Excessive Redundancy In Chinese-English Consecutive Interpreting And Its Coping Strategies

Redundancy,which can be proper or improper,is commonplace in interpreting.If improper,it is either because there is a lack of redundancy,which makes it hard to transmit the idea,or because there is an excess,which makes communication inefficient.The thesis first introduces the definition of redundancy based on information theory and looks to the notion of redundancy in other disciplines,one being translation and interpreting studies.The thesis then discusses two scenarios of improper redundancy respectively,with the focus on excessive redundancy.After analyzing the interpretation,the author finds that cases of excessive redundancy appear mostly in two phases of consecutive interpreting,namely,the listening and analyzing phase,and the re-expressing phase.In the first phase,causes of excessive redundancy include a)inability to distinguish essential and accessory information and b)failure to grasp the logic;whereas in the second phase,causes include a)negative transfer of the Chinese language,b)self-correction,c)being unaware of the context,d)inability to self-monitor and e)unfamiliarity with terms.The author then proposes possible solutions to each of them accordingly.To improve listening and analyzing skills,the author believes an interpreter should a)practice regularly consecutive interpreting without notes and b)cultivate the habit of logical thinking.To improve reexpressing skills,an interpreter should a)think like an English native,b)have a reservoir of idiomatic expressions,c)have the context in mind,d)actively monitor oneself when speaking and e)get prepared and familiarize oneself with terms.