Topics of Interpreting Research

1. Topics of Interpreting Research

2. 口译过程 • 译员表现 • 口译实践和职业

3. 1.0 Process of interpreting

4. mental processing operations performed by the interpreter • spoken-language conference interpreting in the simultaneous mode

5. 1.1 Linguistic dominance • compound vs. coordinate bilinguals • true bilinguals ? true cross-cultural translation ?

6. 1.2 Divided attention • we cannot attend perfectly to both the speech of others and to our own • effect of practice on proficiency • Gerver’s central processor • attention-sharing ! But selective allocation, of their attentional resources remain unclear.

7. 1.3 Pauses • Use pauses in the source speech to avoid the simultaneity of listening and speaking

8. 1.4 Time lag and segmentation • décalage • phase shift’ or ear–voice span (EVS) • segmentation of the input speech into ‘chunks’ serving as units of translation

9. 1.5 Prior-knowledge-based processing • Comprehension is not a passive, but depends crucially on what is already known. • prior knowledge serves to generate expectations

10. 1.6 Memory：storage and process • Short-term’ and ‘long-term memory • Working memory • Depth-of-processing hypothesis • Working memory and attention • Long-term memory and retrieval (chunking strategies)

11. 1.7 Production：Hesitation and correction • Hesitation, in particular pausing, as a ‘window’ on the cognitive planning activity intrinsic to speech production • Silent and filled pauses • Typical features of impromptu speech

12. 1.8 Input variables: sound •  Sound quality in CI •  Sound quality in SI

13. 1.9 Input variables: Accent and intonation • any deviation from familiar acoustic-phonetic patterns • job stress • prosody, such as tempo and rhythm, pauses, stress and intonation

14. 1.10 Input variables: Speed of delivery • input rate, presentation rate or delivery rate • 100 to 120 words per minute in SI • a steady state of throughput at the expense of an increase in errors and omissions

15. 1.11 Input variables: Mode of delivery • impromptu speech : pauses, hesitations, redundancy • reading of scripted material

16. 1.12 Input variables: Source-text complexity • Lexical level • Text type

17. 1.13 Processing Strategies • As a goal-directed activity, interpreting has been conceptualized as an essentially ‘strategic’ process, particularly by researchers viewing it as a complex cognitive information-processing task or text-processing skill. • goal-oriented process under intentional control

18. 1.13.1 Coping with structure: timing, restructuring and anticipation • Timing • Strategy of waiting for further disambiguating input • Strategy of stalling, that is, slowing down delivery or using ‘neutral padding expressions’ or ‘fillers’

19. Restructuring • chunking and reformulation • salami technique (Jones 1998: 101) • working with subunits of sense (Seleskovitch and Lederer 1995:125) • fission or segmentation (Goldman-Eisler)

20. Anticipation • Linguistic anticipation: ‘word prediction’ based on familiar lexical and grammatical patterns • Extra-linguistic anticipation: on the basis of ‘sense expectation’

21. 1.13.2 Communicating content: condensation and adaptation • strategy of condensation (compression, omission or abstracting) • Strategy of adaptation (substitution) • coping with processing constraints high input speed and/or information density • face-to-face communication

22. 2.0 Interpreter’s performance

23. language use in social interaction • translational and interactional features of mediated communication

24. 2.1 Fidelity and accuracy • Be faithful to the original, as a widely accepted yardstick • Given the obvious problems with word-for-word correspondence, attempts have been made to determine accuracy at a deeper, semantic level

25. 2.2 Pragmatic impact • monotonous vs. lively intonation • impression of “authority” (passive vs. active) • rendition or non-rendition of the politeness markers • hedging • Interruption

26. 2.3 Role • ‘non-person’ in a neutral position • ‘non-person’ machine • culture brokers • advocates • intercultural agents • The ideal role of the interpreter is to serve not only as a linguistic but also as a cultural mediator （理想的译员应该不仅是语言的翻译者，还应是文化的斡旋人）

27. 2.4 Quality • multi-dimensional concept and a complex, overarching theme • Quality criteria by interpreters • Quality criteria by listeners

28. 3.0Practice and profession of interpreting

29. 3.1 History • History of practice • History of profession

30. 3.2 Standards, norms and ethics • Fourteen laws enacted by the Spanish Crown between 1529 and 1630 • AIIC Code of Professional Ethics in 1957 • RID Code of Ethics in 1965

31. 3.3 Certification • membership • testing or performance assessment • NAATI, Australia’s National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters • the Diploma of Public Service Interpreting administered by the Institute of Linguists in the UK (IoL)

32. 3.4 Interpreter’s competence • Competence in interpreting can thus be defined as the congruence between task demands (performance standards) and qualifications.

33. 3.4.1 Personal qualities and abilities • Cognitive abilities (e.g. intelligence, intuition, memory) • Moral and affective qualities (e.g. tact, discretion, alertness, poise) • Physical qualities such as stamina and strong nerves • Intellectual qualities, in particular language proficiency and wide general knowledge • Mental qualities such as memory skills, judgment, concentration and divided attention

34. 3.4.2 Special skills and expertise • broad general education and knowledge 广博的知识 • cultural competence 文化能力 • analytic and memory skills 分析和记忆能力 • assignment-related interactional skills • use of technological tools • split of attention in SI • Note-taking skills (esp. for CI) • Numbers interpreting

35. 3.5 Technology (remote interpreting) • Telephone interpreting • Video or audio-video interpreting

36. 3.6 Ecology of working: working conditions • The broader sense of employment conditions • A more specific sense

37. 3.7 Ecology of working: stress and health • Physical stress • Mental or psychological stress • Occupational health hazards