Introduction and training skills for simultaneous interpretation

Introduction and training skills for simultaneous interpretation

In most cases, simultaneous interpretation is completed through conference equipment. The interpreter sits in a special interpretation box, listens to the speaker's speech through headphones, and then uses the microphone to convey the original speaker's speech in the translator's language to the audience of the conference. The audience uses the headphones to select the language channel they need. Accept translation services.

Compared with consecutive interpretation, simultaneous interpretation has the following advantages:

(1) In simultaneous interpretation, speech and translation are performed at the same time, and meeting time is not occupied

(2) Simultaneous interpretation can use electronic equipment to translate multiple languages ????at the same time

(3) In large-scale international conferences, interpreters can sometimes obtain speech manuscripts in advance and Make preparations to improve translation accuracy. Therefore, 90% of international conferences are now conducted using simultaneous interpretation.

Simultaneous interpretation can be divided into the following situations:

(1) Conventional simultaneous interpretation: In translation, the translator does not have a manuscript, and only listening, thinking, and interpreting come Complete simultaneous interpretation work at the same time

(2) Sight translation: The interpreter gets the speaker's written speech, listens to the speaker's speech, reads the manuscript, and interprets at the same time

(3) Whisper interpretation: No need to use simultaneous interpretation equipment. The interpreter listens to the speaker's speech while interpreting in the ears of the delegates.

(4) Simultaneous reading: The interpreter gets the written translation, listens to the speaker's reading, and reads the translation. In simultaneous reading, you need to pay attention to the content that the speaker adds and subtracts during the process of reading the paper. Sometimes the speaker may suddenly speak off the script.

The working procedure of simultaneous interpretation

The working procedure of simultaneous interpretation may be simply expressed as:

That is, the original speaker speaks at the rostrum of the conference hall ( Or the venue) speaks into the microphone, and the simultaneous interpreter sits in a special interpretation box to listen to the original language information through headphones, and at the same time accurately conveys the original language information in the target language, and conveys the information through the microphone. The face-to-face audience receives the translated content through headphones. In the above-mentioned simultaneous interpretation procedures, the following aspects will have an impact on the quality of simultaneous interpretation:

(1) Spokesperson: the sender of the message. The speech content, speech speed, speech logic, speech accent, etc. all have an impact on the simultaneous interpreter's understanding of the original language, which in turn affects the overall translation quality

(2) Simultaneous interpreter: Simultaneous interpreter It is the key to the success or failure of translation. Simultaneous interpreters must be able to "multi-task" in their work. Listening, thinking, memorizing, and translating must be completed almost at the same time. Therefore, simultaneous interpretation work is extremely challenging

(3) Simultaneous interpretation equipment: The translation results of simultaneous interpreters must have the best equipment to be accepted by the audience. In simultaneous interpretation activities, the interpreter must be familiar with the operation of the equipment. Especially when multi-lingual translation requires "relay interpreting", you should be proficient in operating the equipment. Simultaneous interpreters are generally required to arrive at the site 30 minutes before work to test the equipment. During the inspection, if any problem is found, the relevant technical personnel should be found immediately to solve it. During the interpretation process, there should always be an equipment technician on duty to resolve emergency issues.

How to learn simultaneous interpretation

With the development of economic globalization, there are more and more international exchanges, and there is an increasing demand for professional translators, especially simultaneous interpreters. . Many students who have graduated from foreign language majors hope to receive some professional training in this area.

The following introduces several ways to improve the professional level of interpretation.

(1) Formal professional training:

Formal professional training mainly refers to entering colleges and universities or specialized translation training institutions to receive professional degree (diploma) education. Most simultaneous interpreters before the 1970s did not have the opportunity to receive formal professional training. They mainly relied on the experience and talent of the interpreters to perform various translation tasks.

Today, translation courses have become core courses in many foreign language colleges. Specialized translation schools and translation departments are also found all over the world. Just take English-Chinese translation as an example: The following schools in the UK offer master's degree courses in English-Chinese bilingual translation: the university of westminster, bath university, the university of new castle, etc.; the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, the United States, and the university of griffith in Australia , the University of Auckland in New Zealand, etc. also offer master's degree courses in English-Chinese translation. In China, translation (including oral and written translation) has always been a required course for foreign language majors. Due to teacher shortages, some colleges and universities are unable to offer interpretation classes. At present, the more influential institutions in China that offer courses in interpretation and translation majors include: Beijing Foreign Studies University School of Advanced Translation, Department of Translation, College of English, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Department of Foreign Languages, Xiamen University, etc. In addition, the Translation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also provides specialized vocational training for hired translators. Schools offering translation degree courses in Hong Kong and Taiwan include: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, National Normal University in Taiwan, Fu Jen Catholic University, etc.

(2) On-the-job training:

Very few translators can start working immediately as soon as they join an organization. Some larger institutions will provide them with certain on-the-job training and regular business training to improve their professional skills. For example, the translators recruited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China every year must undergo about one year of on-the-job training in the translation room training center before they can actually translate. Some highly technical institutions will also provide specialized technical training for translators. Make translators familiar with the working environment and master basic skills.

