Methods For Chinese Four-character Phrases Interpreting In NPC And CPPCC Press Conferences

Interpreting is an ancient human activity which antedates the invention of writing and translation. However, it had not been acknowledged as a profession until the end of the First World War. Ever since interpreting made its debut in the Paris Peace Conference of1919, it has attracted people’s great interest and has been developed rapidly.In NPC and CPPCC press conferences, Chinese government leaders often use four-character phrases in their speeches to answer questions pointed out by the journalists both at home and abroad. These four-character phrases are usually compact in meaning, symmetrical in form, and rhythmical in sound. However, it is never an easy job for an interpreter not only to interpret the meaning of these phrases to the utmost extent, but also make the interpretations totally acceptable by the target listeners in a few seconds. Over the years, the author has been very concerned about the "Two Sessions" press conferences and the interpreters’live interpreting. After the collection and analysis of these interpreting videos, the author finds out that all the interpreters used some interpreting methods systematically in the process of their interpreting. It is of great enlightening significance for the author herself and other interpreters and all the interpreting learners.Therefore, this thesis aims to study the methods for Chinese four-character phrases interpreting in NPC and CPPCC sessions press conferences under the guideline of the Interpretive Theory. The methods consist of borrowing, paraphrasing, compression, information supplement and explanatory interpreting. The analyzed materials are video-recorded press conference speeches during the "Two Sessions".