Cultural context in interpreting

: coping with classical quotations from Chinese Government Press Conferences

Abstract

The fascination with classical quotations in diplomatic encounters can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period in China. Still, the use of quotes has not lost their popularity and continues to be present even in a modern society. Interpreting quotations from Chinese classics is one of the most challenging tasks for interpreters due to their particular connotations and implications in the source language and culture. The aim of this dissertation is to explore how politicians quote Chinese classics and how interpreters render them into English. Through an analysis of the transcripts of 10 important governmental press conferences from 2003 to 2012, the features of classical quotations are illustrated from the perspective of the source, the sense and the function. It is evident that the classical lines in this study are quoted at these press conferences from various philosophical, historical and literary classics like Mencius (孟子), Zuo Zhuan (左傳 Zuo's Commentary), Shi Ji (史記 Records of the Grand Historian) and Li Sao (離騷 Sorrow after Departure) to support an argument, establish emotional bonds or make criticism. However, Shi Jing (詩經 Book of Odes) was the most authoritative and popular source of the classical quotations in the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period. As the sense of classical quotations is clear only in a particular context, these quotations are discussed in their original contexts, various readings and present discourses. In addition, this study analyzes the coping strategies used by the interpreters based on a comparison between the source texts and the target texts. The results show that 6 strategies are used to cope with the quoted expressions: literal translation, explicitation, cultural substitution, compression and omission and mixed strategies among which, literal translation and explicitation are two most frequently used strategies. This study will not only contribute to the understanding of the strategies used in professional interpreting practice, but will also help to increase the interpreters' awareness of contextual factors that have a bearing on their performance in specific situations. Moreover, the interpreting trainers may obtain insights in the teaching of the reading and rendering of classical quotations.

Date of Award	15 Feb 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Xiu YAN (Supervisor)