A Research On Fuzzy Message In Diplomatic Interpreting And Corresponding Interpreting Tactics

The thesis will be based on a descriptive study on the fuzzy messages in Chinesediplomatic language and the tactics adopted by DI1interpreters to render the fuzzymessages during diplomatic interpreting. The most well recognized definitions,characteristics and classifications of fuzziness are also introduced as the foundation ofthis study.Because of China’s frequent foreign affairs, the ever important diplomaticinterpreting calls for theories to support interpreting practice. As a comparatively newdiscipline, fuzzy linguistics starts to attract worldwide attention since theestablishment of “fuzzy sets” theory by L. A. Zadeh. Although it is believed that“fuzziness” is an intrinsic quality of natural language, there are also a lot of scholarsdoubt the existence of “fuzziness” in the language under formal and stringent settings,such as medical, legal, and diplomatic language. In this thesis, I will attempt to do aresearch on the existence, classification, characteristics and functions of fuzziness inChinese diplomatic language, as well as the interpreting tactics adopted byprofessional diplomatic interpreters to properly transfer the fuzziness in Chinese intoEnglish, without distorting the intention of China’s spokesmen.This thesis will be based on the study of authentic material collected from thereal settings of C-E diplomatic interpreting. The corpus of the thesis is mainlyextracted from the transcripts of the interpretation for the spokesmen at the latestpress conferences during the two Sessions after NPC and CPPCC. During theconferences, China’s Premier or Foreign Minister answer to the questions of pressesfrom all over the world about China’s policies, covering both China’s major policiesinward and its attitude on hot issues in the range of the whole world. Furthermore, allof the chosen conferences are official and formal and can be seen by audiences from all over the world, thus both the content and language of the chosen corpus are typicalto China’s diplomatic interpreting. Besides, the interpreters of the chosen corpus areprofessional diplomatic interpreters of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs whoseinterpreting skills and competence are outstanding and well recognized, whichcontribute to the suitability of their interpretation to be used as material to analyze thefuzziness in diplomatic interpreting.This research may provide possible solutions for those who intend to becomediplomatic interpreters. When they encounter the same or similar types of fuzziness inChinese diplomatic language, the tactics summarized by studying the collected corpusin this thesis may provide possible references as solutions for them to properlytransfer the fuzziness into English while keeping the intention of the speakers,protecting China’s interests and clarifying China’s policies and political attitude.