43: Jin Wu - Courtesy - Talking Business vs. Socializing
China, Xian, Shaanxi
Well, if I have a friend and let’s say he invites me out to dinner, and we just happen to have some certain matter to discuss at the time. Whether or not we talk about it at dinner, I feel, must be decided according the importance and seriousness of the matter. If it isn’t something overly serious in the first place then we could talk about it over dinner…that’s no problem. Or if the issue is of great importance and, for example, may involve a lot of people or involve a lot of clauses to a contract, then I feel that in a purely social setting, it would not be inappropriate to discuss. However, discussing overly serious things at the dinner table…very formal issues…I don’t feel that this is appropriate. Let’s say you establish a very appropriate personal relationship over dinner. After that, once you’re on good terms you can bring this harmonious relationship into the business and into discussions. I feel that this is a good thing.嗯,如果就是有个朋友,如果说邀请我一起吃饭的话,而且如果我们刚好有一个事情要谈的话,我觉得根据这个,就是事情的这个重要程度,还有这个严肃程度。如果说这个事情本身不是很严肃的话,就是说,可以在嗯,就吃饭的时候聊,没有问题。如果说,这个本身,这个事情本身是个很重大的事情,比如说,牵扯到很多人,或者牵扯到很多条款的很重要的事情,我觉得就是说,这个就是一个纯粹的一个social的时间比较合适。如果说,太、就(是)说在饭桌上面谈论过于严肃跟,就是很正式的话题,我觉得是不太合适的。就是说在嗯,吃饭的时候建立,嗯,很恰当的私人关系。然后,当这种关系很、很融洽的时候,然后再带到商务或者洽谈中,我觉得是比较好的。
嗯,如果就是有個朋友,如果說邀請我一起吃飯的話,而且如果我們剛好有一個事情要談的話,我覺得根據這個,就是事情的這個重要程度,還有這個嚴肅程度。如果說這個事情本身不是很嚴肅的話,就是說,可以在嗯,就吃飯的時候聊,沒有問題。如果說,這個本身,這個事情本身是個很重大的事情,比如說,牽扯到很多人,或者牽扯到很多條款的很重要的事情,我覺得就是說,這個就是一個純粹的一個social的時間比較合適。如果說,太、就(是)說在飯桌上面談論過於嚴肅跟,就是很正式的話題,我覺得是不太合適的。就是說在嗯,吃飯的時候建立,嗯,很恰當的私人關係。然後,當這種關係很、很融洽的時候,然後再帶到商務或者洽談中,我覺得是比較好的。N, rúguǒ jiùshì yǒuge péngyou, rúguǒ shuō yāoqǐng wǒ yìqǐ chīfàn dehuà, érqiě rúguǒ wǒmen gānghǎo yǒu yígè shìqing yào tán de huà, wǒ juéde gēnjù zhègè, jiùshi shìqing de zhège zhòngyào chéngdù, hái yǒu zhège yánsù chéngdù. Rúguǒ shuō zhège shìqing běnshēn bú shì hěn yánsù de huà, jiùshìshuō, kěyǐ zài n, jiù chīfàn de shíhou liáo, méiyǒu wèntí. Rúguǒshuō, zhège běnshēn, zhègè shìqing běnshēn shìge hěn zhòngdà de shìqing, bǐrúshuō, qiānchě dào hěn duō rén, huòzhě qiānchě dào hěn duō tiáokuǎn de hěn zhòngyào de shìqing, wǒ juéde jiùshìshuō, zhège jiùshì yíge chúncuì de yíge social de shíjiān bǐjiào héshì. Rúguǒshuō, tài, jiù(shi)shuō zài fànzhuō shàngmian tánlùn guòyú yánsù gēn, jiùshi hěn zhèngshì de huàtí, wǒ juéde shi bú tài héshì de. Jiùshì shuō zài n, chīfàn de shíhou jiànlì, n, hěn qiàdàng de sīrén guānxì. Ránhòu, dāng zhèzhǒng guānxì hěn, hěn róngqià de shíhou, ránhòu zài dàidao shāngwù huòzhě qiàtánzhōng, wǒ juéde shì bǐjiào hǎode.

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View original Cultural Interviews with Chinese-Speaking Professionals from University of Texas at Austin.