硕士学位论文-从目的论角度探讨陪同口译策略.doc

学校代码：10254 密级： 论文编号：上海海事大學SHANGHAI MARITIME UNIVERSITY硕士学位论文MASTER DISSERTATION 论文题目： 从目的论角度探讨陪同口译策略 学位专业： 外国语言学及应用语言学 作者姓名： 陈 嵘 指导教师： 史燕燕 副教授 完成日期： 二00九年六月 A Study on Escort Interpreting from the Perspective of Skopos TheoryByChen RongUnder the Supervision of Associate Professor Shi YanyanA Thesis Submitted to the College of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Maritime Universityin Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the MA Degree Shanghai Maritime UniversityJune, 2009A Study on Escort Interpreting from the Perspective of Skopos TheoryACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to take this chance to extend my deep appreciation to all those who contribute to the successful completion of this thesis.My most sincere gratitude goes to my supervisor, Associate Professor Shi Yanyan, for her valuable suggestions and her patience in making revisions and corrections of this thesis. Without her enlightening guidance, the completion of this paper would have been impossible.I am also indebted to all the teachers in the College of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Maritime University for their inspiring and interesting lectures, which have been of great value to me, and what I learned from their courses and lectures has laid the foundation for my research work. Special Thanks to Professor Wang Dawei, whose profound knowledge and enthusiasm in teaching aroused my interest in the study of interpreting.Last but not least, I would like to extend my thanks to my family and friends for their understanding, support, and encouragement all through the years. ABSTRACTEscort interpreting is probably the most frequently practiced form of interpreting today. Whenever people need to make a conversation but do not speak a common language, escort interpreting would occur. Moreover, the increasingly flourishing tourism industry of China, in which escort interpreting is most often conducted, has raised a greater demand for escort interpreters. The World Expo 2010 in Shanghai will certainly require more qualified escort interpreters. Though important as a profession, very little attention has been given to escort interpreting. Scholars seem to overlook the fact that escort interpreting has a much larger number of audiences, and hence it plays a significant role in cross-cultural communication. In order to further the study of escort interpreting as well as to improve the quality of escort interpreters in China, this dissertation intends to disclose the basic principles of escort interpreting and puts forward some practical strategies under the guidance of Skopos Theory. The key notion of this theory is that the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose (Skopos) of the overall translation activity. It thus provides theoretical support for the interpreters to take any appropriate strategy needed to realize the intended purpose of interpreting. This dissertation falls into five chapters: Chapter One briefly introduces the two basic concepts of this dissertation: escort interpreting and Skopos Theory, so as to clarify the theme of this dissertation, and then further illustrates the significance of exploring this topic. Chapter Two reviews the existing studies on escort interpreting. The limited number of existing researches reveals the fact that, escort interpreting has not gained much academic concern, although it is in hot demand. Chapter Three starts with an overview of the development of functionalism, and then analyzes Skopos Theory in details from its basic aspects: Skopos, translation brief, the rules of Skopos Theory, as well as the two principles of translation in Skopos Theory-adequacy and equivalence. Chapter Four first introduces the features shared by all forms of interpreting, and then explores the distinctive features of escort interpreting. Taking the unique features into consideration, the author proposes that escort interpreters should always bear the initiator in mind, try to be informative, flexible, concise, providing as much information about the target culture as possible, thus to offer satisfactory services for the guests. In Chapter Five, based on Skopos Theory, the author suggests some basic quality criteria of escort interpreting performance, and accordingly offers five possible strategies to achieve the specific purpose of escort interpreting under different circumstances: foreignization, amplification, omission, paraphrase, and adaption. The innovation of this thesis lies in that some of the examples are based on the authors personal experience as an escort interpreter. It is hoped that this thesis can arose more academic concern on escort interpreting, and give some insights to the improvement of present escort interpreting in China.Key words: escort interpreting, Skopos Theory, features, principles, strategies摘 要陪同口译可以说是目前使用频率最高、范围最广的口译形式。只要对话者之间所说的语言不同，陪同口译就会出现。并且，由于用到陪同口译最多的是旅游业，随着中国旅游业的蓬勃发展，对陪同口译人才的需求将越来越大。尤其是2010年上海世博会的召开，无疑需要更多的高水平陪同口译译员。尽管陪同口译十分重要，当前的口译研究关注更多的是会议口译，而很少有学者在陪同口译方面进行探讨。事实上，陪同口译涉及到的受众更为广泛，因而在文化交流中扮演着主要角色。本文试图运用目的论的观点阐释陪同口译的口译原则并提出相应的口译策略，旨在促进陪同口译的研究和译员水平的提高。目的论的核心是：决定翻译过程的最主要因素是整体翻译行为的目的。这一观点为口译员根据不同状况下口译的目的灵活地选择口译策略提供了理论基础。全文共分为五章：第一章简要介绍了本文的两个基本概念：陪同口译和目的论，以明确本文主题，并阐述了本文所研究课题的重要性。第二章回顾了现有的对陪同口译的研究。现有的在陪同口译方面的研究数量非常有限，说明陪同口译应该得到更多学术上的关注。第三章首先扼要接着通过介绍目的论的几个基本概念详细分析目的论的观念，包括目的，翻译要求，目的论三个主要法则,即目的法则,连贯法则和忠实法则以及其之间的紧密联系，以及目的论的两个翻译标准：充分，对等。第四章首先介绍陪同口译与其它形式的口译共有的特点，并探讨了其独有的特征。根据这些特点，笔者提出陪同口译应该遵循以下几项口译原则：考虑口译客户的目的，灵活，有趣，简洁，并尽可能保留中国特有文化。在第五章里，以目的论为指导，笔者总结出陪同口译的质量标准，并据此提出为达到不同场合下陪同口译的具体目的可以采取以下五种翻译策略：异化，增词，减词，解释及改写。本文的创新点在于，文中的部分实例来源于笔者作为陪同口译译员的实际经验。