简析商务英语翻译评价的标准

14.Sometimes,written materialsandoral presentationsoneconomics andforeign tradecanbehighlytechnical,even atiny mistakein choosingaword maydevastate apotentialcooperation betweencompanies andcause enormousloss tothem,which iswell knownto mosttranslators andinterpreters whopay extraattentiontobusiness interpretation.Therefore,business interpretersareready topour theirstrength intolearningsome basicknowledge ofeconomics,foreign trade,law,and internationalcommercepractices,etc.Chapter IA BriefReview OfInterpretation

1.1Historyof InterpretationPeoplemay wonder,what isinterpretationIs itsame to theconcept oftranslation Maybe,attending aninternational conferencecangive youdirect andvivid experienceofhearing theconstant voiceofan interpretertransmitting throughthe earphone.However,mostpeople donot havesuch opportunities,so imaginea groupof peoplesittingin aroom,theymay bepoliticians,businessman orwomen,tradeunionists andscientists.They wishtoexchange ideasand discusstheirwork butspeak totaldifferent languages,none ofthemspeaks theothers languagewell enoughfor thediscussion tobe useful.So theyinvitesomeoneelse in,who speaksboth languages,to explainwhat eachissaying inturn,and thatpersonis aninterpreter.By bridgingthegap betweenlanguages,the interpreterhelps speakerstodischargetheir dutytomakethemselves understoodand helplisteners toknowwhat isbeingsaid duringthe meeting.Interpretation canbe definedina nutshellas conveyingunderstanding.Its usefulnessstemsfrom thefactthat a speaker smeaning isbest expressedin his or hernativetongue butisbest understoodin the languages ofthe listenersJamesNolan,2008:

2.Interpretation hasbeenin existenceever sincemankindhas usedthe spokenword,it isone ofthe oldestjobs inthehistoryand makesa largecontribution tothe relationshipsand exchangesbetweenpeopleof differentorigins.However,it isreally difficulttopinpoint whichyear interpretationemerged due to thelackof hardhistoricalevidence.The firstwritten proofof interpretingdates backto3000BC,the AncientEgyptians hada pictographicmeaninginterpreter”.Thenext popularuse ofinterpretingoccurred inAncient Romeand Greece,Both theAncient Greeksand Romansthoughtthe languageofthepeoplethat theyconquered wasvery coarseand vulgar.Soprisoners,slaves,and someethnic groupswere forcedto learndifferent languagesandassumedinterpreting forthe nobility.From thisera upto theseventeenth century,Latin wasthethelanguageof diplomacy,acrossthe entireEurope,and allnations needto havesomeofficials whocouldspeak Latinfluently andcommunicate withtheir foreigncounterpartsso asto sustaindiplomatic relations.For centuries,interpretinggradually developedduetoa numberof reasons.One reasonisreligion:People ofmany differentreligions haveexplored intoother territoriestopreachtheir beliefs.From the7thto8thcenturies AD,ancient ArabsintroducedIslam toAfricancontinent,interpreters helpedin spreadingthe Koran tothe localvillages,and Arabic,thelanguage oftheKoran,became knownto morepeople.Christianity isalso aambitiousreligionthat hasalways aspiredto expandits territory.In1253,With thesupportof LouisIXWilliam ofRubruck madea greatexpedition intoAsiawith theaccompany of interpreters,which wasone ofthe very firstmajor-scale,pure missionaryjourneys,and tospread thewordof Godwashis onlypurpose.The secondreason behind the developmentofinterpreting wasthe launchoftheAge ofExploration.Westerners wereeagerto explorenew lands,with manyexpeditions,they wereboundtocome acrossothers whospoke acompletely differentlanguage.One ofthe mostfamous interpretersin historywas bornintheAge ofExploration,specifically inthe earlyl6thcentury.This interpreterwasDo aMarina,also knownas〃la Malinche”,of Mexicandecent.Sheis agood exampleofinterpretersin thatera,the interpretersthathelped theconquerorswere oftenof nativedescent,their ownpeopleoften viewedthem astraitors,regardless ofwhether theywere againsttheirwill.However,these peopleserved asaconnection betweentheaboriginals andthe explorers,they enabledmany treatiesthatotherwisewould havebeen impossible;they madetheir contributioninthe formationoftodays word.The nextmajor advancementininterpreting occurredinthelast century.At thelnternationalLaborConference inGeneva,Switzerland in1927,simultaneous interpretingSIw-as usedfortheveryfirsttime.However,after theconference,SI wasconsidered tooexpensiveand complextouseduring WorldWar TwoWWII,so itwas notuntil1945,in theNurembergwar crimestrial thatSIwas putinto usemore widely.It markedthe applicationofSI intoalmostevery conferencefrom thenon.As amatter offact,after theNurembergtrialended,the UnitedNations152Resolution establishedSIasapermanent servicefortheUNin

1947.Although oralinter

3.1Qualifications ofinterpreterAn importantgoal ofbusiness negotiationis towin benefits.Participating partieswillexpress theirown opinionsunintentionally.As aninterpreter,hisorher dutyis notonly tointerpretsuccessfully,butalsoto helpparticipating partiesto gaindouble benefits,sothebusiness interpreteris actuallyan assurancein internationalbusinessactivity anda bridgeofall countriesexhibition,trade andeconomicexchanges.Above all,the skillsof businessinterpretationwillbe countfor much,and willbe increasedwith continuouslypracticeChen,2004:34Being aninterpreter shouldhave itsqualifications,First,a professionalinterpretershould havesolidfoundation inbilingual knowledge.Perfect listeningskills inboththesource andtargetlanguageisaprecondition.Second,an interpretershouldalso beequippedwith extensiveextra linguisticknowledge,including commonsense,cultural knowledge,subject knowledge,contextual andsituational knowledge.The thirdqualification is tohaveunerring interpretingtechniques,including skillsin listeningforsense,memory,note-taking,public speaking,language transference,interpreting figures,summarization,coping tacticsandetc.The fourthqualificationistohave soundphysical quality.Last butnot theleast,aprofessional interpretershould maintaingood ethics-based conduct.

3.2Specific InterpretingTechniquesforBusiness InterpretersPreparationisessential whetherworking face-to-face withpeople inahospital orimmigrationoffice,orina boothattheback ofa meetingroom.Before takinga lookat thewhyand howof preparation,let,sget acouple ofthings clear.First,translation ofany kindisnotsimply aboutknowing languages,that sjust aprerequisite fora jobthatisallabout conveyingwhat aspeaker says.Within thiscommunication。