如何有效做好交替传译笔记学位论文

Notes in consecutive interpretation are important in relieving the memory pressure and acting as clues for recalling information to help improve the quality. However, evidences have shown that note- taking, if not constructed properly, is one of the biggest problems that affect the interpreter’s understanding of the source language, thus resulting in damaging the interpretation quality. This thesis aims to promote a positive understanding towards note-taking in the process of consecutive interpretation by providing the possible and feasible methods of effective note-taking. To realize this aim, it incorporates the Daniel Gile’s Effort Model theory to analyze why note-taking is the triggering factor in consecutive interpretation. And it illustrates the nature of note-taking from two aspects: (1) the basic premise of note-taking, including comprehension, attention and memory; (2) the principles of note-taking. This paper relates interpreting theories to interpreting teaching methods, trying to put forward suggestions for teaching in order to deal with practical interpreting problems and facilitate the quality of interpretation.Key words: note-taking; Daniel Gile’s Effort Model; teaching suggestions笔记是口译员必须掌握的技巧之一。

在交替传译中，有效的笔记能够减轻口译员的记忆压力,提示所记忆的内容,并最终提高口译质量。

但是,大量的证据表明,如果笔记的处理方式不正确,对笔记认识不当,那么它就可能成为影响译员理解原语并实现正确传译的干扰因素之一。

鉴于这一问题的重要性,本文的根本目的在于让读者能够正确地认识交传笔记的积极作用,并进而探讨有效记笔记的方法。

为了实现这一目的,本文通过结合Daniel Gile的认知负荷模式,从两大方面着手，探讨笔记的性质:(1)记录笔记的基本前提,包括理解、注意和记忆;(2)笔记的原则。

基于这一分析,本文将口译理论跟口译教学法联系起来，进而提出有一定意义的教学建议, 希望能够帮助口译学生解决实际的口译问题,进一步提高笔记技能与口译质量。

关键词：交替传译笔记；认知负荷模式；教学建议1. IntroductionWith China’s implementation of reform and opening up policy, the market for translation and interpretation has significantly boomed up. In the “global village”, it is obviou s that translation and interpretation serve as an important role in facilitating the mutual communication between people from other side of the world. Fortunately, we are glad to see consecutive interpretation has been widely used in business talks, negotiations, press releases, seminars and so on. One thing we can not neglect is note-taking when we speak of consecutive interpretation. As a communicative act, interpretation demands the interpreter, who also acts as a communicator, to deliver the accurate information to the speaker and the audience. In this particular situation, effective note-taking can play an important role in helping the interpreter better perform his or her job. By taking notes, the interpreter can write down some important information to remind him or her of the source language. In consecutive interpretation, with the help of notes, interpreters can easily reproduce the speech. Unfortunately, not every interpreter’s notes can turn out to be helpful. Ineffective note-taking is still very common. Interpreters still have difficulty in taking effective notes because of a variety of reasons. Therefore, this thesis is to focus on note-taking problems in the process of interpretation. We hope this thesis can throw light upon a systematic note-taking training and offer some advice in interpretation teaching.This thesis is organized as follows. It is divided into two sections. The first section is for the introduction of consecutive interpretation. By presenting the differences between the consecutive interpretation and simultaneous interpretation, it aims to give the readers a general idea about the consecutive interpretation and further give rise to the functions of note-taking in consecutive interpretation. The second section is about note-taking in consecutive interpretation. It is divided into three chapters. The nature of note-taking will be in Chapter three. Based on this very nature, a theory is introduced, Daniel Gile’s Effort Model, which is in Chapter 3. And the possible factors that affect efficient note-taking in the process of interpretation will be in the next following chapter. The last chapter will include some suggestions for effective note-taking, along with Conclusion. They are supposed to have an influence on people who are engaged in interpreting career.2. Consecutive Interpretation2.1Consecutive interpretation as a Communicative ActIn translation situation, the source and the target texts are conducted in a separate translation situation, which is free from the text’s co mmunicative situations. However, in interpretation, the source and the target communication take place under the same situation. Therefore, consecutive interpretation is also a communicative act, as Roderick (2002:41) said in his book Conference Interpretation Explained“Interpretation is a profession that is all about communication”. As a communicative act, the interpreter is required to have a better understanding of the source language and also the target language, in order to reproduce the effective communicationbetween the speaker and the listener. Besides, it is also the interpreter’s responsibility to express well in the course of