(3) Self-training:

Another very important way to improve simultaneous interpretation skills is self-training. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to receive specialized vocational training. Some translators have been working on the front line for a long time and have good language foundation and psychological quality. If they understand the content and main methods of simultaneous interpretation training, they can train themselves. However, the training of simultaneous interpretation is an arduous process. Learners must have perseverance, patience and determination, and formulate practical learning plans to gradually improve their simultaneous interpretation level. Of course, not everyone can learn simultaneous interpretation. It requires learners to have a solid bilingual foundation, good psychological quality, and certain basic steps and common methods for professional training in continuous interpretation.

①Shadow exercise

Shadowing exercise is also called original language or monolingual retelling exercise. It means reading the speaker's speech or pre-recorded news recordings, meeting materials, etc. in the same language almost simultaneously. The purpose of this training is to develop the interpreter's split of attention and simultaneous interpretation skills of listening and speaking simultaneously. When doing shadow practice, you can start synchronously with the original language at the beginning. After a period of practice, you can read the original language in one sentence a moment after the original language starts. When reading the original language, you should not only copy the parrot, but also make sure that your ears are listening (original language), your mouth is speaking (repeating the same language), and your brain is thinking (language content). After reading a 5-8 minute speech or news, you should be able to outline the main content of the original language. In the later stage of shadow practice, "interference" practice can be arranged, that is, while listening and speaking are performed simultaneously, the hands also move. Students are required to start writing from 999, and then write 999, 998, 9997... in a reciprocal manner. Shadow practice can be carried out for 3-5 weeks (2-4 hours per week) depending on the individual's basis. The practice form is relatively free. This practice can be done while listening to the radio, watching TV, or listening to reports.

When students become familiar with the practice and want to speak synchronously in the translator's language, they can move to the next stage of practice.

②Primitive Overview

The primitive overview exercise is a continuation of the shadow exercise. That is, after students finish reading a speech in the original language, they stop and use their memory to summarize what they just read in the same language and summarize the core ideas of the speech. For example: "On April 8 we have noticed the news of japanese prime minister morihiro hosokawa's resignation. this is an internal affairs of japan. prime minister hosokawa has made a valuable effort to promote sino-japanese friendly relations.we hope that sino-japanese relations can continue stable and healthy development." can be summarized as: "japanese prime minister resigned.we hope this will not have impact on sino-japanese relations." When starting to do this type of exercise, the interval can be relatively short, and after the students master After the essentials, gradually lengthen it. The purpose of the original language overview exercise is to cultivate students' short-term memory and the habit of listening, speaking, and thinking (grasping the core content).

③Overview of the target language

The translation overview exercise is to summarize the source language content in the translator language after the original language overview exercise has been carried out for a period of time. The purpose is to consolidate the synchronization of listening and speaking and gradually transition to true simultaneous interpretation. During practice, translators do not need to overemphasize sentence structure and specific content, but should cultivate the central idea and main information points of the original language in concise translator language. For example: "the protection of the environment is a vital component of continued economic development.here and in hong kong decades of explosive growth have taken a toll on the environment resulting in air and water pollution, destruction of the natural environment, traffic congestion and deforestation . not only does this discourage further economic investment and encourage industries already here for relocate, but it also makes it increasingly difficult for guangdong to enter into the next level of economic development." It can be summarized in human language-Chinese as: "environment Protection is an important factor in sustainable economic development. //Guangdong and Hong Kong have learned lessons in this regard in the past. //Environmental protection is the guarantee for Guangdong to attract more investment and move its economy to a higher level.

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④Sight translation: Sight translation

means that the simultaneous interpreter holds the speaker’s speech, listens to the speech, reads the original, and interprets simultaneously. When practicing, the first step is to find some speech scripts with translations, listen to the speech recordings, and do "simultaneous reading" while gradually transitioning to interpreting without reading the translation scripts only in a short time. Read the original text once to understand the main content of the speech and make "pre-translation preparations" for language and professional difficulties

⑤Tape practice

Simultaneous interpretation is a highly practical activity. , the skills involved can only be mastered by learners through daily practice. Therefore, it is necessary to do a lot of practice in daily life to become a truly qualified simultaneous interpreter. Generally, institutions that formally train simultaneous interpreters require trainees to do so in addition to classes. In addition to the training, nearly 300 tape-hours of intensive listening and refining are required. The content of the tape exercises should be rich and colorful, with a wide range of topics and complete tones, and should include recordings or recordings of speeches at international conferences in both languages. When practicing, you can record your translation and analyze it to find out the shortcomings and mistranslations. The mastery of any skill requires daily accumulation and hard practice.

⑥Simulation conference

This exercise is mainly aimed at organized classroom teaching. Interpreters who learn simultaneous interpretation can organize several or more enthusiasts to do this exercise together. The exercise requires the use of simultaneous interpretation. Interpretation equipment. The students are assigned simulation meeting topics in advance, such as: "Environmental Protection and Sustainable Economic Development", "Population Control and Economic Development", "Teaching and Learning in the Internet Era", etc. Students are required to prepare 5-10 A two-minute speech (one in Chinese and one in English) requires students to organize meetings, take turns to speak, and take turns to translate. This practice format not only exercises students' interpretation skills, but also enables students to master public speaking skills-interpretation. Another very important skill;