David S. Rose

There are effectively four ways, and which way you choose depends on a combination of audience, logistics and budget.

Give the speech in English. It is somewhat humiliating, but many Chinese in business, or who work with international partners, speak English, or at least have a basic ability to understand it. In contrast, virtually no non-Chinese-Americans speak a word of Chinese. So check with your host or organizer. They might tell you that a speech delivered in English will be ok, provided you speak slowly, clearly and avoid unusual words.Give the speech in English, but beforehand have it translated into Chinese, and hand out printed copies to the audience.Give the speech in English, with a Chinese translator next to you. It takes a little practice, but you pause after each sentence or thought, and wait while the translator repeats it in Chinese. Questions from the audience are done the same way in reverse.If you are fortunate enough to be speaking in a professional conference center with the appropriate technology and budget, the ultimate approach is simultaneous interpretation, which is what is used at the United Nations and many large events. Here, you give your speech in English, while a highly trained interpreter in a soundproof booth listens to your words while simultaneously translating them into Chinese. This is broadcast over an internal communications system to headphones worn by the delegates. While easiest for you, the skill level required by the interpreter is very, very high.

See Questions On Quora