本文的目的在于引起学术界对陪同口译研究的更多关注，并且希望能够为目前中国陪同口译水平的提高起到一定作用。关键词：陪同口译，目的论，特点，原则，策略IVTable of ContentsChapter One Introduction.11.1 Definition of Escort Interpreting.21.2 Brief Introduction of Skopos Theory41.3 The Significance of Escort Interpreting5Chapter Two Literature Review72.1 Present Studies on Escort Interpreting.72.1.1 Research from the Perspective of Intercultural Communication.72.1.2 Research from the Perspective of Functionalism.82.1.3 Research from Other Perspectives92.2 Inadequate Academic Concern.10Chapter Three General Introduction of Skopos Theory123.1 Development of Functionalism.123.1.1 Katharina Reiss: Functionalist Translation Criticism123.1.2 Hans J. Vermeer: Skopos Theory133.1.3 Justa Holz-Mnttri: Theory of Translational Action143.1.4 Christiane Nord: Function plus Loyalty153.2 Basic Aspects of Skopos Theory163.2.1 Skopos163.2.2 Translation Brief173.2.3 Rules of Skopos Theory and Their Relations193.2.4 Adequacy and Equivalence203. 3 Contribution of Skopos Theory21Chapter Four Application of Skopos Theory to Escort Interpreting234.1 Features of Escort Interpreting234.1.1 Features of Interpreting234.1.2 Distinctive Features of Escort Interpreting244.1.2.1 Varied Working Settings244.1.2.2 Always with a Clear Skopos254.1.2.3 Several Operating Modes.264.1.2.4 Multiple Roles of Escort Interpreter.284.1.2.5 Heavily Culture-loaded.304.2 Basic Principles of Escort Interpreting Guided by Skopos Theory314.2.1 Taking the Initiator into Consideration314.2.2 Being Informative and Attractive324.2.3 Conciseness334.2.4 Flexibility354.2.5 Maintain Chinese Culture37Chapter Five Strategies Recommended for Escort Interpreting395.1 Quality Criteria for Escort Interpreting.395.1.1 Popular Quality Evaluation Criteria for Interpreting395.1.2 Quality Criteria for Escort Interpreting Under Skopos Theory405.2 Strategies Recommended for Escort Interpreting425.2.1 Foreignization425.2.2 Amplification445.2.3 Omission455.2.4 Adaption485.2.5 Paraphrase505.3 Summary51Conclusion52Bibliography54Chapter One IntroductionThe dynamic development of China has endowed the country with ever increasing international communications. Interpreting, an indispensable part in this process, has gained more and more attention. The study on interpreting, which is often subsumed into the general concept of translation, has experienced a profound development since the Second World War when simultaneous interpreting first came into being. However, it is still a relatively new area of research, and is still in the process of establishing itself as an independent discipline. With the booming of international business and the frequent contact among people of different cultures, interpreting is becoming a prosperous service industry. For example, demand on interpreters outstrips the supply in the present market, especially for conference interpreting as well as for simultaneous interpreting. Hence, scholars and practitioners are gearing their attentions to researches on conference interpreting and simultaneous interpreting. However, the author would like to devote her effort and time to the study of escort interpreting, which is worthy of similar exploration as that of conference as well as simultaneous interpreting but often left neglected. As is known to all, interpreting, simply defined as “immediate oral translation”, is about communication. Whenever people need to make a conversation but do not speak a common language, escort interpreting occurs, thus making it probably the most frequently practiced form of interpreting. Though playing a significant role in cross-cultural communications, escort interpreting has not obtained enough academic concern. Conference interpreters are often considered more professional, owing to the stringent requirements of kills in simultaneous interpreting or consecutive interpreting. Escort interpreters, on the other hand, are often taken part by tour guides or anyone that speaks both languages. Yet escort interpreting demands no less cultural knowledge or diversity of words. Escort interpreters are responsible for promoting a countrys culture and establishing a countrys image. It is therefore urgent to facilitate the study on escort interpreting so as to improve the standard of escort interpreting in China.Since the author is inspired by personal experiences, which are mostly escort interpreting of daily conversations or business talks, this thesis will accordingly focus on the discussion of daily escort interpreting.To have a better understanding of the theme of this dissertation, first of all, it is necessary to know what escort interpreting is and what Skopos Theory is about. This chapter is to give a brief introduction to some key concepts related to the topic and the significance of exploring this topic. 1.1 Definition of Escort Interpreting To define escort interpreting, we need to know, first of all, what interpreting is. Interpreting is a term used to refer to the oral translation of a spoken message or text (Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:83). In Skopos Theory, which is taken as the theoretical basis of this paper, interpreting is defined as “the translation of a source-language text, presented only once, usually in oral form, into a target-language text which is very difficult to check and can hardly be corrected because of the lack of time” (Nord, 2001:104). It means that interpreters are required to create a finished product under time constraints without the possibility of going back to make any repair or improvement. In other words, interpreting is non-correctable and non-verifiable (Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:84). This