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salient differences. For example, German translations of English were shown to
be more direct, explicit, content and ideationally oriented and with weakened
interpersonal components which would essentially have made the readerfeel
good' (ibid, 67). Conversely, English translations of German texts displayed
more marked interpersonal components, and appeared less formal than the
German original. Again, House again attributes this to what she terms differing
'communicative preferences' operating in the two cultures, suggested in earlier
studies.
Further corroboration and insight into these differences has been
provided by addressing interlocutor expectations about conversational
interaction. Recently turning to informant interview data, House has shed light
on both cross-cultural perceptions and the normative expectations brought to
conversational encounters:
The basic problem is that Germans normally believe what you say and
take it at face value, ... where people in an English speaking situation
wrap up their comments or use throw-away phrases which indicate
that they don't really mean it.
Informant data taken from House (1996,356).
Germans, House tells us favour clarity of expression and sincerity,
preferring to be able to tell what people really mean rather than be faced with a
great difference between "dem Ausgesprochenen und dem Gemeinten", ' [What
is said and what is meant] (House 1996,357). This is illustrated by further
informant data:
Ich finde es viel besser doch direkt und aufrichtig zu sein... zu sagen,
was man auch meint, nicht dieses Höflich-Freundliche.
[I find it much better to be direct and truthful ... to say what one means,
not this being polite and friendly]
Informant data taken from House (1996,357-358)
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