The Impact Of Fast Impromptu Speeches On The Performance Of Simultaneous Interpreters

This thesis is a case study of students' classroom C-E SI performance.Through interpreting quality evaluation,the author explores the impact of fast impromptu speeches and densities of technical information on interpreting performance.By referring to a professional interpreter's SI performance on the spot,both quantitative and qualitative analysis are used to explain factors affecting student interpreters' performance so as to provide insights for C-E SI teaching and for student interpreters to improve their competence.This thesis first adopts error analysis to identify error categories and frequencies and then conducts a quantitative analysis on interpreting performance by using the information units proposed by Cai Xiaohong.Based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis,the thesis expounds on factors affecting interpreters' performance and points out that student interpreters' performance would not stay close to that of the professional interpreter when they encounter high density of technical information in fast impromptu speeches.The results obtained in this study are as follows:for student interpreters with good language and interpreting background,1)when it comes to fast impromptu speeches with high information density,student interpreters with L1 advantages can proactively adopt techniques and strategies to process information,their correct rates of translated information units are as good as that of the professional interpreter;2)when it comes to high density of technical information,a lack of technical knowledge impedes student interpreters from comprehending and reformulating messages,and consequently from adopting interpreting techniques and strategies.As a result,their correct rates of translated information units are significantly lower than that of the professional interpreter;3)knowledge is the main factor affecting SI performance of student interpreters and the precondition for using interpreting techniques and strategies.Therefore,the thesis argues that technical knowledge as the primary weakness should be regarded as a breakthrough target for improving interpreting competence.The finding of the thesis is basically consistent with cognitive knowledge,the core concept in the Interpretive Theory of Translation(ITT).Yet ITT proposes cognitive knowledge but does not clarify it in details.In order to guide student interpreters to build their systems of cognitive knowledge by its definition,the author tries to clarify it as follows:cognitive knowledge,or cognitive baggage to be precisely,mainly consists of world knowledge,theme knowledge and term knowledge.Based on the abovementioned definition,this thesis proposes specific measures to accumulate world knowledge,theme knowledge and term knowledge respectively.For the reference of student interpreters,the author provides materials related to theme and term knowledge of China's financial reform in Appendixes 6 and 7.Student interpreters can use these materials for building up knowledge or as examples of creating materials of other field knowledge.