On The Interpreter's Initiative In Contingencies In Consecutive Interpreting Assignments

Inspired by studies of the interpreter's visibility and the Cooperative Principle,this paper discusses the role of the interpreter's initiative in contingencies in consecutive interpreting assignments.The paper approaches the issue with a case study of a foreign-aid project interpreting assignment from a university.Based on the analysis,the author argues that consecutive interpreters should take initiative in responding on the spot to unexpected situations,namely interaction obstacles,interpreters' faux pas,challenges from speakers' expressions,added tasks or requirements,and technical problems.The interpreter's initiative in contingencies refers to a mental and physical breakthrough from the role of a passive conduit of linguistic symbols and active engagement in facilitating the communication among related parties.And the initiative can be demonstrated through proactive inquiries,timely feedback,appropriate suggestions,among other communicating skills.Furthermore,in terms of the timing of communication and the degree of activeness in contingencies,four suggestions are recommended:Firstly,the contribution should be as informative as is required in response to the current unexpected situation.Secondly,information validity should be guaranteed with adequate evidence.Thirdly,the relevance to the context should be considered for the timing of interference.And lastly an effective contribution in contingencies should be clear and orderly and avoid ambiguity or obscurity.This paper consists of five parts.The first part introduces the research background and significance,research questions and methods,the interpreting task,and the structure of the paper.The second part is a literature review from the perspectives of consecutive interpreting,contingencies,communication,and the interpreter's role,with a special focus on studies on the interpreter's visibility and the Cooperative Principle.The third part presents the process of the interpreting assignment with introductions of states before,during and after it.The fourth part discusses the role of the interpreter's initiative in contingencies with the analysis of cases selected from the interpreting assignment.The last part is a conclusion.