Strategic Comprehension in Simultaneous Interpretation: An Empirical Investigation

同步口譯理解策略之實證探討

張梵(Albert L. Chang)

《SPECTRUM ： NCUE Studies in Language, Literature, Translation》 16卷1期 (2018/01) Pp. 45-66

摘要

Simultaneous interpreting (SI), a mode of interpretation where the interpreter listens to an incoming SL (source language) message and reproduces the TL (target language) message verbally concurrently, is a complex and difficult task. This is especially true for student interpreters learning to do SI into their B language. Most students intuitively point to difficulties in TL production, and thus language enhancement becomes a major part of their learning efforts. But language production is only part of the SI process. Comprehension of the SL speeches is equally, if not more, important. In Taiwan, student interpreters tend to look only at their SI output when assessing performance, especially when they are doing SI into English, their weaker language. Because of this output-oriented approach, they tend to lump all aspects of their performance together and then point to inadequacies in their English as the main reason for their unsatisfactory performance. Yet perhaps the problem is not entirely due to English issues. They appear to overlook the fact that in addition to English language proficiency, strategic comprehension of the SL speech is likewise important. Against this background, this study aims to investigate the impact of SL interference on TL output and examine potential comprehension strategies to minimize interference. The focus is on SI from Chinese into English, in particular, SI performances of student interpreters who have Chinese as their A language and are working into English, their B language. Recordings of TL renditions of second-year student interpreters were used as empirical data for analysis. The results suggest that student interpreters need to be more selective in information processing during the comprehension phase, so as to facilitate TL production and help achieve a smoother and more successful SI performance. The observed results will have pedagogical implications that could contribute to the design of more effective direction-specific interpreting pedagogy.

關鍵字

simultaneous interpretation ； comprehension strategies ； source language interference ； interpreter training

並列摘要

同步口譯過程複雜困難，口譯員必須一邊傾聽並理解原文，同時產出譯文。對於口譯學生而言，由母語譯入較弱的外語時，更是倍加困難。許多學生直覺性將學習困難歸咎於外語能力不足，因此加強外語能力便成為學習重點之一。但譯文產出僅同步口譯過程其中一環而已，原文理解對於譯文之順利產出，同樣重要。在台灣，口譯學生評估自身中進英同步口譯表現時，多數僅關注英文產出。此「成品導向」評估方式，過度簡化口譯過程，導致「英文能力」似乎成為表現不佳唯一原因。例如，學生會將表現不佳歸咎於詞彙不足、不知如何表達、文法、時態、搭配詞、或中式英文等與英文相關問題。但表現不佳不盡然完全始自英文問題，學生們忽略了應用策略理解原文，同樣重要。有鑑於此，本研究將探討中進英同步口譯，原文干擾對譯文產出之影響，以及正確理解策略如何促成口譯過程之順利進行。本研究將分析非英語為母語口譯學生之錄音，並藉以探討學生面對困難原文結構時，採用之理解策略。本研究將說明，口譯學生應選擇性、策略性地處理原文以利譯文產出。研究結果預期將對理論與教學有所貢獻，可作為設計更針對性教學方案之參考。

並列關鍵字

同步口譯 ； 理解策略 ； 原文干擾 ； 口譯教學