An Analysis Of Assessment Criteria Of Interpreting Contests

Interpreting quality, as one of the most important assessment criteria, is worthmore time and energy in conducting a deeper research and analysis. It is an issueworthy of an in-depth investigation especially when it comes to how to achieveappropriate interpreting.It has only been several years since the first interpreting contest was held and itsdesign of the contest process is at an explorative stage. It is by no means easy work toevaluate interpreting competence or even abilities of interpreting contestants to workas a professional interpreter at a comprehensive and professional level. It can bepossible only in the process of checking and designing so as to improve the contestagenda. Current interpreting assessment has two categories of thorny issues. On onehand, subjective judgment still exists in assessment of interpreting quality and lacksobjective assessing ground. On the other hand, the orientation of assessment goal isnot clear enough.Current assessment criteria generally base itself on “faithfulness, smoothness andrapidness”. Integral observations were conducted via on-spot experience and videorecord to investigate two interpreting contests. The assessing reference led to a modewhich was acceptable to a limited degree and it is inadequate to be considered asscientific. Therefore, it is of great necessity to conduct a further research andexploration into a more scientific and comprehensive assessment in accordance withproper interpreting qualities.Through an in-depth exploration and research of the goals, agenda andassessment criteria of two nation-wide interpreting contests, the author intends toanalyze the appropriateness and standardization as well as feasibility of these conteststo make interpreting performance as proper as possible and to provide suggestions oninterpreting contestants and MTI teaching and the thesis has made a contrastiveanalysis of the congruity between interpreting contest designing and targetedassessing goals, namely, in which way does interpreting contests effectively test interpreting competence. The thesis is intended to turn sensible assessing criteria intorational concepts to establish relatively objective and scientific assessment criteria.Having analyzed assessment on interpreting contestants, the author spotsproblems in interpreting contests’ assessment and comes up with rational suggestionsfor interpreting contestants and future interpreting studies. The author has analyzedinterpreting quality and problems therein in interpreters, specialized the assessmentcriteria of professional interpreters, perfected the assessment criteria ofnon-professional interpreters, come up with feasible interpreting quality criteria andsolutions as well as enlightenment of future interpreting quality. The author intends tofurther perfect the interpreting assessment criteria to make better preparations forinterpreting teaching in universities and interpreting job market and hopes the thesiscan serve as a scientific reference to the screening of professional interpreters.