DPP criticizes Ma over interview in ‘Washington Post’

This article is fairly trite, but the part that stuck was me was in the second paragraph:

Why would Ma do this interview in Chinese? I’m pretty sure the guy’s English is better than mine, so why not speak English to an English news paper?

Do French politicians use a French translator when doing an interview in America?

T

Because he is gaffe prone when speaking in English and has said a few things in the past off-message. This is just a way of ensuring quality control.

this

the linguistic hopscotch needed to keep his answers in line with the R.O.C.'s unique status would be challenging for even a native speaker.

I don’t blame him one iota.

[quote=“achdizzy1099”]This article is fairly trite, but the part that stuck was me was in the second paragraph:[quote]In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday conducted in Mandarin through a government translator, Ma said his requirement that government officials refer …[/quote]Why would Ma do this interview in Chinese? I’m pretty sure the guy’s English is better than mine, so why not speak English to an English news paper?
Do French politicians use a French translator when doing an interview in America? T[/quote]Arch -
President Mas’ english is excellent. He is well versed in subtlety as well as innuendo when expressing himself in english. This comment is not based on rumor or 2nd hand gossip.

He reasoning for using mandarin in this interview, IMO, is based on his knowledge that it, the interview, was designed for an eventual Asian audience consumption.

As to your question regarding the French - Yes, this is not an unknown technique.

Ma regularly must clarify points when conducting interviews in English as this article shows:
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 03486170/2

The last controversy was in Oct 2010. Criticism was widespread.

[quote]The Presidential Office yesterday said Ma would weigh several factors before deciding whether to answer questions in English or Mandarin during interviews.

Lo said the office would “seriously consider” the suggestions and criticism by various media following the controversy.

The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday said Ma should ask himself why his -explanations on his cross-strait policies are constantly “misunderstood and distorted” by foreign media.

The China Times asked why Ma insisted on answering questions in English in interviews with foreign media. The report said no one doubted Ma’s English abilities, as he once served as English interpreter for late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國). However, given the importance and sensitivity of cross-strait issues, Ma should consider either giving interviews to foreign media in Chinese or preparing his answers in English beforehand.

“The president will take the questions and the nature of the media organization, as well as their needs, into consideration before he decides whether to answer in English or Mandarin,” Lo said.[/quote]

Draw what conclusions you like about why the latest interview was in Chinese. :laughing:

[quote=“Mucha Man”]Ma regularly must clarify points when conducting interviews in English as this article shows:
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 03486170/2

The last controversy was in Oct 2010. Criticism was widespread.

[quote]The Presidential Office yesterday said Ma would weigh several factors before deciding whether to answer questions in English or Mandarin during interviews.

Lo said the office would “seriously consider” the suggestions and criticism by various media following the controversy.

The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday said Ma should ask himself why his -explanations on his cross-strait policies are constantly “misunderstood and distorted” by foreign media.

The China Times asked why Ma insisted on answering questions in English in interviews with foreign media. The report said no one doubted Ma’s English abilities, as he once served as English interpreter for late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國). However, given the importance and sensitivity of cross-strait issues, Ma should consider either giving interviews to foreign media in Chinese or preparing his answers in English beforehand.

“The president will take the questions and the nature of the media organization, as well as their needs, into consideration before he decides whether to answer in English or Mandarin,” Lo said.[/quote]

Draw what conclusions you like about why the latest interview was in Chinese. :laughing:[/quote]

Awesome response. It seemed odd to me that they specified the language used in the interview.

T

Conducting the interview in Chinese gives Ma time to think about and assemble his answer. Sources told me that the translator’s English was not as good as needed and Ma had to correct him in a couple of cases.

Did you read this already: Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou: Many inconsistencies on China and arms sales

I didn’t, now I have.
What do you think? This just sounds like some DPP rhetoric to me. The reason for so many diplomats to abondon the ROC for the PRC in the past 20 years is the same for why Ma has beem sidling up to Hu over the past two; money. The last offshore island nation to spit in the face of their mainland superpower was Cuba…how are they doing’?

Bob Dylan comes to the Taipei Arena in April. You should go. Maybe he’ll play his 1964 hit, “The Times They Are-a Changin’”.

T

I think not entirely. I can still remember that the KMT was always against F16 sales and now he want’s them himself. A little contradictory. When he believes, that the CCP gives so much future (while 1300 missiles are aimed at Taiwan) why does he needs such strong defense? Aren’t they working on peaceful relations? Still both are aiming at each other.

The sovereign state matter could indeed be green. But also here one has to think of which is more realistic:

  1. A state according to a Utopian constitution including several states which have states already on their own.
  2. A state ignoring it’s out-of-date constitution and consisting of just what it rules.

But the second point can go too off topic. Please be careful in responding :wink:

While Taiwan’s high government officials have always been expected to speak English when required, it was a well established convention that the President would always use Mandarin for communicating with foreigners on official matters. Since he can speak English very well, Ma has sometimes departed from that convention, but I do not doubt that that has been frowned upon by some senior officials in MOFA and elsewhere, and he has probably been urged to desist from doing so when talking about the most sensitive matters, especially cross-strait relations.

That’s what I’ve heard too.

Speaking of translation, when is the WTO getting its copy of ECFA in English? Is this a political thing? or is the delay due to the bureaucratic slows…

That’s what I’ve heard too.

Speaking of translation, when is the WTO getting its copy of ECFA in English? Is this a political thing? or is the delay due to the bureaucratic slows…[/quote]

Of course it is a political thing. You think this government actually regards the agreement as being between two sovereign states??? :roflmao:

I don’t know what’s happening with that. When the agreement was signed, the MAC immediately sent it to me for translation, as per SOP for previous cross-strait agreements. A couple of hours later, I was asked to put it on hold, and that was the last I heard about it.

I’ve translated summaries and explanations of its content for the MAC, but the actual text of the agreement is apparently considered so sensitive that it will have to be produced by a committee of experts, with long, careful deliberation and input from many different quarters.

I don’t quite get all this talk about Ma’s English being great. Based on the spoken English I’ve heard produced by him in the past, I’d rate the guy at about IELTS band 7. That’s fine for plenty of purposes, but certainly not good enough when one is on the hot seat talking about highly sensitive issues. I think it rather prudent of him to do these sorts of interviews in Chinese.

The guy has Two law degrees from NYU and Harvard. I think he’s got English down just fine.

There is little correlation between number of degrees at US universities and English competency. Some, but not tight. There might be more correlation between family wealth and number of fancy degrees.

I don’t know what’s happening with that. When the agreement was signed, the MAC immediately sent it to me for translation, as per SOP for previous cross-strait agreements. A couple of hours later, I was asked to put it on hold, and that was the last I heard about it. [/quote]

That’s kinda what I thought, that you’d be asked.

Interesting. Thanks.

The MOEA, which took responsibility for translating ECFA, actually posted a pretty good translation of it on the internet. It can be seen here on the ECFA website.

As regards the delay in submitting an English version to the WTO, the Bureau of Foreign Trade yesterday posted the following explanation of the current situation on the ECFA website:

Was this a Kanye West quote? It sounds that stupid.

Here’s a vid for those who’ve never seen him speak.

I like his bit about learning to swim. 70% of the world is instant death if you can’t swim!