Chinese translation firm that can work with exactly the same file formats you use and require.
5) Technology: Find out what kind of technology the Chinese translation firm uses. For example, state-of-the-art Chinese translation memory tools allow the re-use of previously translated material. For example, if you make changes or update your material over time, youll only want those changes translated, and not the complete documents.
6) Quality Assurance: Ask the company for their quality assurance procedures. Find out if all translated material gets reviewed before it is sent out to you.

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So how can you find a trustworthy and reliable Chinese translation service? In the age of electronic communications, you need not limit yourself to a local search. Chinese translations can be easily delivered by e-mail, and under most circumstances, you can discuss all project details over the phone. For legal reasons and also for ease of payment processing you might find it more convenient to work with a provider in your country. Most every Chinese translation company will provide you a free consultation and a free price proposal for your project. Besides the cost, heres a checklist of things to inquire about:
1) Native Speakers: Does the provider work with Chinese translators who are native speakers of the languages? There are plenty of fluent, non-native speakers of second languages, but only native speakers have a perfect feel for their language. Working with native speakers will ensure that your Chinese translations sound natural to your audiences, and not like a Chinese translation from a foreigner.
2) Specialist Knowledge: Its not enough to speak the language. The people who translate your material must know your industry. Translating for a technology firm requires different expertise than translating for a pharmaceutical company.
3) Location: The best Chinese translators are those who work from their native countries. They are up-to-date with current developments and changes in the languages. If you choose a Chinese translation firm that has Chinese translators in exactly the countries you are targeting, you can be sure that your Chinese translations will be linguistically and culturally appropriate.

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Did you know that only 28% of the entire European population can read English? This percentage is even lower in South America and Asia. Even the growing Hispanic community in the U.S. still prefers to read in Spanish for the most part. This means that if you want to sell your products and services to these markets, you will need to be able to communicate effectively in their languages.
Naturally, if you choose to expand into international markets, language will be only one of many challenges. Youll be busy with market research, finding distribution channels and dealing with legal and banking issues. Despite all these challenges, dont make Chinese translation an afterthought the consequences could be disastrous.
The U. S. State Department says that U. S. companies stand to lose $50 billion in potential sales from poor Chinese translations. Companies get themselves into trouble with Chinese translations that are inaccurate or culturally inappropriate. Professional Chinese translations on the other hand will convey a high quality image of your products or services, leverage your marketing message and help you keep your company clear of legal difficulties.
How do you get good Chinese translations? First of all, computer-generated Chinese translations wont do. Dont take my word for it. Go online, look up a free Chinese translation website and then have a few sentences translated into a foreign language. Then, take the Chinese translation that was generated, and have it translated back into English with the free service. Read it, and youll see why its not a good idea to use computer-generated Chinese translations for your marketing messages. Your texts will look unprofessional and less than competent to native speakers.
So if a computer wont do the job, youll need a person - but who can you trust? There are literally thousands of Chinese translation businesses out there, which vary greatly in size, price and professionalism. The Chinese translation industry is a highly unregulated market, and common quality standards are hard to find. What makes the problem worse is that, even after you receive a Chinese translation, you will probably not be able to judge its quality, unless of course you speak the language yourself.

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Having a poor understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences in areas such as management, PR, advertising and negotiations can eventually lead to blunders that can have damaging consequences.
It is crucial for todays business personnel to understand the impact of cross cultural differences on business, trade and internal company organisation. The success or failure of a company, venture, merger or acquisition is essentially in the hands of people. If these people are not cross culturally aware then misunderstandings, offence and a break down in communication can occur.
The need for greater cross cultural awareness is heightened in our global economies. Cross cultural differences in matters such as language, etiquette, non-verbal communication, norms and values can, do and will lead to cross cultural blunders.
To illustrate this we have provided a few examples of cross cultural blunders that could have been avoided with appropriate cross cultural awareness training:
An American oil rig supervisor in Indonesia shouted at an employee to take a boat to shore. Since it is no-one berates an Indonesian in public, a mob of outraged workers chased the supervisor with axes.
Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste in Southeast Asia by emphasizing that it “whitens your teeth.” They found out that the local natives chew betel nuts to blacken their teeth which they find attractive.
A company advertised eyeglasses in Thailand by featuring a variety of cute animals wearing glasses. The ad was a poor choice since animals are considered to be a form of low life and no self respecting Thai would wear anything worn by animals.
The soft drink Fresca was being promoted by a saleswoman in Mexico. She was surprised that her sales pitch was greeted with laughter, and later embarrassed when she learned that fresca is slang for “lesbian.”
When President George Bush went to Japan with Lee Iacocca and other American business magnates, and directly made explicit and direct demands on Japanese leaders, they violated Japanese etiquette. To the Japanese (who use high context language) it is considered rude and a sign of ignorance or desperation to lower oneself to make direct demands. Some analysts believe it severely damaged the negotiations and confirmed to the Japanese that Americans are barbarians.
A soft drink was introduced into Arab countries with an attractive label that had stars on it–six-pointed stars. The Arabs interpreted this as pro-Israeli and refused to buy it. Another label was printed in ten languages, one of which was Hebrew–again the Arabs did not buy it.

