Strategies For Interpreting Fuzziness In Diplomatic Language Under The Interpretive Theory OA Case Study On Speeches In APEC 2014

Fuzziness is one of the most remarkable features of diplomatic language, and that brings challenges to interpreters. The study on fuzziness enjoys a long history, yet the rapid development of it started from 1960 s when Zadeh put forward the Fuzzy Set Theory. After that, fuzzy linguistics came into being. The current studies on fuzziness are mainly on semantic level, while studies on the translation of fuzziness are focused on literature field and gradually introduced to political and diplomatic field. However, studies on interpreting strategies of diplomatic fuzziness under the Interpretive Theory are numbered. On account of this, this thesis applies the triangular model of the Interpretive Theory to find out the interpreting strategies for diplomatic fuzziness in the speeches delivered by President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during APEC 2014. This thesis first introduces the triangular model of the Interpretive Theory and the core content of de-verbalization, and then provides a review of the three development stages and core concept of studies on fuzzy language as well as studies on the translation and interpretation of fuzzy language. Fuzziness at lexical, syntactic and discourse level is analyzed respectively, and its pragmatic functions, namely, generalization, euphemism and implication, easing tense relations, and withholding information, etc. are discussed. On this basis, this thesis summarizes the interpreting strategies the interpreters adopted on the interpretation of the selected remarks, namely, interpreting fuzziness by virtue of fuzziness, and interpreting fuzziness by virtue of clearness, the latter also includes methods such as omission, addition, and modification of the original language structure. This thesis is attempted to provide some feasible suggestions on the interpretation of diplomatic fuzziness.