On Application of Relevance Theory in Interpretation

1、On Application of Relevance Theory in Interpretation【Abstract】AsRelevanceTheoryprovidesanewperspectiveintointerpretation，whichisthecognitiveperspective，thispaperssetsouttofirst，elaborateontheinterpretingprocessespeciallytheunderstandingandreproductionprocessandthentoanalyzeinterpretationunderthefram

2、eworkofrelevancetheorytofurtherdiscussunderstandingandreproductionasanostensive-inferentialcommunicativeprocessinordertoachieveoptimalreferenceandseveralexamplesarerenderedforyourreference.【Keywords】relevancetheory;ostensive-inferentialprocess;optimalrelevance【作者简介】田甜，湖北经济学院法商学院，讲师，研究方向：口译理论与口以教学。主编

3、?商务口译?教材并参编?中级口译?等教材。著有译著?农庄男孩?华丽的地图?等。Chapter1InterpretingProcessundertheframeworkofRelevanceTheoryInterpretingprocess，especiallyinformationprocessingcanbebestaccountedundertheframeworkofRelevanceTheoryputforwardbyD.SperberandD.Wilson.RelevanceTheoryimpliesthatinthecognitiveprocess，to“makeinference

4、isthecoreofcommunication.苗兴伟，1997Intheinterpretingprocess，understandingisnotonlyadecodingofthestoredinformationprocessbutalsoanostensive-inferentialprocess.Whenthetwocommunicatorsarefromdifferentcountrieswithdifferentlanguage，interpretationisthusrequiredtoserveasathirdpartytohelpthehearertogettheinf

5、ormativeintentionandthecommunicativeintention.Interpretationisthusanactivecommunicativeprocessfacilitatedbyathirdpartybesidesthetwomaincommunicatorsthespeakerandthelistener，whichrequiresoraltransferenceofmessage.Thus，theostensive-inferentialprocessisunusualfromtheonewithonlytwomaincommunicatorsandth

6、einterpreteristhereceiverofthemessageorinformationdeliveredbythespeakerandisatthesametimethesenderoftheprocessedmessagetothehearer.Thekeystagesofinterpretingprocesswhicharetheunderstandingandreproductioniscomprisedoftwoostensive-inferentialprocesses.Oneisinunderstanding，inwhichtheostensiveactismadeb

7、ythespeakerandinferenceismadebytheinterpreter.Theotherisinreproduction，inwhichtheostensiveactismadebytheinterpreterandtheinferenceismadebythetargethearer.Howthetwoostensive-inferentialprocessesareconductedwillbefurtherelaboratedonbelow.Inunderstanding，theinterpretershoulddecodetheoriginalspeechandgr

8、aspitscoremeaning，whichcanalsobereferredtoastheprocessofdeverbalization.Thecoremeaningistheintentionexpressedbythespeaker，whichiscomposedoftheinformativeintentionandthecommunicativeintention.Theinformativeintentionisclearlyunderstoodbutthecommunicativeintentioniscloselycontext-related.Theinterpreter

9、shouldexpressboththeinformativeintentionandthecommunicativeintention，withthecommunicativeintentionthepriority.Theinformativeintention，atsometime，needstogivewaytocommunicativeintentionwhenitisnecessary.UndertheRelevanceTheoryframework，“thespeechimpliesaguaranteetoproviderelevanceforcomprehension.周穎，2

10、020：32Inseekingforrelevancefromhiscontextualassumptions，theinterpreterinfersthespeakersintentioninthelightofhisown，cognitiveenvironments.Thus，basedondifferentculturalbackgroundorcognitivecapabilities，theinterpreterandthespeakerscognitiveenvironmentscanbetotallydifferent，thus，inordertointerpretfaithf

11、ullytheintentionofthespeaker，theinterpretershouldselecacontextclosetotheoriginalspeechandthenmakeinferencebasedonthecontext.Examplesarerenderedasfollows：Example1：过去的两年我们是在极其困难条件下走过来的。人民用坚实的步伐走过了不平坦的道路，这将会在历史上留下印迹。Underverytoughcircumstances，wehavecoveredaneventfulcourseinthepasttwoyears.Chinesepeopl

12、ehavegonethroughanextraordinaryjourneywithsolidsteps.Itwillleaveanimprintintheannalsofhistory.“走过来不平坦“走过来whichrespectively，literallymeans“surviveor“undergo“experienceand“不平坦means“uneven“unsmoothor“tough.Thosearetheinformativeintentiontalkedaboutpreviously，theexplicitandliteralmeaning.However，thecomm

13、unicativeintentionconveyedtotallydifferent.Iftheinterpretercangetrelatedtothecognitiveenvironmentsofthespeakerandfindacontextascloseenoughtotheoriginalspeakers，hewillunderstandthespeechas“coveredaneventfulcourseand“gothroughanextraordinaryjourney.Chapter2ToAchieveOptimalRelevance“Everyactofostensive

14、communicationcommunicatesapresumptionofitsownoptimalrelevanceSperberandWilson2020Interpreter，servingasthereceiveraswellasthesenderofinformation，notonlyunderstandingisanostensive-inferentialcommunicativeprocess，butalsoreproduction.Thus，optimalrelevancehasbeenputforwardundertheframeworkofRelevanceTheo

15、ry.Interpretershouldconsiderthehearerscognitiveenvironmentsandsendstheoriginalspeakersintentiontothetargethearerinanostensiveway.Example2：IfBeijingissuccessful，itmightopenupaPandorasboxwithseveralcountrieslikeIndiademandingthereturnoftheirrelics.假如北京申遺成功，印度等几个国家也会要求归还他们的遗产，这必将导致一系列问题。TheidiomPandora

16、sboxisobviouslyculturally-loaded，thecontextualassumptionoftheidiomisnotinthehearsexistingcognitiveenvironments.Theinterpretershouldreconsiderthehearerscognitiveenvironmentstoachieveoptimalrelevanceasthegoalofreproduction，thusthehearerscanmakelittleprocessingeffortsinfindingrelevanceandgetmuchcontext

17、ualeffects，astheoptimalrelevanceproposed.Thus，sofarasIamconcerned，“潘多拉的盒子withadditionispreferred，whichisbetterbelike“像翻开了潘多拉的盒子一样带来一系列问题.Thus，fromarelevancetheoreticalaccountoftheinterpretation，relevanceisofsignificantimportancewhichcanbeillustratedbelowbytheroletheinterpretershouldperformasbothrece

18、iverandsenderofinformation.Chapter3ConclusionInterpretation，asaprofessionisgivenintogreatattention.Interpretation，howeverisalsoacommunicativeprocessandindoinginterpretation，theprocessoftheinterpretersunderstandingorcomprehensionofthespeechisalsoacomplicatedcognitiveprocess.Itmanifestsinthedifferentcognitiveenvironmentsduetodifferentcommunicativeoccasions，socialandculturalbackgroundsandthecontextualassumptionstheinterpreterneedtomakeundercertaincommunicativeoccasionsandhiscapabilitiestomakeinferences.Thus，theinterpretershouldmobilizea