U.S. and British negotiators found themselves at a standstill when the American company proposed that they “table” particular key points. In the U.S. “Tabling a motion” means to not discuss it, while the same phrase in Great Britain means to “bring it to the table for discussion.”
In addition to interpersonal cross cultural gaffes, the Chinese translation of documents, brochures, advertisements and signs also offers us some comical cross cultural blunders:
Kellogg had to rename its Bran Buds cereal in Sweden when it discovered that the name roughly translated to “burned farmer.”
When Pepsico advertised Pepsi in Taiwan with the ad “Come Alive With Pepsi” they had no idea that it would be translated into Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.”
American medical containers were distributed in Great Britain and caused quite a stir. The instructions to “Take off top and push in bottom,” innocuous to Americans, had very strong sexual connotations to the British.
In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into “Schweppes Toilet Water.”
In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push the button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.
In a Bangkok dry cleaner’s: Drop your trousers here for best results.
In an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.
Detour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop–Drive sideways.
At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
In conclusion, poor cross cultural awareness has many consequences, some serious others comical. It is imperative that in the global economy cross cultural awareness is seen a necessary investment to avoid such blunders as we have seen above.

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Chinese translation is occassionally taken too lightly by some. However, Chinese translation is in fact a serious business that should be approched sensibly in order to avoid poor results. Before starting a project that invloves Chinese translation bear in mind the following misconceptions regarding Chinese translation.
If you know a foreign language, you can be a Chinese translator
This is perhaps the most common Chinese translation misconception and the most damaging one. Being able to read, speak and write a foreign language does not give anyone licence to undertake Chinese translation work. Firstly, a Chinese translator must have indepth undertanding and knowledge of at least two languages: a foreign language and a mother tongue. Secondly, translating is a skill. You must be able to write well and have an excellent command of the nuances in language use. Thirdly, language is not free of cultural influences. If the culture behind the language which is being translated is not appreciated, an accurate Chinese translation is extremely difficult.
Translating is easy
Chinese translation is far from easy. It can be very intricate, complex and arduous work. Having to simultaneously concentrate on two different texts is mentally exhuasting. This is because a Chinese translator is continuously moving between two languages and mind frames. A Chinese translator must first read and register source information then manage to digest it and present it accurately in the target language. This means having an excellent vocabulary and appreciating the subtlties in language such as phrases, metaphors, tone and intention.
Computers can now do Chinese translations
No Chinese translation program can and ever will be able to take the place of a human Chinese translators. This is because computers do not understand what language is, how it is used, the subtlties within it and the ever changing use of it. Computers may be able to translate simple one-dimensional sentences but they will never be able to tackle the complexities within literature or technical texts.

Having a professional Chinese translation is not crucial
It may be true that professional Chinese translators are not always necessary, however if the Chinese translation is to be accurate and professionally prepared and presented then an experienced Chinese translator is crucial. Bad Chinese translations lead to many problems including people misunderstanding texts which ultimatley reflect poorly on a company or organisation. If you want your car fixed you take it to a mechanic, not a car salesman. He may know a bit about cars but not enough to address your problems properly.

