A Report On Escort Interpreting For An Overseas Construction Project: Obstacles And Strategies

With rising economic strength and international status, China enjoys more accesses to international trades, with not just more and more foreign businesses entering in, but also increasing numbers of Chinese companies going overseas to carry out projects. The author presents in this report a task of escort interpreting for a Chinese state-owned company, which supported a thermal power plant project in India with technical guidance.Escort interpreting for overseas construction project is a distinguishing existence among various forms of interpretation with some features like the following. Firstly, the interpreter may take on multiple tasks besides interpreting due to large scale undertaking complexity. Next, with relatively longer serving duration overseas, the interpreter is likely to experience culture shock and loneliness. Thirdly, escort interpreting at construction site is apt to be disturbed by various unexpected factors, such as arguments, noises, accent, etc.In this report, in addition to giving a global view of what this interpreting task is like, the author attempts to research the obstacles encountered in this task and the strategies adopted or proposed to cope with them. The report consists of three chapters besides an introduction and a conclusion. In Chapter One, the author presents a project overview in which project background, principle of thermal power plant, audiences’ analysis and a pick of pre-interpreting prepared glossaries are given. Chapter Two is a summary and analysis of the obstacles he confronted in the process of site construction interpreting with specific examples, and the corresponding strategies adopted or proposed. They are the complexity of the interpreter’s job and the strategy of setting priorities and easing tension; culture shock and the strategy of communication and understanding; jargons and the strategy of confirmation; terminologies and various coping methods; acronyms and the strategy of asking for full expressions; expressions with Chinese characteristics and the strategy of paraphrasing; embarrassment caused by cultural difference and its remedy. In Chapter Three, the author reviews his experience to process his ideas and thoughts inspired by the site construction interpreting. Related translation theories are referred to illustrate the author’s points.The obstacles summarized in this report and strategies adopted or proposed to cope with them could serve for reference for interpreters who will engage in escort interpreting for overseas construction projects, or for teaching of escort interpreting.