Wang, B and Gu, Y (2016) An evidence-based exploration into the effect of language-pair specificity in English-Chinese simultaneous interpreting. Asia Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies, 3 (2). pp. 146-160. ISSN 2330-6343
Abstract
Whether and how language-pair specificity affects the process and product of interpreting is a recurring implicit topic of debate in interpreting studies. Previous discussions have touched upon this issue in Japanese/English and German/English interpreting, with little attention to its role in Chinese/English interpreting. This study focuses on the effect of structural asymmetry between English and Chinese on English-Chinese simultaneous interpreting performance, which is exemplified by right-branching structures in English and left-branching structures in Chinese. Based on a naturalistic observation of three professional interpreters’ on-site simultaneous interpretations of the same speech, it investigates two major questions: a) Does structural asymmetry between English and Chinese constitute particular difficulties in the interpreters’ interpreting performance? b) If yes, how does such language-pair specificity affect their interpreting product? While previous interpreting studies generally consider that the interpreting product is shaped by three major variables including the interpreter’s interpreting competence, cognitive conditions on the site and norms of interpreting, findings of the present study suggest that language-pair specificity functions as another variable in English-Chinese interpreting. It implies the necessity of considering it in the theoretical account of interpreting between languages such as English and Chinese that involve significant contrasts in linguistic structure and cultural conceptualization.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Asia Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies on 14 July 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/ 10.1080/23306343.2016.1182238 |
Keywords: | Language-pair specificity; Structural asymmetry; English-Chinese simultaneous interpreting; Observational study |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Languages Cultures & Societies (Leeds) > Translation Studies (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 26 May 2016 14:20 |
Last Modified: | 14 Jan 2018 01:38 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23306343.2016.1182238 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/23306343.2016.1182238 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:100179 |