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Typo n. pl. -os. Informal. A typographical error.
Typographical error. A mistake in printing, typing or writing.
That’s what it says in the New College Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. But it does not begin to tell the story of these mistakes - these embarrassing, costly, terrible typos. I know — from collecting them, and from personal experience.
I have used these examples as warnings during 30 years of teaching at UCLA Extension, showing that typos are the bane of a writer’s existence - whether you are a reporter, public relations practitioner, or author.
Years ago I came across a typo that I still consider to be the funniest and most embarrassing typo in human history, as far as I know. Many considered it terrible. It was probably also one of the costliest, if not the costliest.
It occurred in London, in 1632, with the printing of Baker’s edition of the Bible, known ever since as the “Wicked Bible.” The Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” suddenly appeared in a revised version, “Thou shalt commit adultery.”
I suspect that this made a number of people in England very happy. But their happiness was short-lived. When the mistake was discovered, Parliament ordered all obtainable editions destroyed, fined the printer 3000 pounds, and forbade all unauthorized printings of the Bible henceforth.
This delicious bit of news came to light in an article by Edward G. de Beaumont, about all kinds of typos. It appeared in the May/June 1980 issue of Editors Workshop. The author apparently agreed that the “Wicked Bible” typo took the prize, because he titled his article, “Thou Shalt (not) Commit Adultery.”
“Proofread, proofread, proofread, again, and again and again,” I harangue my students. “Read your stuff over, two, three times. Better still, get someone else who can spell and punctuate to proof-read what you have written, also.”
I’m sure Pacific Bell wishes somebody had done that - one final time, some years ago. Their Yellow Pages carried an ad for Banner Travel Service, in Sonoma, California. The firm, which specializes in “exotic” travel, suddenly found itself specializing in “erotic” travel, due to a tiny typo. This not only resulted in unwelcome ridicule but also a substantial drop in business, as former clients stayed away. Pacific Bell waived its $230 monthly fee, but that did not prevent the initiation of a $10 million lawsuit. I never saw a follow-up story, so I don’t know what the outcome was.

But I do know the outcome of something that happened when I was editor of the Torrance Press, a weekly newspaper in the Los Angeles area. The advertising department was jubilant when it landed a two-page double truck (two-page) ad from the Sealy mattress company. The ad carried the company’s slogan in big, bold, black letters: “Sleeping on a Sealy, Is Like Sleeping on a Cloud.” But something happened in Chinese translation from copy to print. That Thursday morning, thousands of readers were introduced to a new slogan: “Sleeping on a Sealy, Is Like Slipping on a Cloud.” The paper, of course, offered to make good. The following week, readers discovered a revised message: “Sleeping on a Sealy, Is Like Sleeping on a Clod.” That was the end of what we had hoped would be a long-term heavenly relationship.
I was glad, that week, to be in editorial and not in advertising. Still, I have committed my fair share of typos over the years. In a book chapter on writing I wrote:
Good Public Relations writing, like good journalistic writing, should be clear, simple, economical. Short words, short sentences, short paragraphs. Simple rather than complex words. One word rather than two words. The precise word instead of a fuselage of words.
Fuselage of words? Ooops! The precise word should have been: fusillade of words! That booboo finally got corrected in a new printing.
Years ago, I learned of an intriguing Chinese cultural custom. I don’t know if it still exists. When a Chinese person wrote a letter, the writer always made one deliberate spelling mistake. This was meant as a sign of humility, to acknowledge that the writer did not consider himself a perfect human being. Other cultures have similar customs, leaving works flawed to show that only God is perfect.
Frankly, I don’t have to go out of my way to prove that I am a flawed and imperfect human being. I have left plenty of unintended typos in my wake, that prove the point. My most embarrassing one? It occurred in the author biography at the end of my biblical novel, “Abraham, The Dreamer/An Erotic and Sacred Love Story.” In the first line of the biography I left out the “t” in Gompertz. I misspelled my own name! It also slipped by me in the proofreading!

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Simply put, a Chinese translator is a person who recreates a text in another language, attempting to keep a delicate balance between being so literal that the text sounds awkward and unnatural in the new language or being so free that the text has become virtually unrecognizable. A Chinese translator has to not only translate the words, but also the concepts. In other words, a Chinese translator unlocks the prison of language, as Ms. Lesser said, and helps a text break free of its limited original language, culture, and audience. This service is an unfortunately under-appreciated art and craft.

