A Few Remarks On Schemata In Interpreting

Nowadays, interpreting is largely adopted at interlingual communications. It plays an irreplaceable role in the world. However, interpreting studies have not attracted attention as much as it should be, and the research methods for it are limited. Recently many scholars have applied schema theory, a key concept in psychology, to the studies of reading comprehension and listening comprehension, and they have harvested many constructive fruits. However, few scholars have touched upon schema theory in interpreting studies at home and abroad. As a complex cognitive psychological activity, interpreting involves in comprehension, deverbalization and reproduction. And corresponding schemata play an important role in each and every step of interpreting process. The activated schemata facilitate the activity, for they help the interpreter accomplish her/his task more promptly, more correctly and more successfully. Since interpreting is usually used as a means of inter-cultural communication, we can not avoid comprehension problems caused by cultural differences in interpreting. Luckily, strategies in applying schema theory may solve these problems.In this paper, schema theory and the characteristics of schema with their realizations in interpreting are introduced first. After a thorough literature review and a clear analysis of interpreting, and a brief comparison of schemata between English and Chinese, the feasibility of schema theory in interpreting is demonstrated. Then, this paper explains the facilitative role of corresponding schemata in the three steps of interpreting process respectively. In comprehension, correctly activated schemata serve as the ambiguity eliminator to choose the possible meaning, and as the development anticipator to predicate the possible following information; in the step of deverbalization, relevant schemata act as the memory enhancer to enlarge the memory of the interpreter, and as the time saver to help the interpreter save the precious time by memorizing the sense quickly; and at last, the schemata that conform to the audience's knowledge help reduce the pressure on the interpreter and help reproduce a more acceptable TS to the audience and help get higher ExG (expectancy gratification) from the audience. Apart from the facilitative role of schemata in interpreting, the author of this paper also notices that schemata divergence may cause misunderstanding or incomplete understanding or even non-understanding. By accretion, tuning or restructuring the schemata of the audience, the interpreter can smooth the conversation and reproduce the same effect on the audience that the speaker wants to make on the audience. These three strategies in applying schema theory, accretion, tuning and restructuring, are powerful in solving the problem of schemata default and schemata conflict, which are brought about by schemata divergence. At last, the author wants to point out that most interpreters activate their mental schemata consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously, but the important role of schemata in interpreting should not be ignored. She also hopes that this paper will arouse the attention of interpreters, who could notice schemata in their activities and consciously apply their mental schemata properly to their activities.