Study Of The Impacts Of Chinese Decoy-object Structure On Chinese-english Simultaneous Interpretation And The Corresponding Countermeasures From The Adaptation Theory Perspective

The Adaptation Theory was first proposed by the secretary-general of the Belgium International Pragmatics Jef Verschueren in 1987 in her Pragmatics as a Theory of Linguistic Adaptation and further developed and improved in her Understanding Pragmatics in 1999. This theory advocates that utilization of languages is a non-continual yet unceasing selection process launched by language utters in communication under varying degrees of consciousness with regard to specific wording, expressions, logic organization, subjective intentions, etc, under ad hoc communication circumstances. Its purpose is to adapt to the constantly changing communicative needs; its core content is the dynamic adaptation of language selection process; moreover, the ultimate reason for a verbal communicator to make appropriate choices within specific communication duration is that language enjoys the following three main features, namely, variability, negotiability and adaptation.Simultaneous Interpretation (hereafter referred to as SI) as a high-end interpreting activity features that translation from source language (hereafter referred to as SL) into target language (hereafter referred to as TL) almost happens in tandem with the uttering process of the SL, with generally 3 seconds'difference; and if conditions permit, the interpreter is supposed to cease or restart the TL output at the very moment the SL utterer ceases or restarts the SL.) This greatly enhances the communicating efficiency and dialogue fluency between or among different cross-language communicators, saves much time for all communicators and participants, and thus greatly reduces costs induced in multinational or trans-regional language communication occasions. The end result is that the high-end SI mode has been favored on various important occasions, and been more and more widely applied in bilateral or multilateral international conferences, business negotiations or meetings and international academic exchange activities, etc.As the language with the largest user population and the most widely applied language worldwide respectively, Chinese and English both merit to be reckoned with in terms of their employment frequency and significance. Nevertheless, given the many differences such as language structure and expression between this language pair and the exclusive characteristics of the SI process, namely, strict instantaneity or promptitude, "non-traceability" and "extreme isolation", there is little wonder that Chinese-English SI is perceived as a highly challenging job.Chinese decoy object phenomenon is rarely studied in China, and Western studies on the so-called fake object are to be presented here as its reference. Chinese decoy object structure's phenomenal advantage of extreme time efficiency gained from avoidance of empty words has helped gain its crucial presence in various significant situations, which usually demand high service speed and quality of Chinese English SI. This paper aims to expound on the impacts of Chinese decoy object on Chinese English SI from the Adaptation Theory perspective, and summarize its corresponding countermeasures as comprehensively as possible to better serve those interpreters that are frequently confronted with the Chinese English SI challenges.