The Effect Of Interpreting Task Complexity On The Production Of Europeanized Chinese In English-Chinese Consecutive Interpreting

This is an exploratory empirical study of Europeanization of Chinese in theconsecutive interpretation of interpreter candidates. In this study, Europeanization ofChinese is defined by both syntax and grammar manifested in the rendering of theChinese interpretation. Based on Robinson’s Triadic Componential Framework (TCF),Gile’s Effort Model and Language Contact Theory, the author aims to firstly explorethe correlation between the increase of task complexity and the escalation of ChineseEuropeanization in the consecutive interpreting of new learners. Then, the studyendeavors to identify the major patterns of Europeanization. In the end, the paper triesto assess the impact of the Europeanization on the overall interpreting performance ofthe subjects of this study.The author conducted an experiment on37student interpreters. They were askedto carry out two interpretation tasks with different complexity and each of themproduced two Chinese renditions. First, as Robinson(2007) proposed that taskcomplexity was determined by six dimensions in two categories, that is,resource-directing and resource-depleting, the author manipulated the task complexityof the two interpreting tasks with three dimensions:“+/-reasoning”,“+/-fewelements” and “+/-prior knowledge”. Then, based on Europeanization patternsconcluded by Wang (王力，1985), the author listed eight patterns relating to sentencestructure and grammar as the criteria for identifying Europeanized sentences in therenditions. According to the criteria, the number of Europeanized sentences in twointerpreting renditions of each subject was counted respectively so as to measure thedegree of Europeanization and identify major patterns of Europeanized Chinese. Next,SPSS17.0was used to analyze if there was a significant difference inEuropeanization degrees between the two renditions of each subjects. In this way,whether a positive correlation between task complexity of interpretation and ChineseEuropeanization exists can be perceived. Meanwhile, according to Gile’s EffortModel, Language Contact Theory and face-to-face interviews of all the subjects, the author tried to pinpoint reasons leading to Europeanized Chinese in interpretation.Finally, a questionnaire was designed to investigate native Chinese’s attitudes towardsEuropeanization of Chinese in order to see how Europeanization of Chinese affectsinterpreting performance.This research reveals that more complex interpreting tasks tend to result in moreEuropeanized sentences. And major patterns and reasons of Europeanization ofChinese in Interpretation are concluded. Research findings of this thesis will be usedas references for future studies of Task-based interpreting teaching and of interpretingquality assessment from the perspective of market.