might be the most distinctive difference between translating and interpreting, and further determines other characteristics of interpreting. Theoretically, interpreting can be distinguished into different types from different perspectives. According to the context in which it occurs, there are community interpreting, conference interpreting and court interpreting; according to the way in which it is carried out, there are consecutive interpreting, liaison interpreting, simultaneous interpreting and whispered interpreting (Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:84). However, in real situations, because interpreting is a complicated activity, and is usually not conducted in a single form, it would be impossible and unnecessary to draw a clear borderline between different types of interpreting (梅德明, 2006:18). That explains why interpreting is classified into different types by different scholars, and why a considerable amount of overlap is found between some of the categories. According to Professor Chen Gang (2008), professional interpreting usually includes three kinds: conference interpreting, business interpreting and escort interpreting. Escort interpreting is liaison interpreting, a type of interpreting in which an individual who speaks two languages mediates in a conversation between two or more individuals who do not speak each others tongue (Keith, qtd. Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:93). Escort interpreting almost stretches to all walks of life that involve international communication, including medical consultations, teacher/parent interviews, court cases, business negotiations, receptions, business presentations and many more.The origin of the word “interpreting” may help us understand better the main task of escort interpreting. The verb “interpret” came from the Latin word interpretari, which means “explain”; interpres, the noun form of interpretari, means “a negotiator” (刘宓庆, 2003:2). In this statement, the role of escort interpreter is well demonstrated. Different from conference interpreting, escort interpreting often takes place in less official settings, such as in business talks, sight-seeing tours and education or cultural contacts. As a result, the expressions and diction used in escort interpreting are comparatively less formal and more colloquial. What the interpreters do is accompany visiting individuals or delegates, and explain whatever the foreign guests need to know about the target country and its culture.Since escort interpreting generally entails much traveling, Professor Chen Gang argues that we can use another more objective term to describe it: guide interpreting (陈刚, 2008). Therefore, in the literature review of this topic, studies in the name of liaison interpreting or guide interpreting will also be referred to. Nevertheless, because escort interpreting, as previously stated, involves not only tours but also meetings and interviews, the author considers the term escort interpreting as the most appropriate expression, which indicates both the settings in which it is used and the mode in which it is carried out. More information about escort interpreting, such as its distinctive features and principles, will be further introduced in Chapter Four.1.2 Brief Introduction of Skopos TheorySkopos Theory (German Skopostheorie) is an approach to translation developed by Hans J. Vermeer in 1978, and is the most important theory on which functionalism is based (Nord, 2001:138). It is adopted as the theoretical framework for the present study. Skopos is a Greek word for purpose. In Skopos Theory, translation is considered as an action carried out by a person who has a specific communication goal. Skopos theory argues that the shape of target text should above all be determined by the function or purpose that it is intended to fulfill in the target context (Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:156). As Nord (2001:27) puts it, “the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose (Skopos) of the overall translational action.” Therefore, the offer of translation is determined by its purpose, and the purpose can vary according to the recipient. An awareness of the requirement of the Skopos “expands the possibilities of translation, increases the range of possible translation strategies, and releases the translator from the corset of an enforced-and hence often meaningless-literalness” (Vermeer, qtd. Shuttleworth & Cowie, 2004:156). Skopos Theory has been and continues to be extensively applied in translator training. The novelty of this theory is that it situates translation at all stages not only within a communicative framework but more precisely in the middle of market forces. Students are made to realize from the start that the aim of translation is to be of use to people who need it and who may have their own requirements (Lederer, 2008).Vermeer claims that since Skopos Theory is a general theory of translation, it applies to both translating and interpreting (Nord, 2001:104). The author of this paper holds the view that the key notion of Skopos Theory naturally matches with the distinctive feature of escort interpreting. Chapter Three will give a detailed analysis of Skopos Theory to justify that it is particularly applicable to the study of escort interpreting.1.3 The Significance of Escort InterpretingThe world has been impressed with the rapid economic growth of China in recent years. Along with the dynamic all-round development comes the ever increasing international connectivity. Thus the study of interpreting, as an indispensable part of international communicati