Exploring C-E Simultaneous Interpreting Skills from the Perspective of Adaptation Theory

Liu Qiutong

School of Foreign Languages,Central South University,Changsha,China

Email:qingfeng0930@foxmail.com

Wang Xiaodong

School of Foreign Languages,Central South University,Changsha,China

Email:wongjason@126.com

[Abstract] Simultaneously interpreting is a broad field that contents great research potential.This thesis focuses on E-C simultaneously interpreting skills used in the G20 Hangzhou summit opening speech with the adaptation theory as its theoretical framework.Guided by adaptation theory,three interpreting skills were used in this context,namely omission,punctuation and reorganization.And the adaptation theory is capable of improving the performance of the interpreter.

[Keywords] Adaptation theory;G20 Hangzhou summit;Simultaneously interpreting skills

Introduction

Since Jef Verschueren came up with the Adaptation theory in his famous bookUnderstanding Pragmatics,scholars were attracted to this new and interesting field of study.In 1990,Qian Guanlian first explained the adaptation theory and the metapragmatic choices(Qian,1990,p.25).Later,He Ziran and Yu Guodong further introduced the ideas and functions of adaptation theory (He &Yu,1995,p.428).Nowadays,adaptation theory is used in various fields of linguistic research,and it provides a broad filed for the author to explore the C-E simultaneously interpreting skills.

This thesis aims to resolve two questions,namely "What kind of simultaneously interpreting skills are used in the context?" and "How interpretation skills are used by interpreter under the guidance of adaption theory?" All research questions are practical and worth to be studied.

Contextual Correlates of Adaptability

Contextual correlates of adaptability refers to the choice of language in the process of language using and the adaptation of communicative context.The specific relationship is shown in the figure below(Verschueren,1999,p.76):

Fig.1 Contextual correlates of adaptability

Adaptation to social world

The social world for this context may include the different culture,nationalities,gender and age of G20 member states.All these factors will influence the language choice of both utterer and interpreter.For example:

（1）講：去年，二十國集團領導人安塔利亞峰會開得很成功。我也愿借此機會，再次感謝去年主席國土耳其的出色工作和取得的積極成果。

譯：G20 summit in Antalya last year was a big success.And I wish to take this opportunity to thank Turkey once again for its outstanding job and positive outcomes during its presidency.

In this example,as the leader of the host country,the speaker admires the attainments of Turkey.It is a way of courtesy and social etiquette to salute the former's achievements,when you are going to continue his or her endeavors.This is less likely a strict social rule,but more a common sense when conducting international affairs.In different situations,the speaker will change accordingly to adapt the social world his or her is in,which means the welcome speech will change with the conference.

Adaptation to physical world

Two most significant factors when study physical world is time and space.The time may be the time of event,the time of speaking and the reference time(Verschueren,1999,p.96).The time of this international conference is September 4th to 6th,2016,and the host city is Hangzhou.For example:

（2）講：未來兩天……

譯：In the next two days...

（3）講:很高興同大家相聚杭州。

譯:It gives me great pleasure to met you here in Hangzhou.

The speaker and the interpreter have kept the time and space in mind and made appropriate language choices.They followed the rule of adaptation theory to adjust to the physical world.If the host city is New York,the speaker and interpreter will change the speech into"It gives me great pleasure to met you here in New York."accordingly.

Adaptation to mental world

Mental world includes the personality,emotions,desires,intentions and motivations of two sides (Verschueren,1999,p.88).These factors are important to pragmatic research.In the G20 Hangzhou summit opening speech,the mental world may include the participants'willingness and their desires.For example:

（4）講：第一、與時俱進，發揮引領作用。

譯：First,Keep up with the changing time and lead the way forward.

Developing a fast growing and well-organized G20 is the goal for all member states.Thus,the speaker declares the expectation for the development of G20,which fulfills the desire of all member states.On top of that,the interpreter should transfer the these ideas to all the participants without confusing them.

Structural objects of adaptability

Structural objects of adaptability refers to the rules among all language level and its structures,and this paper mainly focuses on the choice of language.

The choice of language

A decision to use language already involves a choice from a set of options,including all sign systems (Verschueren,1999,p.116).In a bilingual or multilingual society,the choice of language involves the speaker's political position,ideology,language attitude and language policy.In this context,the interpreter transfer Chinese into English for which the speaker speaks Chinese and English is understandable to many participants.English is not only the official working language of the United Nations,but also the first choice for international conferences.

Dynamics of adaptability

Dynamics of adaptability is the essence of adaptation theory which occurs all language using process.This part will list three simultaneously skills,namely omission,punctuation and reorganization.These interpreting skills can explain the dynamics of adaptability used in simultaneously interpreting.

