VOA慢速英语:Business English Speakers Can Still Be Divided by a Common Language

Business is the most popular subject for international students in the United States. At last count, twenty-one percent of foreign students at American colleges and universities were studying business and management.
商务专业是最受美国国际学生喜爱的专业。在最近的一次统计中，美国高校21%的国际学生学习的是商务与管理。

The Institute of International Education in New York says engineering is the second most popular field, in case you were wondering.
位于纽约的国际教育研究所表示，工程是第2大热门领域，如果你想知道的话。

Thomas Cosse is a professor of marketing and business at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He says international students who want to study business need to have good English skills -- and not just to study at his school.
Thomas Cosse是弗吉尼亚州里士满大学营销与商务专业的教授。他说，想要学习商务专业的国际学生必须有良好的英语能力—不只是为了在这学校学习。

THOMAS COSSÉ: "At least among business schools, more and more worldwide are requiring that their students take English, and they are teaching more in English."
THOMAS COSSe：“至少在商学院中，全球越来越多的商学院要求他们的学生学习英语，而他们也越来越多的使用英语教学。”

But the world has more non-native speakers of English than native speakers. As a result, Americans working with foreign companies may need to learn some new English skills themselves.
但全球母语非英语者多于英语母语者。因此，在外国公司工作的美国人可能也需要学习一些新的英语技能。

At the University of Richmond, teams of graduate students work with companies seeking to enter the American market.  The students learn about writing market entry studies. The reports are written in English. But Professor Cosse tells his students to consider who will read them.
在里士满大学，一些研究生就职于一些寻求进入美国市场的公司。这些学生在学习用英语撰写市场准入研究报告。但Cosse教授告诉他的学生们要考虑到谁会阅读这些报告。

THOMAS COSSÉ: "My students have to write the report in such a way that it can be understood by someone who is an English speaker but not a native English speaker."
Thomas Cosse：“我的学生不得不以一种能让讲英语的母语非英语人士看得懂的方式来撰写报告。”

For example, he tells his students to avoid jargon and other specialized terms that people might not know in their own language. This can be good advice even when writing for other native speakers.
例如，他告诉他的学生们应避免使用术语和专业词汇，这些让使用自己语言的人们无法理解。即使是给英语母语者写报告，这也是个好建议。

But effective communication involves more than just words. Kay Westerfield is director of the international business communication program at the University of Oregon.
但是有效的沟通涉及的不仅仅是词汇。Kay Westerfield是俄勒冈大学国际商务交流项目的总监。

KAY WESTERFIELD: "If you just have the language awareness or the skills without culture, you can easily be a fluent fool."
KAY WESTERFIELD：“如果你只有语言意识或技能，却缺乏文化背景，你很容易成为一个语言流利的傻瓜。”

Cultural intelligence means the need to consider local behaviors in everything from simple handshakes to speaking to large groups.
文化方面的智慧意味着考虑当地的一切行为举止，从简单的握手，到向一大群人发言。

Still, Kay Westerfield says the ability of local workers to speak English is becoming more important to companies looking to move operations to other countries. Or, as she puts it, to "off-source."
不过，Kay Westerfield称，对于寻求将业务拓展到其它国家的公司来说，本土员工的英语能力越来越重要。或者用她的原话来说，进行“资源转移”。

KAY WESTERFIELD: "While cost remains a major factor in decisions about where to off-source, the quality of the labor pool is gaining importance, and this includes English language skills."
KAY WESTERFIELD：“当决定向什么地方转移资源的时候，成本仍然是一个主要因素的时候，劳动力的素质就会显得尤为重要，其中就包括英语语言能力。”

Also, she says English skills often provide a competitive edge for business students when they seek jobs.
她还表示，英语技能在商务专业的学生找工作的时候通常能够提供比较强的竞争力。

KAY WESTERFIELD: "As one business student in West Africa put it, 'English is a lifeline.'"
KAY WESTERFIELD：“就像西非一名商务学生说的，英语就是生命线。”