Syntactic Linearity In Simultaneous Interpreting Based On The Theory Of Thematic Progression

Simultaneous interpreting(SI), seems a mission impossible. It requiresinterpreters to become someone who knows something about everything,someone who can perform well under great pressure. The profession calls fornot only a good command of both English and Chinese, encyclopedicknowledge, but also necessary skills and techniques to fulfill its task.The thesis tries to prove that syntactic linearity, one of the most importantskills, is effective and feasible in SI from the perspective of thematicprogression. The theory of thematic progression offers a new way to cutsentences on the basis of theme-rheme, which is helpful in simultaneousinterpreting. The thesis analyzes how thematic progression works in English andChinese interpretation based on a case analysis(a speech by President Obamapaying his first visit to Shanghai, China) and how textual function is realizedthrough Given-New System, Cohesion System and Rhetorical devices. Torealize syntactic linearity, some tactics and techniques, such as repetition,simplification, segmentation, conversion, are required to master.The thesis will analyze how thematic progression is realized in the sourcelanguage and the target language and effects on interpretations if following thethematic progression in the source language. What’s more, tactics of SI will helpachieve syntactic linearity. Based on the analysis and study by the author, it isconcluded that interpreters may follow the thematic progression of the sourcelanguage and transfer it into the target language to make syntactic linearitypossible, and necessary adjustments are inevitable if such a thematicprogression cannot be fully reflected into the target language.