The Effects Of Long Sentences On EN-CH Simultaneous Interpretation And Coping Tactics

This thesis explores the effects of long sentences on the quality of English-Chinese simultaneous interpretation. Based on relevant theories, this thesis discusses why long sentences occur more often in English than in Chinese, and what difficulties the long English sentences bring to simultaneous interpretation. The thesis also proposes coping tactics for improvement.It starts with Daniel Gile’s Effort Model and discusses the differences between English and Chinese. Then the thesis proposes three tactics (segmentation, waiting and summarization), before illustrating the effectiveness of these tactics.The introduction of related theories is followed by an empirical study designed to examine the effects of long sentences and coping tactics. Seven second-year student interpreters of GSTI trained for about four months in SI were asked to interpret simultaneously an excerpt of a speech delivered by Condoleezza Rice (then Secretary of State) on America’s transformational diplomacy. Criteria for performance evaluation were established, and statistical analysis conducted where quantitative analysis highlights the negative effects of long sentences on interpretation quality and the effectiveness of the tactics proposed in handling long sentences to ensure communication, and qualitative analysis confirms that effectiveness.Findings of the study demonstrate negative effects of long sentences on quality of E-C SI. The coping tactics, including segmentation, waiting and summarization, prove to be effective.