On The Adaptability Of Context In Interpreting Process

Although existing for a long time in the history of human activities, interpreting was recognized as an area to be studied only a few decades ago. Through its relatively short history, major features and trends such as growth and convergence can be summarized. And more importantly, interpreting studies has benefited from other more established disciplines such as psychology, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, pragmatics, text linguistics, neurophysiology and so on, which have been broadening and deepening the disciplinary foundation of interpreting studies.Among various aspects of interpreting studies, the interpreting process has been an enduring focus for researchers with different perspectives. No matter how different the models are, this process can not be examined separately from the analysis of contextual variables involved in. Yet, the traditional static understanding of context has been found inadequate to explain the dynamic process of communication and the active role of communicators.Recent trend in the studies of context is to stress the dynamics of the context. Jef Verschueren makes his contribution in the proposal of the "Theory of Linguistic Adaptability". In his pragmatic theoretical framework, language use is regarded as a process of continuous making of choices which are interadaptable with the contextual correlates. More importantly, Verschueren emphasizes that adaptation is bidirectional rather than unidirectional. While language users are making choices to adapt to the context, context is also continuously changed and reconstructed by the choices. This view of adaptability of context provides new perspectives in the investigation of dynamics of communication and broadens the vision of interpreting studies.Since interpreting is an interlingual and intercultural communication mediated by the interpreter, it is anchored in a more complicated context of its own. Therefore, this thesis tries to apply Verschueren's "Theory of Linguistic Adaptability" to the analysis of the interpreting process, to examine the contextual correlates in this specific process, to probe into the interaction between context and the interpreter, to see how the interpreter makes adaptable adjustments to accomplish the interpreting tasks.Besides introduction and conclusion, this thesis is divided into four chapters.Introduction demonstrates the motivation, theme and basic structure of this thesis.Chapter one provides a historical sketch of the interpreting studies. After concluding growing, converging and interdisciplinary trends in this field, research findings in interpreting process and the relationship between this process and context are briefly introduced.Chapter two examines the studies of context. The relationship between context and meaning, traditional studies of context and recent dynamic trend in the contextual studies are included.Chapter three looks at adaptability of context introduced by Jef Verschueren in the discussion of language use. In addition to the brief representation of the "Theory of Linguistic Adaptability", contextual correlates in language use and the generation of context are introduced in the way that Verschueren employed.Chapter four applies Verschueren's "Theory of Linguistic Adaptability" into the investigation of context in interpreting process. Examples are given to illustrate how the context functions and how the interpreter makes adaptable choices and manipulates the context. Conclusion sums up the whole thesis and re-examines the functions of context in interpreting process, the dynamics of context as well as the role actively played by the interpreter.