Interpreting Practice Report Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Of World Learning Organization

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been broadly accepted all over the world, so the study of TCM interpreting is needed. The author is the interpreter for the TCM study group of World Learning Organization for one month. This study group is formed by different American students and those American students crave for more knowledge about TCM because they want to apply TCM in western medicine treatment thus getting better curative effect on patients. The report is written on the basis of this interpreting activity, and the author combines the theory with experience to discuss the characteristics and skills of TCM interpreting. Hopefully, this can provide some feasible advice and suggestions for the later research and study. At the same time, during the interpreting process, the author has encountered a lot of difficulties, for instance, the mistakes caused by the lack of background knowledge, the cultural difference, and the inappropriate way of delivering. The author will reflect and summarize those mistakes.This report has three chapters, and the first chapter introduces the background information and importance of the World Learning Organization. This organization provides people a wider stage to study, and it plays a very important role in cultural and academic exchanges. TCM study and learning is one of the activities held by the World Learning Organization, and the American students come afar from the other side of the Pacific Ocean to learn TCM, and the author is the interpreter for them. The second chapter illustrates the entire process of interpreting. The interpreter has multiple roles; he or she is not only an interpreter, but also a mediator. Medical interpreting is very distinctive because it includes the patients who need care and love, so the interpreter should works as lubricant for the communication to make the patients feel more comfortable. Besides, the preparation before interpreting is very important, it includes the preparation for the glossary, related knowledge and culture background, etc. For instance, the interpreter should not only learn the knowledge about TCM, but also the knowledge about western medicine, since the two has close relations.The third chapter reflects upon the mistakes to discuss the characteristics of TCM and summarize some related skills. In TCM interpreting, one thing that hinders the interpreter is the complexity and difficult of TCM language. Therefore, the interpreter should be very proficient in Chinese. Besides, the interpreter should know how to use its subjectivity to better shoulder the responsibility of culture transmitting. This report discusses another important question that is the interpreter should try to avoid the frustration of the patients by adding more polite words and do the pre-session. Based on these, the author has summarized five coping skills for TCM interpreting, omission, paraphrasing, literal translation, free translation and the use of visual aids.