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DOI: 10.15862/07FLSK425 (https://doi.org/10.15862/07FLSK425)

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Chistova E.V. [Meditative translation practices in business communication (from Russian into Chinese)] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 4. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/07FLSK425.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/07FLSK425

Meditative translation practices in business communication (from Russian into Chinese)

Chistova Elena Viktorovna
University of World Civilizations named after V.V. Zhirinovsky, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: kovelena82@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4016-7935
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=717002

Abstract. The paper presents a comprehensive study of the interpreter’s role as a mediator within the context of intensively developing Russian-Chinese business relations. It is examined in two distinct formats: direct counselling to prevent conflict situations arising from intercultural disagreements, and the implicit application of mediation practices aimed at compensating for a lack of knowledge about the specifics of negotiating with Chinese partners.

The work provides a detailed analysis of the very concept of «mediation» as applied to interpreting, delineating it from a range of adjacent terms. The theoretical foundation for the proposed practices is comprised of key principles of Chinese communicative culture, rooted in Confucianism: the pursuit of harmony, the preservation of «face» (面子), the aesthetics of speech, and the «vortex-like» discourse type. Based on the analysis of real-life negotiations, the author proposes a concrete toolkit of mediation practices at the linguistic level. These include practices for reducing social distance, mitigating self-presentation, increasing the emotional degree, orienting towards process, as well as softening and balancing discourse for conveying negative information.

The paper raises significant practical questions related to the implementation of mediation-consultative interpreting, including issues of an organizational and financial nature. It is concluded that mediation constitutes a distinct category of interpreting services, demanding from the specialist a profound level of cultural knowledge and transcending basic competencies.

Keywords: translation; mediation; business communication; business interpretation; Chinese language; Chinese culture

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