Cultural reference help.

[sgip]

I work with a great number of clients from overseas. My language skills consist of 2 years H.S. Spanish which allow me to order with great fluency whenever I'm driving through Taco Bell. In other words, I'm linguistically challenged.

Just recently sent an Email to a Chinese surnamed person with the phrase "apples to apples comparison". I'm wondering if the kind of aphorisms I use often with other cultures really has the same understanding to the person hearing it. Is a message clear to a culture that might not have the same reference point regarding what I'm saying?

Are there rough equivalents to "apples to apples" or "the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing" that are more acceptable or clearer to the Asian culture that the ones OC natives often use?  Suggestions welcome.

 

[ps99472]

This would definitely be a case of lost in translation....the Asian languages I know are confined mostly to menus so can't help you there,  instead of saying apples to apples to oranges why not just say the direct words?  I.E.  can't  compare 30 yr loan to 5/1 arm cuz they're different terms/conditions; can't compare SFH to neighboring detached condos because they're appraised differently, etc.

 

[sgip]

Direct comparisons using technical terms (30 year fixed no prepayment penalty fully amortized loan versus a 10/1 hybrid ARM that's an interest only loan but requires an escrow/impound account) can be daunting. In any workplace environment, employees tend to fall in to using "mortgage-ese" or "legal-ese" terms that may be clear to the speaker, but not to the listener. I'm sure that if any reader was to tell me about what they do for a living only using terms that are specific to their job, my eyes would glaze over. That's what I'm trying to avoid with new clients.

Most people are very comfortable understanding quick, clear euphemisms to enable them with a sense of whats being discussed. The key then is if the phrase is culturally relevant. Saying it's not apples and oranges to compare a fixed to an ARM doesn't make sense to someone whose never seen what an orange is for example. 

 

[socal78]

Hehe. I would think it would not "compute". Ex: when speaking of something that is what we call "brand new", in German, the most suitable translation would be "nagelneu" which literally means "nail new" or something is as new as a nail.... same concept as brand new. But like most idioms, even if they understood the literal translation, they may miss the underlying meaning.  ;D