On Interpreting Strategies Of Chinese Cultural Factors In Press Conference Interpreting From The Perspective Of Communicative Translation And Semantic Translation

This study is about interpreting strategies of Chinese factors in Press Conference Interpreting. For along time, studies on interpreting strategies have been confined to either the Functionalist Theory, or theInterpretive Theory, but very few such studies on the interpreting strategies of Chinese cultural factors canbe found conducted from the perspective of Newmark’s Communicative Translation and SemanticTranslation. With the deepening of globalization, studies on the interpreting strategies of Chinese culturalfactors in Press Conference Interpreting become increasingly urgent The problem remains to be resolved ishow to interpret timely and accurately on the spot while reserving the characteristics of Chinese culture, theauthor has introduced the Newmark’s translation methods of Communicative Translation and SemanticTranslation into the interpreting strategy study of Chinese cultural factors in Press Conference Interpreting.Based on the theories of other translation theorists, British translation theorist, Newmark, hasclassified text into three types: Expressive Text, Informative Text and Vocative Text, upon which twotranslation methods of Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation have been put forward. Hebelieves that, Semantic Translation, in general, is much more appropriate for translation of Expressive Text,now that it emphasizes the fidelity of the views, intention and features of the author in the source language,While, Communicative Translation, free from the restriction of form, can be better served for translation ofInformative Text and Vocative Text by focusing on the communicative effect, acceptability of audience, andthe significant information of source language. However, Newmark has also pointed out thatCommunicative Translation and Semantic Translation can never be treated independently and absolutely,and that, sometimes, only the combination of the two can achieve the very goal: accuracy and economy.First, the author has generalized the Chinese cultural factors affecting the interpretation of pressconferences by analyzing35typical examples from the transcriptions of the press conferences delivered bythe former Premier Zhu Rongji and his present counterpart Wen Jiabao during the NPC and CPPCCsessions from2000to2010. The factors include Chinese speech style; Chinese cultural images; idioms,classical allusions, quotations; some unique Chinese culture-loaded vocabulary and the likes.Second, aimed at these cultural factors, the study has explored strategies of the Chinese culturalfactors from Communicative Translation, Semantic Translation, and both Communicative Translation andSemantic Translation, and made exhaustive analysis to the practical applications of CommunicativeTranslation and Semantic Translation in Press Conference Interpreting. The author has found that, in most cases, the interpreters tend to apply Communicative Translation by removing or changing cultural images,modifying the tone of source language, removing confusing and insignificant information, and specifyinggeneral information, that Semantic Translation is mainly used to reserve the cultural image easily acceptedby the audience, to directly translate poems and quotations, and some unique Chinese culture-loadedvocabulary, and that both Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation are applied in very fewcases by adding implied information after literal translation to overcome some potential difficulties in PressConference Interpreting.Finally, based on the practical applications of the two strategies, the author has further explored thechoice between Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation as well as its grounds. In most cases,the interpreters tend to apply Communicative Translation, mainly due to the following factors: the specialnature of Press Conference Interpreting, their limited effort, limited time for comprehension and the limitedknowledge of Chinese culture on the audience part. Therefore, the interpreters are supposed to emphasizecommunicative effects and try to make their interpreting easier for the audience while reserving thecharacteristics of Chinese culture, rather than follow Semantic Translation strictly like in the field oftranslation.