# I Lost a Translation Job Over “Face” (And Called My Boss a Bastard)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mandarin-monkey-podcast-476044/i-lost-a-translation-job-over-face-and-called-my-boss-a-bastard
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mandarin-monkey-podcast-476044/i-lost-a-translation-job-over-face-and-called-my-boss-a-bastard.md
Podcast: [Mandarin Monkey Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mandarin-monkey-podcast-476044)
Published: 2026-02-27T15:37:22+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/mandarin-monkey-podcast/episodes/i-lost-a-translation-job-over-face-and-called-my-boss-a-bast
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/671683b6c054f53907d2cb8f/e/69a1ba32aa1e5696bd299180/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mandarin-monkey-podcast-476044/episodes/i-lost-a-translation-job-over-face-and-called-my-boss-a-bastard
Duration seconds: 2189

## Resource

This week’s mailbag episode is… painful. • A freelance translator loses a business contract because he didn’t understand 面子 (miànzi). • Someone tries to compliment their manager… and accidentally calls him a bastard. • Another listener’s Chinese name sounds dangerously close to “horse sh*t.” We talk about cultural competence in business Mandarin, tone disasters, gaming as a language-learning method, and why choosing a Chinese name is more serious than you think. If you’ve ever made a language mistake that keeps you awake at night, this one’s for you. Don’t lose confidence. Just don’t translate “losing face” word for word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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