Asking for references

[stephanhodges]

How does one actually say "reference" in Chinese, when related to work performance, or oth personal items, etc.. I've asked several Chinese friends who speak good English and they don't know.

A couple of sentences I would like to know how to say:

1) May I give your name (and contact details) to XYZ as a reference.

2) Can you give me 2 or 3 names as references? (different use of "as" than the first example)

3) Please list three references, two work references and one personal reference.

Thanks in advance. Searching for "reference" returned a lot of false positives, but I didn't see anything about this.

[JenniferW]

I worked in China (teaching) for several years, and I think you're having problems with this because it's a cultural difference as well as a translation thing.

In China, I don't think the type of references westerners use are normally used. Instead, I think people give what they refer to as a letter of recommendation. When I left one job and applied for another, this was what I had to get - from the head of where I had been working, to send to the place I was applying to. The letter of recommendation was given to me to send on with my application. Getting a job without a letter of recommendation from your previous employer can be difficult (theoretically). There seems to be no formal system of using confidential references. There is a system, though, of the place you're applying to telephoning the place you've been working, and asking for an opinion about you - and they'll choose who they ask to speak to.

I've given references for Chinese colleagues as part of their applications for places for postgrad study. When this has been for a place at a Chinese university, I've written a 'letter of recommendation', which the applicant has then send in with their other documents. Only for an application to a western uni have we used the system of giving a name for a confidential reference.

So, you try asking for a translation istead for:

1) Would you give me a letter of recommendation for my application to XYZ?

2) Can you give me 2 or 3 letters of recommendation?

I think the Chinese would find it strange to give a character reference separate from a letter of recommendation covering work capabilities. In the letters of recommendation I've seem, this is included - and my impression is that it would be odd to omit it from a Chinese letter of recommendation.

[akdn]

In this case, I think reference is 证明人

A reference letter is a 证明文件 or 推进信

To list a reference is 列出证明人

An attempt at your sentences:

1）我可以把你当我的证明人，而给xyz你的名字和联系方式吗？

2）你能不能给我两三个证明人的名字？

3）请列出三个证明人的名字 （两个证明你的工作能力，一个证明你的个人品德）

[roddy]

Pretty sure I've seen 推荐信 used, and a quick google for the phrase does throw up the right kind of thing.

[stephanhodges]

Thanks all. I did already know about recommendation letters, and how to write them. In fact, just had them in writing class about 2 months ago.

But, somehow, I convinced myself that, since there "is" a difference (albeit small) between the two in English, that the equivalent idea would be present in modern day China.

While I've come across non "one-to-one" translations in the past, I always somehow convince myself that the "idea" must exist, or must be explainable, in approximately the same amount of verbiage as one would use to explain it in English, haha

The best I had come up with was 参考, which I expect is a little more "书面的 / formal"

The other use of reference (as a citation), was easier! 引用;引证

[akdn]

Ah, the meaning of your sentences made me think you were using 'reference' as a synonym of 'referee'.

[Hanlink]

In your first two examples, where you are asking for referees or references, 推荐 works much better, thus 'as reference' = 做推荐之用,

For your first sentence, a translation in its most simple form, would be something like:

可以把姓名和聯繫細節提供給XYZ當做做推荐之用嗎?