Cultural Mediating In Interpreting: An Observation From The Perspective Of Intercultural Communication

Our world features increasingly extensive intercultural interaction. However, the absence of a shared language and common cultural assumptions has made intercultural communication difficult or even impossible. Interpreting is then necessitated. It is not only an interlingual but also an intercultural activity. Thus the interpreter should act as a bridge between two cultures as well as two languages. Nevertheless, the cultural aspect of interpreting has been neglected by a significant number of practitioners. This thesis is to discuss the interpreter's role as a cultural mediator and the interpreter's cultural mediating effort in interpreting. It consists of four chapters in addition to introduction and conclusion.Chapter One first briefly introduces interpreting scenario and the types of interpreting and then it focuses on the basic components of successful interpreting. Successful interpreting is the result of accurate comprehension and reconstruction and the application of various skills and techniques in a professional manner and to a professional standard. It has been established that analysis at both discourse and cultural level is necessary to achieve accurate comprehension and reconstruction. However, the cultural aspect is often neglected.Chapter Two first points out that interpreting is an act of intercultural communication. To fully understand the work setting of the interpreter, a further examination is given to commutation, culture and the relation between the two. Culture influences both verbal and nonverbal communication. Thus interpreting is culture-conditioned. The absence of a shared code system and common cultural assumptions and the ethnocentric thinking often stymie successful intercultural communication. To usher in the effective communication interpreters should serve as a bridge between two cultures as well as two languages, i.e.. interpreters should shoulder the responsibility of cultural mediators and conduct cultural mediating in interpreting.Chapter Three centers on cultural mediating in interpreting. To effectively conduct cultural mediating, interpreters should in the first place cultivate cross-cultural awareness. They should be able to recognize the culture-universal and the culture-specific in the two or even more cultures concerned. Meanwhile it will greatly facilitate their work if interpreters can understand the underlying cultural dimensions influencing cultures they are engaged in. Interpreting at merely linguistic level is inadequate, so interpreters should handle both source texts and target texts at cultural level. Upon accepting the interpreting task, interpreters should make preparation for cultural mediating, that is, they should take cultural differences into consideration, try to identify them and even remind the communicators of their existence in advance. During interpreting, interpreters' cultural mediating effort is mainly demonstrated in three aspects: helping to establish a favorable cultural atmosphere for both parties, cultural mediating in linguistic aspect and cultural mediating in nonverbalcommunicative aspect. Finally, it is indicated that interpreters should pay attention to the degree to which they are to mediate.Chapter Four makes some tentative suggestions as to how an interpreter can be a successful intercultural communicator. Interpreters should first of all enhance their competence in both verbal and nonverbal communicative aspects, cultivate cross-cultural awareness and hold the right attitude. At the same time, interpreters should pay attention to the individuality of communicators and realize the impact of English used as an international language. Last but not the least, interpreters should practice various skills and techniques and act in a professional manner.In conclusion, this thesis is written under the assumption that language competence, extra-linguistic knowledge, and skills and techniques practiced in a professional manner and to professional standards are of paramount importance in interpreting, but to usher in the mo...