Interpreting Studies In The Perspective Of Adaptation Theory

Interpreting is a form of mediating across boundaries of language and culture, and it requires a multi-disciplinary angle of study. In this thesis, the author, by exploring the dynamic adaptation process of interpreting, attempts to elaborate on the guiding role of Adaptation Theory by Jef Verschueren in the study of interpreting. It starts with an introduction in which the outline of the whole thesis is given, which is followed by ten chapters.Chapter One review academic approaches to interpreting studies. There are mainly three approaches, they are, cognitive-psychological approach, interpretive approach and sociological approach. Besides, the author discusses the feasibility of applying the adaptation theory, a pragmatic theory, to the studies of interpreting. Adaptation theory provides a systematic outline of the theoretical basis of pragmatics, incorporating its major theoretical perspectives and exploring its methodological issues. Looking at pragmatics in its broadest sense, it covers the whole range of social, cultural and cognitive aspects involved in constructing meaning through language use. As a theory studying human communication from the pragmatic point of view, adaptation theory also has the explanatory power over interpreting activity.Chapter Two discusses in details communication and interpreting and claims that interpreting is a mode of information communication and is an interlingual, intercultural oral service, enabling communication between individuals or groups who do not share the same languages.Chapter Three illustrates the basic notions and main points of Adaptation Theory, laying a theoretical foundation for further discussions of its application in the studiesof interpreting. Adaptation Theory takes a general functional perspective on language, i.e. as an approach to language which takes into account the full complexity of its cognitive, social and cultural functioning. According to Adaptation Theory, using language consists in the continuous making of linguistic choices, and that'making of choices'can be understood in terms of three hierarchically related notions: variability, negotiability and adaptability. The general concern of Adaptation Theory is to understand the meaningful functioning of language as a dynamic process operating on context-structure relationships at various levels of salience.Chapter Four is a general introduction of the implications of Adaptation Theory in the process of interpreting and points out that interpreting is a continuous choice-making process. The interpreter's choice-making is made possible by the variability of language, achieved through negotiability and ultimately determined by the aim of achieving adaptability in linguistic structures of both the source and the target languages.Chapter Five, Six, Seven and Eight discuss in details that Adaptation Theory sheds light on interpreting studies. In its perspective, the conclusion is that interpreting is a dynamic choice-making process in which the interpreter has the aim of achieving adaptability in linguistic structures and contextual correlates. It is achieved with certain degree of salience.Chapter Nine presents interpreting strategy and coping tactics that the interpreter may employ when faced with linguistic and communicative barriers in the process of interpreting. In conclusion, Chapter Ten presents a model of interpreting process based on the studies of the thesis...