Chapter 99 The translator also needs to recharge Yan Jiuru feels that he has not...
Chapter 99: Translators also need to recharge
For the next few days, their purchasing team traveled between various cities and companies in the Ruhr industrial area, visiting and negotiating with the target companies to understand their scale, technological development, product performance, characteristics, production lines, output efficiency, finished products, etc.
Similarly, the other party also wants to know as much as possible about the Chinese side, especially the equipment users. In their words, the same equipment will often lead to different situations when used by different users.
Especially when they accidentally learned that my country's industrial electricity was still 220V, the German technicians repeatedly denied it and repeatedly emphasized that 380V50HZ electricity must be used.
A comrade in charge of business affairs on our side hurriedly asked whether it was possible to change the set voltage of the equipment to 220V?
If we need to change the power supply voltage of a factory with 10,000-ton equipment, it will definitely be a big project for us. It is not just a matter of one wire, but involves replacing the entire line and facilities, which is very expensive.
Wang Bidada understood this and quickly translated it.
After hearing the translation, the German side looked at us as if we were monsters. They really couldn't understand why we asked such a low-level question.
Yan Jiuru stared at Wang Bidada, communicated with the comrade who raised the question about the reason for asking, and then explained to the German side that this involved large-scale replacement of facilities and lines, which was a cost that had not been anticipated before.
A KLB director nodded and said, "However, 380V 50Hz is the most basic condition for normal operation of the equipment. If the voltage is lower than this, even if the equipment starts, we cannot guarantee that it will produce qualified products."
Hearing this answer, the purchasing team felt heavy in their hearts.
This is another large hidden expense.
Yan Jiuru made a note. He wondered how the problem with the large equipment he had purchased earlier was solved. He wondered if he had reported the problem to his superiors regarding the internal power supply changes.
It’s just not convenient to ask now.
And this Wang Bidada is becoming more and more out of character.
***
For Yan Jiuru and Wang Bidada, they are only responsible for translation and explanation, and it is not their business or technical issues to worry about.
However, since the items on the procurement list range from 10,000-ton forging machines to large sets of chemical equipment, to special steels, coal hoists, excavators, cranes, etc., involving multiple industries, not only physics, chemistry, mechanics, but also materials and mechanics vocabulary and knowledge, it has far exceeded their previous knowledge reserves.
After only two or three days, the two of them found it very difficult to translate.
At the beginning, Wang Bidada was translating ahead of Yan Jiuru. But when it came to technical issues later, Wang Bidada started to hesitate. Then Yan Jiuru found that this guy was talking nonsense!
Just then, the two parties were talking about the travel of a certain mechanical component, and Wang Bidada started talking nonsense about mileage.
Yan Jiuru said to Wang Bidada in a calm tone, but in a very rude way: "Shut up!"
It's not bad if you can't translate something that is too professional, but it's not okay if you just say something nonsense and mislead people.
The key is that he speaks very excitedly, and people who don’t understand can’t tell that he is talking nonsense.
Yan Jiuru was much better than him after all, as he had been listening and learning these days, and he could tell that he was talking nonsense.
Captain Lin and another comrade who studied in Germany are both very good at English and German, but their industries are different, and the technical barriers cannot be overcome so easily. It is reasonable for a physicist to understand mechanical technology and vocabulary, but it is impossible for him to cross over to the chemical industry.
The same is true in reverse. Those who work in chemical products are also confused when it comes to mechanical hydraulics and sealing.
Another very important point is that during the years of the Great Movement, information between China and foreign countries was basically cut off. Who dared to contact them? In recent years, the scientific and technological development and academic progress abroad have far exceeded what they had previously mastered.
They have never been exposed to some professional things.
This resulted in everyone having their own misunderstandings, and no one noticed that he was fooling around.
Yan Jiuru felt that this was not going to work, so he found Captain Lin and the embassy staff, explained the situation, and said that he also needed to recharge himself and find professional books and dictionaries to supplement his professional vocabulary and knowledge, otherwise he would not be able to achieve accurate translation, especially when it came to increasingly in-depth technical aspects.
Sister Gao and Captain Lin were not completely ignorant of this either. They smiled and said, "That's perfect. We also need to rest for two days."
It turns out that the trade unions in large German companies are very powerful. Large companies like KLB have already implemented two-day holidays on Saturdays and Sundays, and some companies have a half-day off on Saturday and a full day on Sunday.
Even if two days are short and I can't even memorize a few pages of the dictionary, it's better than just staring blankly.
He patted Yan Jiuru's shoulder and said, "Don't be too anxious. The professional vocabulary is not very normal. Besides, if those technical things were really that easy to understand, we might have mastered them ourselves. Why would we have to spend money to buy them from others?"
Yan Jiuru felt that she was not comforted, but instead suffered a rare blow!
He originally thought that this thing was similar to refining equipment, but he didn't expect it to be a completely different track. His previous experience was of no use for the time being, not to mention his knowledge reserves.
Wang Bidada was furious. He really didn't expect the young man to be so impulsive. Not only did he tell him to shut up in front of him, but he also complained!
Too naive, too unsubtle!
She couldn't even try to cover it up and openly complained to his face. Is that really okay?! She has no respect for workplace etiquette at all. . . . .
He didn't know what to say.
***
On Friday, the purchasing group finished their morning visit and did not arrange any other activities. They took a bus directly back to Frankfurt.
As soon as Yan Jiuru returned to the room, he quickly took out his notes. With his extraordinary memory, he wrote down all the words and key points that he was unsure about and did not understand over the past two days.
He already had some understanding of why his previous purchases had gone astray.
In fact, there is no need for the other party to set traps deliberately. We only partially understand the barriers created by those technical terms, and it is enough to make us suffer if we are not communicating with the other party in a comprehensive way.
