Interpreting Informative Speeches Consecutively From English To Chinese

Informative speeches are a common speech-type in English to Chinese consecutive interpreting.Unlike persuasive speeches,the informative speech serves to inform the audience of a fact that they don’t know or don’t know much about,instead of trying to convert the audience to the speaker’s point of view.Informative speeches,therefore,are typically delivered in an objective manner,at a moderate pace and in a formal register.Accordingly,interpreters of informative speeches must guarantee the fidelity of the message,pay meticulous attention to style and register,and render the speech at a moderate pace equivalent to that of the speaker.This thesis uses a case study of a Covid-19 and Refugees mock conference as an example to identify the common pitfalls in interpreting informative speeches consecutively from English to Chinese and how interpreters should practice to avoid such mistakes.Firstly,the thesis points out the features of an informative speech and gives a definition of it.It then categorizes the common mistakes in interpreting informative speeches as infidelity in the message,unnecessary fast paces and inappropriate register.The author later gives her revised version of interpretation of the examples.The thesis concludes by proffering advice on training interpreters for informative speeches,which among others includes enriching the vocabulary in her mother tongue,practicing sight translation and speaking making,and altering the style based on the occasion.