interpretation. Therefore, when it comes to expressiveness, effective note-taking plays an indispensable role in helping the interpreters express themselves better.2.2 The difference between consecutive interpretation and simultaneous interpretationConsecutive interpretation, one earliest way of operation used in conference interpretation, is now mainly used on occasions such as business talks, negotiations, press releases, seminars and so on. Sitting in conference room, while the interpreter is listening to the source language speech, he or she is also taking notes. When the speaker comes to the end of his or her speech, or the speaker stops and waits for interpretation, the interpreter expresses what the speaker has just said with clear, natural target language, accurately and completely, just as it is himself or herself who is giving a speech. Consecutive interpretation in conferences requires an interpreter to listen to as long as five to ten minutes’ continuous speech, and use his or her good speaking skills to interpret the whole contents of the speaker completely and accurately. In consecutive interpretation, the interpreter has the advantage of knowing the line of argument before he interprets. Besides, the interpreter can take notes during the process of the interpretation. However, the time which the interpreter enjoys in consecutive interpretation is lacking in simultaneous interpretation. Simultaneous interpreter is the most frequently used way of operation in many conferences today. A team of interpreters, working in the simultaneous interpretation booth, which is equipped with special noise transmission (often known as a "box"), and this very "box" is located at the venue, through a glass window can directly see the spokesman or spokeswoman, projection screen, as well as the entire conference on-site. The interpreter is required to interpret what the speaker has just said in an accurate way while he or she is listening to the speaker through the headset.2.3 The function of note-taking in consecutive interpretationIn consecutive interpretation, the interpreter has to wait before he or she can deliver. So, there are a lot of too detailed information and contexts to be got, which will add pressure to the interpreter’s memory. With note-taking, we can record the arrangement of ideas, thus note-taking is important for the gaining of structure.Firstly, notes can im prove the interpreter’s conce ntration. (鲍刚, 2005: 50) When in the long period of interpretation, the interpreter is likely to feel bored, or to be distracted from other potential factors. By taking notes, the interpreter can concentrate on the source language and the target language and facilitate the analysis of the speech.Secondly, notes help the interpreter relieve the pressure of memory. Although the interpreter has received plenty of professional training in note-taking, as common people, he or she can hardly remember the whole speech in details because the short-term memory can only last for a limited amount of time. By recording the specific details and data such as numbers, places, time, etc, note-taking can safe the interpreter from the trouble of remembering the whole thing in mind.Thirdly, notes can provide the interpreter with cues to help recall the information in the speech. With the help of notes, the interpreter will find it easier and clearer to visualize the main ideas and the structure of the whole speech. The skill of note-taking is very helpful to interpreters, the structure of a speech is reflected in notes, and the notes in turn will be used as a beacon to recall the speech.As important as it is, note-taking is not supposed to consume a lot of energy in consecutive interpretation. According to Gile’s Effort Model theory (which will be illustrated in the next section), an interpreter should not pay too much attention to note-taking, for it will consume a lot of attention that should be allocated to listening, analyzing ,understanding, memorizing and rendering, which will inevitably affect the quality of interpretation.In brief, note-taking is of great importance for interpreters to better perform their tasks, but the interpreters are not expected to totally depend on note-taking.3. The Nature of Note-taking in Consecutive Interpretation3.1 The basic premise of note-taking3.1.1 ComprehensionIn consecutive interpretation, comprehension plays a critical part in determining the following discourse. Some interpreters tend to focus on some superficial words, though they can succeed in taking down some detailed information, such as figures, places, or time and so on. They can not fully understand what the speaker really wants to express and the purpose of the speaker. Interpretation aims not the language itself, but the context it wants to convey to the audience. When under some nervous situations, we are likely to fail to grasp the meaning of what the speaker says because of nervousness and just catch some