An Experiment Report On The Effect Of E-C Simultaneous Consecutive Interpreting Among Trainee Interpreters

Simultaneous Consecutive interpreting,also known as Sim Consec,is a technologyassisted hybrid mode of interpreting,in which a consecutive rendering is produced by an interpreter in simultaneous mode(P?chhacker,2016).Different from traditional interpreting modes,Sim Consec uses a tablet,a stylus which has recording function,and together with headphones to facilitate interpreters’ work.Theoretically,Sim Consec has many advantages,including memory relief for interpreters,improved fluency,accuracy and completeness in interpretation,etc.,but this interpreting mode is rarely seen in real English-Chinese practices,and few trainee interpreters in universities have heard about it.If Computer-Assisted Interpreting(CAI),such as Sim Comsec,can improve interpreters’ performance and help them do their jobs more easily and accurately,the use of it is worth spreading among trainee interpreters.Additionally,the problems and difficulties that may occur during Sim Consec are also valuable and deserve to be discussed,so that the technology can be continuously improved to facilitate interpreters’ work.Therefore,in order to test the feasibility of this technology-assisted interpreting mode,this study first carried out an E-C interpreting experiment to find out whether trainee interpreters have better E-C interpreting performance in Sim Consec mode than in conventional CI mode,and then the author asked the participants to fill in a questionnaire to examine whether trainee interpreters feel more or less effortful with Sim Consec when they do E-C interpretation.After analyzing participants’ renditions in terms of information completeness,accuracy,target language quality,and fluency and examining the questionnaire results,the experiment found out that trainee interpreters did not perform better in Sim Consec mode than in conventional CI mode.Additionally,the majority of trainee interpreters found it more effortful to do Sim Consec due to their less competence in SI and unfamiliarity with the use of applied technology in Sim Consec.This study also points out that in Computer-Assisted Interpreting,basic interpretation skills are indispensable and irreplaceable.If an interpreter does not have strong interpreting skills,technology alone cannot guarantee good interpretation.