The Effects Of Pre-task Preparation On Interpreting Quality

Interpreting demands interpreters of sound language proficiency in both the source language and target language alongside familiarity with knowledge and terminology about the given task.Preparation is therefore crucial.The report derives from a lecture interpreted by the author---Pushing Limits,at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.Based on Schema Theory,the report aims to analyze how pre-task preparation affects the quality of interpreting.Schema can be classified into language schema,content schema,and formal schema.Accordingly,preparation include terminologies,background information,and discourse formats.Through the lens of Schema Theory,the author looks at the parts of the interpretation that the author did expect in preparation and the other parts that the author's preparation failed to cover.The report shows that language and content schema is crucial to the interpreting task,and formal schema can help establish an organized structure of information in the mind of the interpreter.It's also noticeable that schema can negatively impact interpretation if interpreters become so reliant on schema that they even arbitrarily change the content of the source language.Therefore,the interpreter should collect as many schemata as possible while listening attentively to avoid distorting the message.