A Study On The Translation Strategies Of The Northeast Dialect In Alternative Interpreting

The Northeast Chinese Culture is an important sector of the Chinese Culture. As one of the major representations of the Northeast Chinese Culture and a regional dialect of the Chinese language, Northeast dialect features characteristics of simplicity and humor draw great attention of many experts. Due to the usage of this dialect in various formal occasions in recent years, interpreters are faced with new challenges when translating for speakers using the Northeast dialect. The interpreters are not only required to have a general grasp of the meanings of the words spoken in the dialect, they also must understand the Northeast culture behind those words. At the same time, the interpreters must be capable of usage of the respective English words, especially English slangs and jargons, to make the listeners understand and accept the humorous nature of the speakers. Therefore the research on verbal interpretation strategies of the Northeast Chinese dialect is important.Domestic and foreign research on dialect interpretation focuses on its possibility or impossibility, and whether the dialect in the source language could be translated accordingly. The research on English interpretation of the Northeast Chinese dialect is limited in the discussion of its equivalent effects, no specific strategy is available. This thesis aims towards pushing forward the research on dialect interpretation, and help interpreters with strategies when faced with Northeast Chinese dialects.This thesis starts with introduction on the dynamic equivalence theory and the compensation theory. Then, the thesis states the existing research on dialect interpretation and the Northeast Chinese dialect interpretation by domestic and foreign scholars. By analyzing the definition and categories of dialects, the importance of the Northeast Chinese dialect interpretation is stated. Also, the thesis explains the overall nature of the Northeast dialect, including the words, sentences and culture characteristics. Therefore strategies for translating Northeast Chinese dialect are discussed. Translation methods and theories will act as a sound foundation for Northeast Chinese dialects with high usage. This thesis especially dedicated a section in discussion for the translations for the phrase “Bu Zheteng” used by President Hu Jintao in his speech.The corpus and some thoughts introduced in this thesis are from the author’s over 15 years’ verbal interpretation in foreign relations fields and his discussion with colleagues on some interpretation practice. The purpose of this thesis is to give ideas and suggestions to Chinese-English interpreters when they hear speakers using the Northeast Chinese dialect. With the support of translation theories, research on the translations of dialects is deepened, and ideas for translating dialects are provided.