Omission

For simultaneously interpreting,it is difficult to come up with everything due to the limited time,so in order to finish the sentences in a short time,we should explain them in a concise way(Li,1996,pp.23-25).For example:

（7）講：……推動全球經濟進一步開放、交流、融合。

譯：...and make the global economy more open and integrated.

In this example,for the limited time,when the interpreter heard the speech,she was unable to cover the information in the last part.Without thinking for a long time,the interpreter starts interpreting based on her short-time memory,it is acceptable to come up with "open and integrated".It is better to omit the less important information than keep the audiences waiting.

Punctuation

Punctuation refers to breaking a long sentence from the source language into several short sentences and then translating them into the target language.Short sentences are not only easy for the audience to understand,but also conducive to translate simultaneously(Wu,2015,pp.99-104).For example:

（8）講：未來兩天，我們將圍繞峰會主題，就加強宏觀政策協調、創新增長方式，更高效的全球經濟金融治理，強勁的國際貿易和投資，包容和聯動式發展，影響世界經濟的其他突出問題等議題展開討論。

譯：In the next two days,under the theme of this summit,we will have our discussions on strengthening policy coordination,breaking a new path of growth,more effective and efficient global economic and financial governance,robust international trade and investment,inclusive and inter-connected development,as well as other issues affecting the world economy.

The whole sentence consists with 86 Chinese characters,and the interpreter has punctuated this sentence into seven parts with less than 10 English words for each part.By using the skill of punctuation,the interpreter does not feel stressed.On top of that,short sentences is more acceptable to the audiences.

Reorganization

English and Chinese are two languages which have its unique features.Thus,the interpreter sometimes will reorganize the sentence in order to come up with a better version.For example:

（9）講：二十國集團應該調整政策思路，做到短期政策和中長期政策并重，需求側管理和供給側改革并重。

譯：The G20 should change its policy approach and play equal importance on both short term and middle to long term policy,and both demand side management and supply side reform.

In this example,the interpreter change the structure of the sentence by saying that"The G20...play equal importance on...".If we follow the Chinese language structure,it will goes like " focus on short term policy and long term regulations..."and there is no place for"equal importance".By using reorganization,the interpreter transfer the complex structure into idiomatic English,

Salience of the adaptation process

It refers to the role of communicators and their psychological situations when they make language adaptation during their conversation(Verschueren,1999,pp.173-174).

Perception and Representation

The premise of communication is to perceive the surrounding world and form the representation (Verschueren,1999,p.176).Communicators should first have a sense of the content of the conversation,and express what they perceive and then those images will be understood by others,so as to achieve the purpose of understanding and communication.For example:

（10）講：我們應該讓二十國集團成為行動隊，而不是清談館。

譯：We should make the G20 an action team,instead of a talk shop.

In this example,the speaker used "行動隊" and "清談館" to infer that the G20 should act practically rather than speak loudly.In Chinese,"行動隊"means an action team established for some specific goals and missions.On the contrast,the idiom "清談館" refers to a place,like tea house or meeting room,for people to express their own ideas.The interpreter fully understand the meaning and express what she perceived by interpreting them into"action team"and"talk shop"respectively.

Planning

The communicator should make a plan to adapt the future language behaviors.It is all about looking forward,which plays an important role in simultaneously interpreting.For example:

（8）講：未來兩天，我們將圍繞峰會主題，就……等議題展開討論。

譯：In the next two days，under the theme of this summit,we will have our discussions on...

In example 9,the few Chinese words"將圍繞……",serves as a trigger,even impose that there will be a discussion,an exchange or a talk.Thus,the interpreter makes her own prediction by saying that"we will have our discussion on...".If the interpreter did not make a prediction,it is hard for her to add it behind the sentence given by herself.

Memory

As for the memory,it is just an another story from the planning.It is all about looking back which means we should express and explain the past by using our memory,short or long,temperate or permanent.For example:

（11）講：我們要努力把二十國集團建設好，為世界經濟繁榮穩定把握好大方向。

譯：We must ensure fully play its role of keeping the world economy on the track of...prosperity and stability.

In this example,the interpreter changes the structure of the sentence slightly by coming up with"on the track of"at first,and then she lefts a short-time pause to think,and finally she comes up with the phrase"prosperity and stability"because of her memory.The memory is of great importance to the interpreter,and it is understandable for interpreter to train their memory.

Conclusion

The two provided research questions are answered and the findings are as follows:On the one hand,the author find that there are three simultaneously interpreting skills were used in the G20 Hangzhou summit opening speech,namely omission,punctuation and reorganization.On the other hand,guided by adaptation theory,the simultaneously interpreting skills can be easily understood and learned.Also,the interpreter will have a better performance after learning the adaptation theory.