Causes And Coping Strategies For Intercultural Noise In Chinese To English Interpreting By MTI Students

Noise is an unwelcome factor that is present in all communication processes.As interpreting is an intercultural communication process,there exists intercultural noise.This thesis defines intercultural noise in interpreting on two levels: for the interpreter,it refers to any culture-related information that negatively impacts the interpreter’s output,resulting in ineffective relay of the original message;for the recipient,it refers to any culture-related information given by the interpreter which causes ineffective absorption or relay of the speaker’s intended meaning.Presently,few studies are dedicated to research on intercultural noise in interpreting.The conditions under which it arises,a categorization of its types,that it is potential and varies with people and situations,nor that the interpreter may create it have not yet been presented.This thesis includes three research questions: First,under what conditions does a cultural factor become intercultural noise,and what is the determining factor? Second,do student interpreters create intercultural noise,and are they aware of creating it? Last,what strategies can be used to abate intercultural noise?An experiment is conducted with twelve students of interpreting as subjects.Fifteen excerpts from fifteen opening remarks given by Chinese government officials were used as test material,due such text type being distinctively abundant in cultural factors.The experiment has found that cultural factors such as idioms,quotations,names,political terms and metaphors often pose as potential barriers in interpreting;the conditions under which they turn into intercultural noise include when the interpreter lacks cultural knowledge,is uncertain of cultural knowledge,finds generalizing or explaining to be pressured by time,finds information structure an obstacle,or knows no direct equivalent in the target language.This thesis classifies intercultural noise as knowledge driven,psychologically driven,time driven,proficiency driven,obvious and hidden.Intercultural noise created by students is explored,and a communication model concerning “double noise” is built.Noise-abating strategies are also given: inference,fuzzification,foreignization,domestication,explanation,simplification,and omission.