data. It is understandable that we may not know every technical term in every field. Therefore, it is inevitable that we may be caught in situations where we can not come up with the right and suitable terms to interpret. However, if we can understand what the speaker wants to express, we can explain it in our own words. Without technical terms, the audience can still understand what we mean, thus not damaging the quality of interpreting by using some cumbersome and wrong technical terms. In this sense, we can see how the interpreter’s comprehension of the original source plays an important role in interpreting. (刘敏华, 1993: 145)3.1.2 AttentionAttention is the focus of awareness, which refers to the sense focus on objective things. William James (1842-1910), an American philosopher and psychologist, gave the definition of “attention”, “Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession of the mind in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought”. Focalization, concentration, and consciousness are of its essence. (James, 2004: 403-404). From this perspective, we can know that interpretation draws the attention of the interpreter in the course of consecutive interpretation. If the interpreter can not pay attention andconcentrate on what the speaker is saying, then he or she is not likely to remember the contexts, not to mention to perform his or her task well. Nevertheless, the more attention the interpreter pays to what the speaker says, the easier he or she is to remember what the speaker has said just now.3.1.3 Short-term memoryShort time memorizing is based on the first two basic premises of note-taking. Once the interpreter pays attention to the speaker and grasp what he or she means, the stage of memorizing followed. As the author has illustrated in the previous chapters, the short time memorizing can be very important in interpreting. Good memory will guarantee the interpreter a more fluent and accurate expression in interpreting. However, according to Ebbinghous, the longer time lasts, the quicker the memories will fade. (刘宓友, 2003: 170-171) Therefore, it is inevitable that some omissions, change of the original language and other discrepancies may arise in consecutive interpretation. Besides, the performance of the on-the-spot interpretation clearly subject to the interpreter’s state of mind. The greater psychological stress is, the worse memory effect it will incur, thus damaging the quality of interpretation. Therefore, it is recommended that the interpreter should cultivate an optimistic and confident state of mind in his or her career as a consecutive interpreter.3.2 The principles of note-taking in consecutive interpretationThanks to the booming of the studies on note-taking in recent decades, many basic principles of the note-taking in consecutive interpretation have been put forward.First, note-taking in consecutive interpretation should always give priority to comprehension. (吴钟明, 2005: 105) As the author has illustrated in the previous chapter, the comprehension of the original language is the prerequisite for the interpreting. It is usually common that at the beginning of interpretation, the interpreter is busy writing down some detailed information, but later the interpreter will find himself or herself at a loss as how to reorganize the structure and where to start his or her interpretation, thus getting the interpreter more nervous and have a negative influence on the following task. In order to convey what the speaker expresses, the interpreter is required to understand the source language, then next he or she will be able to take notes effectively.Secondly, interpreters need to take down the key words instead of every word. The interpreter should write down the words he or she is going to say rather than every word the interpreter hears according to the structure of the original language. By writing down the key words, the interpreter is able to express what the speaker has said in the correct form of target language in general. Besides, figures, places and numbers and other detailed information are also needed to be written down as key word since they are important parts of the speaker’s speeches.Last but not least, the interpreters should use words, symbols and the abbreviations in the notes properly. In note-taking, these symbols, abbreviations can save the interpreter’s time, so the interpreter can use some common symbols to help him or her better take notes. However, toomany symbols and abbreviations in the notes may sometimes give rise to confusion. On the other hand, the interpreter can gradually develop his or her own note-taking system through years of practice.4. Literature Review on Note-taking in Consecutive InterpretationAs it is put forward in Daniel Gile’s Effort Model, short-term memory is instrumental to consecutive interpretation, which is one of the very natures of note-taking. Therefore, in terms of the short-term memory in note-taking