A Study On Modality In Chinese-English Simultaneous Interpretation

In Systemic Functional Grammar,modality is deemed as a major set of resources for the expression of interpersonal meaning.The reproduction of interpersonal meaning in the target language is essential to the success of an interpreting task.Based on the transcript of C-E simultaneous interpreting of Premier Li's speech on the Davos World Economic Forum from 2014 to 2017,the thesis endeavors to call for the attention to the skillful use of modality to achieve parallel communicative effect in the target language.The thesis intends to answer three research questions: What types of modal devices are observed and what is the distribution of different types of modal devices employed in the simultaneous interpreting of Premier Li's speeches on the Davos forum from 2014 to 2017? How do interpreters reproduce the SL's interpersonal meaning in TL from the angle of modality? What strategies do interpreters adopt concerning the manipulation of modality and what are the motivations behind these strategies? The research will be carried out based on theoretical thinking and textual analysis of the transcript of the simultaneous interpreting on the Davos forum.The thesis identifies four types of modal devices employed by interpreter,namely modal operator,modal adjunct,expansion of the predicator and modal metaphor.Interpreter is prone to modality of deontic and dynamic use that belongs to modality's subsystem of modulation,which conveys the modal meaning of inclination and obligation.The most frequently used modal device is median-scale operator,which suggests that the main ideas delivered in speeches are objective truth and facts,the use of high-scale and low-scale operator come second and third,which respectively serves to boost authority and persuasiveness of speaker's remark and to express probability or prediction.In addition,the thesis identifies four interpreting strategies employed by interpreters for modality,namely correspondence,ellipsis,addition,and substitution,which reflects interpreter's subjectivity to better reach the communicative effect.The thesis holds that interpreter's motivation behind his/her use of modality can be boiled down to three aspects: the difference of linguistic structures and grammatical rules between Chinese and English,specific context of the Davos forum as well as uncertain factors in interpreting of the simultaneous mode.The thesis contributes referential values for novice interpreters concerning the use of modality in after-class training.