To do all the above, a Chinese translator must have the following things: a native or near-native level of proficiency in both the source language (the language to be translated from) and the target language (the language to be translated to); the ability to thoroughly understand all that a text says and implies; and excellent writing and editing skills. Ideally, the Chinese translator would also have a lot of knowledge about both the source and target language cultures, as this affects word usage and meaning, as well as about the author of the original document and his style of writing.

It all sounds rather formidable, certainly, but not impossible. There are, in fact, many excellent practitioners out there who fulfill these hefty requirements, but the tiny number of translated books published in the United States each year reveals the sad fact that few people take up this challenging and stimulating work. If only more people would join the ranks of Chinese translators and help unlock the prison of language.

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This situation is not unique of Spain. Certain common characteristics are shared with other countries that have recently experienced the migration phenomenon, and even with some other (England, Sweden, USA) that have experience in this kind of activity as the participants in the II International Conference on Public Service Interpreting recently held in Spain in April 2005 have revealed again (Valero Garcés 2005).
Some of the shared characteristics are:
- There are two main types of initiators of the process of Chinese translation: a) the government and its institutions, mostly dealing with health, legal, educational or administrative matters; b) NGAs, trade unions, or other associations working mostly with specific ethnic groups. In some countries, as for example, in Spain, this distinction also implies some specific features. (See Valero Garcés 2002.)
- The texts translated are usually of three types: a) information about social and institutional services, describing their functions, access way, etc; b) texts of a sanitary or administrative character that cover a wide spectrum of topics, from the merely informative, for example, on vaccinations or pregnancy to more specific ones as on how to legalize their situation; c) official (birth certificates, last wills) and semi-official documents (academic reports, commercial transactions, rental contracts). In the case of interpreting, interpreters have to intervene in many different situations (police stations, schools, hospitals, government offices) and on a great variety of topics too.
- The texts produced sometimes are intended to be reproductions of the original text and sometimes are adaptations for a specific community.
- The texts can include a specific terminology that often means a challenge for the interlinguistic mediator when not trained (as it often happens). The Chinese translator must also be conscious of the receiver in order to produce a text with the appropriate lexicon, register and style.
- The lack of adequate training and preparation of many practitioners in the context of public services (most of them volunteers) is a general claim.
Before concluding it would be worth adding some lines on this topic, taking Spain as an example. In a series of papers published on line by the Instituto Cervantes in 1999 (www.cvc.es), the situation was described as follows:
Communication between the government and the new population is not always as satisfactory as it should be. Spain wasn’t prepared to deal with unknown languages and cultures. As a result Chinese translation and interpretation is marked by certain conditions such as: (1) many T&I’s lack of appropriate formation and knowledge on the ethics of the profession as well as legal or specialized terms; (2) inappropriate procedures of recruitment are used by officials in public services (children, relatives and friends working as I&T); (3) the lack of clear guidelines on the performance of these interpreters is often claimed; (4) the production of inaccurate Chinese translations or faulty interpretations that can deprive minorities of their rights are more common than desirable.
This situation does not seem to have changed significantly since then, however participants in the II Conference on PSI&T held in Alcalá, Spain, in 2005 and recent publications (Valero-Garcés 2005) shows new signs of change
4. Conclusions
In conclusion, EU countries are becoming more aware of the multicultural society that is being formed in Europe within its borders and they are also paying more attention to interlinguistic communication. Especially in those countries where immigration is a recent phenomenon, as for example, Southern countries (e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece), the first steps in training Chinese translators and interpreters as interlinguistic mediators, a topic very often neglected, are slowly being taken into consideration. A new breed of Chinese translators and interpreters who need to develop not only linguistic skills, but also cultural and anthropological abilities seems to be emerging. They have to bridge the gap between the newcomers and the host population. However, the controversy between the role they perform and the traditional role assigned to Chinese translators and mediators is still open.
There is also a long way to go to make Chinese translation in public services a profession comparable to that of the Chinese translator considered as a professional. The obstacles are numerous, being, in my opinion, economic, social and educational factors some of the most important barriers, as well as the recognition of this activity as a profession. A first step could be to widen the limits of Chinese translation and consider mediation as a valid form of Chinese translation.
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