in consecutive interpretation, here, the author quotes the Daniel Gile’s Effort Model as the theoretical foundation to further illustrate the very nature of note-taking in consecutive interpretation.4.1 Daniel Gile’s Effort ModelIn his book (Basic Concepts and Models for Interpreter and Translator Training), Daniel Gile put forward his Effort Model. And according to his model, consecutive interpretation is performed in two phases.4.1.1 Phase onePhase one: CL＝L﹢M﹢N﹢CL＝Listening and analysisM＝Short-term memory operationsN＝Note takingC＝CoordinationAccording to Gile, the interpreter has not only to listen and analyze the original source language, but also has to compare it with the stored patterns in his or her short-term memory. The production of the fist phase is in close links with the production of the notes. While taking notes, the interpreter has to decide which to note down and which do not.4.1.2 Phase twoCI＝Rem﹢Read﹢PRem ＝RememberingRead ＝Note-readingP＝ProductionThis phase is more concerned with the long-term memory rather than short-term memory as phase one does. The clearer the notes are written down, the less remembering capacity will become. Daniel Gile places more importance on the attention. Just as follows: (刘和平, 2005: 40)(1)TR＜TA(2)LR＜LA(3)NR＜NA(4)MR＜MA(5)CR＜CAIf the interpreter’s attention which is placed on the speech is larger than total requirements, problems will occur and therefore deteriorate the quality of interpreting. Just as Gile explains in his own way, the Effort Model is a model of operational constraints, not architectural models, insofar as they do not postulate a particular mental structure and information-processing flow, as is the case of the other models mentioned above. (Nord, 2001: 154)5. Factors Affecting Efficient Note-taking in Consecutive InterpretationThere have been different views as for note-taking. A group of scholars have pointed out that if note-taking is not conducted well, it will cause some problems during interpretation. Daniel Gile once did an experiment and found that students who have not been properly instructed in its principal and techniques tend to miss more names when interpreting after taking notes than when they do not take notes. (Gile, 1996: 47) Then what factors can affect note-taking in consecutive interpretation?5.1 Difficulties in memorizing the source informationIn Chinese structures, the subject is often omitted after it is mentioned once. Besides, there are all kinds of parallel or parallel elements in sentences, with more fast-pace and more modified ingredients, thus the information is not clear enough for the interpreter to grasp the gist of the speaker’s speeches, causing interpreters have great difficulty in listening comprehension, not to mention memory difficulties. (张维为, 1999: 308 )5.2 Incapability of recalling the source informationOne of the features of taking invalid notes is that the interpreter is unable to recognize the language of symbols he or she has recorded. Although the interpreters have written down a lot of notes, they turn out to be in vain, since the interpreters can hardly identify their own notes. It follows that such vainly notes can bring us nothing but pause, hesitation and so on, ending up with unsatisfactory interpretation. Another feature of invalid note-taking is that the interpreters are unable to recognize the acronyms they use in the notes. Therefore, with the ambiguous notes, the interpreters often find themselves faced with an embarrassing situation. Again, this has led to the phenomenon of interpretation pause. The third feature of invalid notes is that the notes, which are written down by the interpreters themselves, are not in accordance with the original source language.5.3 Wrong format of notesIn the course of taking notes, the interpreters may know what the notes mean at that very moment, however, with the advent of more information sources into mind, the previous memory of the notes may be destroyed by new information, even finally, the interpreters can not recallwhat the notes does mean.As for this phenomenon, the reason is that the symbols they have written down are of arbitrary and unified ones, lacking of consistent and recognizable symbols, or simply because a word does not always represent a fixed thing. Due to a lack of training of the format of note-taking, the interpreters can not have a mature, consistent system of note-taking. Therefore, they often spend time looking for notes, with detrimental consequences to affect the efficiency of interpretation.5.4 Overdependence on notesInstead of understanding and analyzing the source language, some interpreters are always blindly busy with listening and recording notes. The result is that they can not understand the source language information. Since the interpreters are so dependent on the notes that they pay great attention to writing down notes, rather than stress on their comprehension of the original language.However, it makes no