| Uh, usually at, because now when people work for foreign companies in Taiwan or for Taiwanese companies, they are slowing gaining more opportunities to interact with foreignors. Because they are Taiwanese, they began studying English in middle school. Most people [study it] from middle school until they graduate from university and enter society. This generally means six years of secondary school, plus another four years at university. So most people [have studied] from, most Taiwanese people have studied English for probably 10 years, from [middle] school until they enter the working world. But because this 10 years of education has usually placed more emphasis on read-, has placed more emphasis on reading skills, the result is that most Taiwanese people, in terms of speaking and writing, don’t have much ability to express themselves in English. Therefore, in general, for example, when an American wants to discuss something with a Taiwanese person, usually [the Taiwanese person] will be hoping that the American can speak at least one or two simple phrases in Chinese, to ease their worries [about having to communicate in English]. Now, in fact, Taiwanese can typically hold a simple conversation in English to communicate with Americans. If, right at the beginning, [they] can get the American to, at the start, use one or two simple sentences in Chinese to ease the Taiwanese person’s sense of [having to bear the conversational] burden, I’m certain the meeting will progress much more smoothly.
| 啊，那通常呢在，由于是现在台湾的外商公司呢， 或者是台湾的这个公司里面的从业的时候，跟外国人接触的机会慢慢地多了起来。那由于是台湾人呢，他们是从国中的时候就开始在学习英文。那一般人从国中开始到大学毕业出社会来工作呢，这一般经历的是中学六年的时间，另外再加上大学另外四年的时间，所以一般人呢从，一般台湾人从学校里面学习英文到真正出社会工作呢，学习英文的时间大概是十年。可是因为这十年时间里面的教育呢，通常是比较强调的读跟，比较强调读的能力。那导致于说呢，这个一般台湾人在在说跟写的方面呢，这个英文的表达能力没有那么的好。那所以呢就说，一般的譬如说美国人要跟台湾人讨论的时候，通常是比较希望美国人能够说至少讲一，两句简单的中文，减轻他们心中的忧虑。那其实一般的台湾人他们都能够用简单的英语会话跟美国人沟通。那如果是说能让美国人在一开始的时候呢用一两句简单的中文减轻他们心里上的负担的话呢，那相信会对这个会谈的这个进行会顺利地非常多。 |