首页
登录
职称英语
The discovery that language can be a barrier to communication is quickly made
The discovery that language can be a barrier to communication is quickly made
游客
2023-09-10
48
管理
问题
The discovery that language can be a barrier to communication is quickly made by all who travel, study, govern or sell. Whether the activity is tourism, research, government, policing, business or data dissemination, the lack of a common language can severely impede progress or can halt it altogether.
Although communication problems of this kind must happen thousands of times each day, very few become public knowledge. Publicity comes only when a failure to communicate has major consequences, such as strikes, lost orders, legal problems or fatal accidents--even, at times, war. One reported instance of communication failure took place in 1970, when several Americans ate a species of poisonous mushroom. No remedy was known, and two of the people died within days. A radio report of the case was heard by a chemist who knew of a treatment that had been successfully used in 1959 and published in 1963. Why had the American doctors not heard of it seven years later? Presumably because the report of the treatment had been published only in journals written in European languages other than English.
Several comparable cases have been reported. But isolated examples do not give an impression of the size of the problem--something that can come only from studies of the use or avoidance of foreign-language materials and contacts in different communicative situations. In the English- speaking scientific world, for example, surveys of books and documents consulted in libraries and other information agencies have shown that very little foreign-language material is ever consulted. Library requests in the field of science and technology showed that only 13 percent were for foreign language periodicals.
The language barrier presents itself in stark form to firms who wish to market their products in other countries. British industry, in particular, has in recent decades often been criticized for its linguistic insularity---for its assumption that foreign buyers will be happy to communicate in English, and that awareness of other languages is not therefore s priority. In the 1960s, over two- thirds of British firms dealing with non-English-speaking customers were using English for outgoing correspondence; many had their sales literature only in English; and as many as 40 percent employed no-one able to communicate in the customer’s languages. A similar problem was identified in other English-speaking countries, notably the USA, Australia and New Zealand. And non-English speaking countries were by no means exempt--although the widespread use of English as an alternative language made them less open to the charge of insularity.
The criticism and publicity given to this problem since the 1960s seems to have greatly improved the situation. Industrial training schemes have promoted an increase in linguistic and cultural awareness. Many firms now have their own translation services. Some firms run part-time language courses in the languages of the countries with which they are most involved; some produce their own technical glossaries, to ensure consistency when material is being translated. It is now much more readily appreciated that marketing efforts can be delayed, damaged or disrupted by a failure to take account of the linguistic needs of the customer. [br] What can we infer about American doctors from the case of the poisonous mushrooms?
选项
答案
They probably only read reports written in English.
解析
毒蘑菇事件是作者在第二段关于语言问题导致致命事故所举的例子。第二段最后一句作者讲道“Presumably because the report of the treatment had been published only in journals written in European languages other than English.”,由此我们可以推断美国医生大概很少读用英语以外的语言所写的报道或论著。故答案为“They probably only read reports written in English”。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3001701.html
相关试题推荐
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Livelyargumentcentersaroundeffectofpubliccommunicationonaudiences,
Muchofthelanguageusedtodescribemonetarypolicy,suchas"steeringthe
[originaltext]M:Thinkaboutit,Mary.Throughtelecommunicationinformationtr
[originaltext]M:Thinkaboutit,Mary.Throughtelecommunicationinformationtr
随机试题
TheGuildfordFour,freedlastweekafterspending15yearsinprisonforcri
[audioFiles]2018m4s/audio_ezfj_201804_149[/audioFiles]
Thank-youcards--heartfeltexpressionsofgratitudeforgifts,servicesand
老年男性,近半年来间歇出现无痛性肉眼血尿,偶见尿频、尿急,昨日突然出现排尿困难、
预制涵洞拱圈和盖板,成品混凝土强度达到设计强度的()时,方可搬运安装。A、70
【电气设备及运行维护】1、为什么110kV及以上变压器在停电及送电前必须将中性点
以下机构从业人员中,必须遵守《银行业从业人员职业操守》的不包括()。A.村镇
在影响课程管理的因素中()对课程管理有直接的影响。 A.教师的领导风格 B.
属于双面嵌体的是A:牙合面嵌体 B:颊面嵌体 C:邻牙合邻嵌体 D:邻嵌体
开关安装位置应便于操作,开关距地面高度宜为()mA.0.5m B.1.8
最新回复
(
0
)