sense to take lots of notes without having a good understanding of the original information.6. Suggestions for Effective Teaching Methods for Note-takingIn the previous chapters, we have illustrated features of note-taking, including its basic premises and principles in note-taking. Besides, we know the factors that may affect the efficient note-taking in the course of yielding good quality of interpretation. If notes are taken properly, it could help alleviate the memory load and have a positive influence on the final reproduction. Then in this chapter, we would come up with some suggestions for effective methods for note-taking.6.1 A “short-term memory” training methodBased on the nature of note-taking, we know a better comprehension of the speaker is the premise for effective note-taking. Besides, consecutive interpretation depends greatly on the interpreter’s short-term memory. Therefore, we advocate a “short-term memory” training method in interpretation. In this training course, we can let the interpreters interpret one sentence after one sentence in a regulated period. And then ask them to repeat what the speaker says in their own words to check whether they understand the meaning or not. This course can help train the interpreters’ short-term memory and make sure that the interpreters can understand the original information.6.2 A “balanced distribution” training methodA ccording to Gile’s Effort Model, we know that although note-taking can help the interpreters a lot in reproducing good interpretation, it may still give rise to problems if attention is not properly distributed in the process of taking notes. Based on this, we promote a“balanced-distribution” course. Due to the limited processing capacity, the interpreters should not spend too much time on note-taking, which will otherwise lead to the increase of the memory load, so the interpreters should strive a balance between listening, taking notes and analyzing. In this course, interpreters are asked to interpret in a regulated period, with decreasing seconds to stimulate the interpreters to think more actively and deliberately.6.3 A “key words” training methodWe know key words can be very helpful in reminding interpreters of the original language. Notes should be simple and concise to facilitate the recording. Then a “key words training” course is in favor. The interpreters should write down some key words which can stimulate their memory of the original information in simple words or symbols, such as Chinese letters, abbreviation of English words that can be regarded as a good method to make the notes simple in appearance but informative in content. But the interpreters should bear in mind that they should set up a system of note-taking symbols of their own through years of practice.7. ConclusionConsecutive interpreting facilitates cross-cultural communication between people from all over the world, and makes the world becoming smaller and smaller, just as we call it “the global village”. With close relationship with the rest of the world, consecutive interpretation is becoming more and more mature, and lots of studies have been held in this relevant field, especially in the aspect of note-taking. In the beginning of this dissertation, we introduce what are consecutive interpretation, and the role note-taking plays in consecutive interpretation. Then the features of note-taking are discussed in the following. In terms of the short term memorizing, Daniel Gile’s Effort Model is quoted as the theoretical foundation. Besides, it tells us that though note-taking plays an important role in determining the quality of the interpretation, interpreters should properly distribute attention to listening, understanding and writing in the course of taking notes, otherwise it may give rise to problems. Based on these studies, the author further illustrates some factors that may affect efficient note-taking in consecutive interpretation. On one hand, the dissertation illustrates the importance of note-taking, while on the other hand, it also presents what we should not neglect in note-taking, that is, we should not pay too much attention to note-taking and besides, we should not depend too much on note-taking. Otherwise, improper note-taking would also deteriorate the quality of interpreting output. Based on an objective analysis of note-taking in consecutive interpretation, the author relates interpreting theories to interpreting teaching methods, trying to put forward suggestions for pedagogical teaching in order to deal with practical interpreting problems and facilitating the quality of interpretation. Due to the inadequate materials and a lack of personal experience, the author hopes more research and innovations can be conducted in the field. The students must bear in mind that there is no shortcut for the improvement of interpreting performance and only through years of hard training can they grasp the mastery of the note-taking skills.。