While having lunch in the restaurant, he did not see Wang Bidada, who was said to be writing a self-criticism.
You deserve it!
Doesn't he know what serious consequences will result from talking nonsense?
Even if the contract has not been signed, any first technical explanation will create an inherent initial impression, and it is hard to say whether it will not affect the understanding of subsequent issues.
These days, Yan Jiuru has become indifferent to grilled sausages and black bread, as long as he can fill his stomach.
No matter how unpalatable it is, can it be unpalatable than the Bigu Pill?
He returned to his room, took out Martin KLB's business card, and called him.
Martin is a member of the reception team and also from the KLB family, but he is obviously just filling in the numbers. They are of similar age and have met a few times and have a good feeling about each other.
During the chat, I learned that the other party graduated from Aachen University of Technology last year and returned to work in the family business. He also studied mechanical engineering, majoring in mechanical manufacturing and automotive engineering, and minoring in materials science. Asking him where to find professional dictionaries and reference books will save time rather than looking for them blindly by myself.
Sure enough, Martin was happy to give him some advice. "Brother, you've come to the right person. I suggest you look for these books."
Yan Jiuru wrote down Tabellenbuch Metall (Concise Mechanical Handbook), Mechanical Design Handbook (Mechanical Design Handbook), Fundamentals of Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering, Automatische Steuerungstechnik (Automated Control Systems), etc., which are all very influential professional reference books in Germany.
In addition, Martin was kind enough to provide several bookstores where these books could be purchased. For example, Hugendubel has a branch in Frankfurt, which is the largest comprehensive bookstore in the center of Frankfurt. It has a special section for foreign language books, and the German dictionaries and professional reference books are quite complete.
Also, the bookstore attached to the Berlin National Library is worth a visit. It has the largest comprehensive library resources in Germany, providing academic publications and rare dictionaries. There are even some limited edition professional dictionaries that can only be found here.
In addition, you can also visit the Frankfurt branch of the Thalia bookstore chain. This bookstore is a long-established comprehensive chain bookstore in Germany, covering multiple cities. It mainly sells social sciences, literature, and reference books, and also provides German learning books and some professional dictionaries.
These bookstores can also find professional reference books for other industries, but they are cross-disciplinary and Martin cannot provide more specific book titles.
Yan Jiuru was so excited just hearing the names of these reference books. If the customs did not allow him to pass, he would take these books back even if he had to use a talisman.
***
Yan Jiuru applied for funds from Captain Lin to buy books.
"...These are all professional reference books, each of which costs tens or even dozens of dollars. If we buy one or two for each industry we are involved in, it will cost at least two or three hundred dollars.
I know the group's funds are tight. I can buy the machinery with my own money and use it myself when I go back. But for other industries, to be honest, I don't know much and I'm afraid I can't make the right choice. What do you think we should do, group leader?
Without professional books and dictionaries, I would not be able to translate professional and technical terms accurately.”
Captain Lin thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you an answer tomorrow morning."
***
Yan Jiuru couldn't wait until tomorrow, he decided to buy a set for himself.
He went back to change into a suit, inquired about the tram route, and then went to a bank near the hotel to exchange German marks.
I remember that he dug out a box of US dollars while treasure hunting. He kept it there because he couldn't use it. After arriving at the 107th Institute, he took the opportunity to deposit it in the bank. This time he specially withdrew some of it when he went abroad.
These have been declared before going abroad, so there is no problem in using them.
Yan Jiuru did not exchange more money the first time. Two hundred dollars were exchanged for about three hundred marks based on the exchange rate of the day.
Yan Jiuru took out a few dozen yuan in change, put the bulk of it in his pocket, took a quick look around, walked out of the bank naturally, and took the tram to the nearest bookstore.
After getting on the tram, he casually glanced in the direction of the hotel and felt as if he saw the woman named Hannah, but the figure flashed by and he didn't have time to see her clearly.
Yan Jiuru frowned. Members of the purchasing group were staying in this hotel, and he couldn't help but think more about it.
***
Yan Jiuru first went to the nearest Hugendubel bookstore.
He was already very fluent in everyday German, speaking with an official standard accent. He looked particularly tall and handsome in a suit, and the chubby female clerk seemed particularly friendly.
After asking patiently, he pointed him to rows one to eleven on the east side of the third floor, which contained mechanical reference books and professional books. He also kindly reminded him that the bookstore closed at 4:30 and he only had more than an hour.
Yan Jiuru thanked the clerk and before he could be surprised at the size of the German bookstore and the number of books, he went straight to the third floor to look for it. After scanning back and forth twice on more than ten rows of bookshelves, he found basic reference books such as Tabellenbuch Metall and Fundamentals of Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering!
There is not only the original German version but also an English translation.
Yan Jiuru took down a book called "Concise Mechanical Handbook" and felt that he was deceived by the title. What's concise about it? It's as thick as the Cihai Encyclopedia!
He quickly flipped through the catalogue and then looked at the prices at the back.
"Hiss~"
It's really damn expensive, but there's no way he'll give up on it. Just looking at the catalog makes his eyes light up. It's the same feeling as when he suddenly got a secret scroll of inheritance in the past. He must get it!
Get a copy of both the German original and the English translation!
Looking at "Fundamentals of Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering" again, wow, it's even more expensive than the previous one!
Yan Jiuru was browsing by the bookshelf, and it felt like only a short while had passed when the clerk kindly came to remind him that it was time to get off work and they were about to close the store.
Yan Jiuru reluctantly carried a pile of books to check out. Wow, 289 marks!
Fortunately, the tram ticket was not expensive, otherwise he would have to walk back with the book in his arms.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com