An Overview of InterpretingAn Overview of Interpreting

Ren Wen, Professor, PhDRen Wen, Professor, PhD

College of Foreign Languages & Cultures,College of Foreign Languages & Cultures,

Sichuan UniversitySichuan University

• I. Brief History of Interpreting

　 1. Interpreting as a practice

　 1.1 West: Pharaoh’s pictographs almost 6,000 years ago

　 China: Zhou Dynasty (11th-7th Century BC)

（先秦时已有“象”“译”“寄”“舌人”“狄鞮 ”等官员）

　 1.2 West: 1st oriental language school established in the 14th C

　　 China: 1st foreign language school established in 1289

　　 （元帝忽必烈建“回回国子学”）　 1.3 West: Christopher Columbus in the 16th C.

　 China: 明代永乐年间建“四夷馆”（ 1407 ）清朝顺治年间建　 四译馆 (1644)

　　（详见黎难秋《中国口译史》，青岛出版社）

2. Interpreting as a profession

2.1 Paris Peace Conference in 1919

2.2 Invention of simultaneous interpreting in the 1920s

2.3 Nuremberg Trial between 1945 and 1946

2.4 AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters)

established in 1953

3. Interpreting as research

3.1 Early writing period (1950s-early 1960s)

3.2 Experimental period (1960s-early 1970s)

3.3 Practitioners’ period (late 1960s-early 1980s)

3.4 Renewal period (mid 1980s-now)

Daniel Gile in Mona Baker, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies. 42-43

II. Understanding Interpreting

1. What is interpreting?

Interpreting is the oral transposition of an

orally delivered message from a source

language to a target language. Its aim is to

bridge the language and cultural barriers in

the intercultural communication.

To interpret is to communicate

interculturally with the message sender and

the message receiver whose languages and

cultures are unknown to each other.

Key words:

Source Language

Target Language

Culture

Communication

• 2. What is culture?

dominant culture (umbrella culture) vs.

subculture (co-culture)

• 3. What is communication?

verbal communication vs. non-verbal

communication

intracultural communication vs.

intercultural communication

• III. Types of Interpreting

1. Classification based on the temporal modes

of working

1.1 Consecutive interpreting

a. monologue (one-way) interpreting

b. dialogue (two-way) interpreting

1.2 Simultaneous interpreting

a. regular conference SI

b. whispering

c. sign language interpreting (chuchotage)

1.3 Sight Interpreting

Interpreting

Consecutive simultaneous

monologue(one-way)

spoken(conference CI) whisper signing

Dialogue(two-way)

2. Classification based on the spatial modes

of working

2.1 Live interpreting

2.2 Remote interpreting

Interpreting

live remote

consecutive telephone TV Internetsimultaneous

• 3. Classification based on the nature of the

event

conference interpreting

liaison interpreting/community interpreting

Interpreting

conference liaison

consecutivemedical

interpretingcourt

interpretingbusiness

interpretingsimultaneous

communityinterpreting

guideinterpreting

• 4. Classification based on settings

conference interpreting

diplomatic interpreting

business interpreting

court interpreting

medical interpreting

guide interpreting

media interpreting

……

Interpreting

conference mediacourtmedical diplomaticbusiness

IV. Process of Interpreting

1. Listening & Comprehension

1) comprehension on first hearing

2) “standard language” & “nonstandard language”

2. Memorization

1) Long-term memory

2) Short-term memory

3) Note-taking

3. Reconstruction

1) Mandarin

2) “Standard English”

V. Criteria for Interpreting

What are the criteria for written translation?

V. Criteria for Interpreting

1. Faithfulness/Fidelity

2. Expressiveness/Fluency

3. Quick Response

VI. Qualifications of Interpreters

What makes a qualified interpreters?

VI. Qualifications of Interpreters

1. KL (knowledge of language)

2. ELK (extralinguistic knowledge)

3. Interpreting skills

4. Sound psychological quality

5. Professionalism

1. Knowledge of Language

1) At least a bilingual

2) Comprehension on first hearing

3) Large vocabulary

4) A fluent speaker

2. Extralinguistic Knowledge

1) General knowledge/Common sense

2) Subject/Domain knowledge

3) Contextual/Situational knowledge

4) Cultural knowledge

3. Interpreting Skills

1) Listening for sense

2) Memorization

3) Note-taking

4) Attention splitting

5) Public speaking

6) Figure switching

7) Summarization

8) Coping tactics

9) Cross-cultural communication competence

10) Advance preparation

4. Sound psychological quality

5. Professionalism

http://www.aiic.net

http://www.atanet.org

http://www.ausit.org

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