Analysis Of Interpreting In International Business Negotiation Based On Face Theory

Accompanying the advancement of reform and opening in China and the rapid developmentof economic globalization, international trade and economic cooperation have witnessed a boom,which influences the process of the world economy significantly. With the acceleration ofinternational trade, business interpreting is undoubtedly now playing a more and more vital rolethan ever before, in both China and elsewhere. Business negotiation, as indispensable activitiesfor promoting international trade, is a necessary means to realize cooperation and a win-winresult between different countries. Since different countries differs greatly in history, values andbusiness rules, negotiation interpreting influences the smoothness of negotiation to a great extentas a crucial means to achieve business cooperation for both parties, facing with enormouschallenges. Interpreters, acting as the message-transmitters, active facilitators of the negotiationprocess as well as the communicators easing conflicts, often play important roles in internationalbusiness negotiation. It puts a higher demand on interpreters ’ sufficient comprehensiveknowledge on cross-cultural factors and acquisition of essential interpreting principles. Theymust try their best to play an active role in saving both parties’ faces, using various strategies soas to successfully advance the negotiation progress and promote the best result of negotiation.As is known, different countries have unique cultures different from other countries. As animportant aspect of culture, face consideration influences significantly in it. In the course ofnegotiation, it often occurs communicating obstacles triggered by the different perspectives andunderstanding of face issues, even affecting the smooth process of negotiation. It is a questionthat needs to be resolved for the interpreters about how to promote cross-cultural businessnegotiations better. When we look into the researches on negotiation interpreting at home andabroad, we may find out that most of them have paid concentration on the aspect of skills. Thisthesis focuses on discussing how the interpreters make up mistakes and relieve the atmosphere inbusiness negotiation so as to achieve the communicative purpose to the largest extent.To demonstrate the face theory is the significant guide in interpreting of internationalbusiness negotiation, the thesis firstly summarizes previous theoretical researches on face theoryand detailedly discussing contents of it especially the face-saving theory proposed by Brown&Levinson which forms the main theoretical framework of this thesis. Then the author demonstrates relevant researches on international business negotiation interpreting as well as theessential principles that interpreters should observe. Following that, the author spends s fairamount of ink on the application of the face theory in IIBN and corresponding strategies forinterpreters with practical cases study. The conclusion part makes a summarization of the wholethesis, once again emphasizing that interpreters should abide face theory and employ strategiesto promote the smooth process of negotiations.It can be concluded from the analysis that the interpreters’ consideration of face theory andthe application of politeness strategies have a great influence on the process and result of thenegotiation. Regardless of face theory, literal interpreting may obstruct the involved parties’accurate comprehension, which may directly affect the outcome of negotiation. Therefore,interpreters should pay attention to pragmatic factor as well as interpreting skills and take theapplication and influence of face theory seriously. Interpreters are supposed to help release thetense atmosphere through corresponding strategies to promote the process of negotiation.