Domestication And Foreignization From The Interpreter's Perspective

This paper studies the application of domestication and foreignization in interpreting Chinese cultural elements in the press conferences of NPC and CPPCC sessions. The translation field underwent a shift from following domestication supported by Nida's dynamic equivalence theory to advocating foreignization represented by Veunuti. And with globalization as the backdrop, retaining the culture of each country seems a surge irriversable. This paper introduces these two translating approaches into the field of interpretation, aiming to explore their use in the specific situation of press conferences of NPC and CPPCC sessions.Following an overview of domestication and foreignization, this paper analyzes the press conference interpretation from the factors of working environment, time and content of speech. Then it lists common Chinese cultural elements which involve traditional Chinese images, quotations of idioms and poetry, unique Chinese terms and the Chinese speech style. How to keep the cultural information without hindering the audience's immediate comprehension of the speech forms a difficulty for interpreters.Then, through a close study of the records of PCI in recent years, this paper finds that the domestication strategy occupies a dominating role. Interpreters often remove and change cultural images, adjust the tone of the original speech, omit confusing and insignificant information and specify certain other expressions. A limited use of foreignization is demonstrated by keeping cultural images that are easy to understand and literally translating poetry and classical Chinese quotations. The following part of the paper explores the interpreter's choice between the two strategies. The obvious tendency in using domestication is determined by the unique working process of interpreting, the restricted time for the listeners to comprehend the message in the speech and the lack of understanding of the Chinese culture on the audience's part. Hence, Interpreters should not follow the advocacy of foreignization in the translation field, since the desired outcome of interpretation is immediate communicative effect, which can only be achieved by a smooth and natural English version of the original speech.