Consecutive Interpreting Strategies For Chinese Idioms In Diplomatic Setting Under "Effort Model"

Previous studies on interpreting strategies from the cognitive perspective mainly focus on simultaneous interpreting,nevertheless,consecutive interpreting is also a complex cognitive operation.Cognitive load,the key concept of cognitive operation,is the total amount of cognitive resources consumed in completing consecutive interpreting in a particular setting.Clarifying the cognitive load caused by specific chunks in consecutive interpreting helps the interpreter choose targeted interpreting strategies and avoid the risk of cognitive saturation.Therefore,the present study aims at delving into corresponding interpreting strategies in consecutive mode,by quantifying values of cognitive loads posed by Chinese Idioms.To ensure the homogeneity of the data,this study intends to control two variables of the interpreter's competence and the cognitive processing conditions on-site.Therefore,this study adopts consecutive interpreting for conferences of2015-2019 where the Foreign Minister Wang Yi answers questions from the press as data,which involve the same speaker,the same interpreter,and the same theme.Among three-character locutions,four-character idioms and multi-character proverbs,2 cases of each type are selected at random and all 30 cases(3 types*5 years*2cases)are arranged in positive order according to their appearance time.The present study employs Gile's Effort Model for consecutive interpreting and time-based resource-sharing(TBRS)model proposed by Barrouillet&Camos as a theoretical basis.The former focuses on abstracting the cognitive distribution in consecutive interpreting into mathematical inequalities,while the latter focuses on examining the relationship between the two cognitive functions of storage and processing in a limited time and provides a specific method for quantifying the cognitive load(CL).The combination of the two theories helps to concretize the cognitive resources consumed by consecutive interpreting and provide the interpreter a clue to employ targeted interpreting strategies,therefore,the interpreter can rationally allocate cognitive resources,eliminate the risk of cognitive saturation,and produce appropriate interpretation.This study intends to use the method employed in TBRS Model to quantify cognitive load.For the sake of time accuracy,the software Audition CC Portable is employed for timing(time in seconds)so as to obtain the time(t_a)spent by the interpreter to process a specific chunk and the time(T)the interpreter is allowed to process the chunk.As a result,CL=t_a/T;the maximum value of the cognitive load is 1.Since the average value often reflects the general level of a set of data,the sum of all cognitive loads values corresponding to each type of Idiom divided by the number of Idioms is adopted as average load value,which reflects the total amount of cognitive resources required in general when interpreting a certain type of Idioms.This can provide a clue for the interpreter to choose targeted interpreting strategies.The study finds that,first,the threat of cognitive saturation may occur regardless of types of Idioms,as suggested by values of three highest cognitive loads of 0.54,0.87 and 0.92 observed in interpreting three-character locutions,four-character idioms,and multi-character proverbs.Second,cognitive saturation occurs mainly in interpreting four-character idioms and multi-character proverbs,which is supported by the average values of cognitive loads of 0.64 and 0.72,values closer to the maximum value of the cognitive load,which equals 1.Third,the most frequently employed strategies are trope omission strategy and form-based interpreting strategy,with processed Idioms all being metaphoric expressions.The above findings corroborate the political nature in content and small flexibility in the language of diplomatic interpreting.The above findings have implications for interpreting practice:the interpreter can shorten the cognitive processing time through trope omission strategy or stalling strategy,to increase the capacity for available cognitive resources;or the interpreter can storage a certain amount of prefabricated chunks to activate more quickly the working memory,to allocate more energy to listening and comprehension to achieve automaticity in the production phase.