赖寒

(成都中医药大学 ６１１１３７)

成都中医药大学2013年度校基金资助课题 项目名称：“认知负荷”模式下的中医药临床口译训练方法研究  项目编码：ＲＷＭＳ２０１３１０

摘要：本文以口译专家吉尔的“认知负荷”模型为理论基础，从听力（输入）、记忆以及表达（输出）三个方面探索出有效的口训练方法,即互动式听力、复述、影子训练。旨在探索口译培训者提高口译能力的有效方法，而非单纯提高口语能力。

关键词：认知负荷模式、口译、训练

Applying Effort Models to Interpretation Training

Abstract: This paper aims to seek practical and effective ways of interpretation training under the guidance of the Effort Models proposed by Daniel, Giles through trainings of listening (input), memorizing and speaking(output).The interpretation training methods include interactive listening, retelling and shadowing. Under the guidance of Effort Model, the author explores effective ways to help trainees improve their interpretation performance.

Key words: Effort Model, Interpretation, Training

For a long time, the interpreting training in most colleges and universities inChinais confined to the training of oral speech or the translation of sentences. The teaching is focused on imparting interpretation knowledge with training interpreting ability as the supplementary tools while the training of interpretation skills is almost excluded from the teaching schedule. With regards to training centers, the training quality varies from one another. Some are money-oriented and do not provide much qualified and professional training. There is great potential for the optimization of the existing training. More useful and effective methods and courses should be applied.

1.The role of training in interpretation

Interpretation training is not perceived as mandatory. There is great diversity among interpreters in terms of formal training. Some of them have received strict and formal training from renowned universities or colleges while others just do self-access study or take no training at all. But they are engaging in the same area, carrying out the same process as “re expressing in one language what has been expressed in another”.

However it does not mean that interpretation training is useless for one to be a professional interpreter. To be professional in the interpretation field, one need to master the skills and methods of interpretation which can be gained in the process of training.

2.Applying the Effort Models to Interpretation Training

2.1 Applying Comprehension Effort to listening training

Listening here is combined with necessary analysis and restore of received information. Here the listening is viewed in a macroscopic way. Therefore the listening in interpretation requires a balance between a comprehensive view of the information and details through the logic analysis.

Traditionally, the listening training can be divided into three types .They are intensive listening, selective listening and interactive listening.

Intensive listening refers to listening for precise sounds, words, phases, grammatical units and pragmatic units. The typical practice of intensive training is the dictation.It improves the trainees’ speech recognition through this training. However, one dissatisfactory result is that trainees are too focused on the fragment part of the speech, the detailed element which may deprive them of the comprehensive view of the information .

The second way mostly practiced among the trainees is selective listening. Compared with intensive listening which concentrates on every little detail, this indicates more choice-making in the listening process. This purposeful listening focuses on specific information instead of trying to understand and recall everything.

The third one, interactive listening. Interactive listening means listening in collaborative conversation. Trainees can start conversation with each other or with native speakers. By doing this, the trainees are compelled to formulate ideas in the target language and in” forcing negotiation”. In the process, the trainees focus more on gaining the meaning. They are less limited by the linguistic forms.

2.2 Applying Memory effort to Memorizing Training

The memory is divided into long-term memory and short –term memory. In the Effort Model, it is the short term memory that plays a central role in the interpreting activity. The duration of STM is very short. It is up 6 to 30 seconds. Though short-term memory is limited but it is expandable. Miller, a famous professor in Harvard University, put forward the concept of chunks which means the combining of smaller isolated information units into bigger sense groups so as to expand the memory capacity. Therefore, the training of the short-term should be aimed at improving the trainees’ capacity to memorize things in sense groups or chunks instead of isolated word units so as to expand memory capacity. The importance of STM has been emphasized as the working memory. Phelan mentions that“The interpreter needs a good short-term memory to retain what he or she has just heard and a good long-term memory to put the information into context. Ability to concentrate is a factor as is the ability to analyze and process what is heard". In light of this, we need also put the training of concentration on the agenda.

To enlarge the trainees’ memory capacity, the practical training method include retelling in the source language. Though it is known that taking notes can alleviate one’s burden of memorizing, we must have a clear understanding of the relationship between brain memory and note-taking. The more notes one takes, the less one can memorize. Thus it is the brain memory that takes the dominant role while note-taking the auxiliary one. To expand trainees’ memory capacity, they can be required to listen to passages of about 200 words without taking notes. Trainees should be free from the shell of words, sentences and find the “sense”, the meaning. They can use their own words and expressions to retell the story. The passage speed can be accelerated gradually but not very fast in the beginning. After listening to the whole passage, trainees use their own words and expressions to retell the story.

2.3 Applying Speech Model to Speaking Training

The speech production process is the last phase of the interpretation. It is through reproducing the speaker’s words into the target language that the communication between the speaker and the audience can be achieved.

Several factors may pose obstacles for interpretation trainees. The first is the hesitation. The second is that interpretation trainees are likely to follow the sequence or pattern of the source language given by the speakers without necessary adjustment which turn out to be vulnerable.

The third is that interpreters are prone to verbal habits. Some of the frequent used words and phrases or even sentences patterns may pop out of their mouth immediately when the speech production process begins.

To overcome the problems mentioned above, shadow repeating is introduced to improve the speech production. First, it demands that the interpretation trainee to repeat the auditory input after short intervals either a phoneme’s delay or greater latencies. In this way, the trainee has to get rid of the hesitation in following the speech pace of the speaker. After the short interval, he is to utter the words or phrases he has heard. This stimulation for his utterance of words can help him overcome the hesitation state. While totally immersed in the language of the target language, the trainees can be free from the constraints of his source language. Without the constraints of the set sequence or pattern of the source language or his own habitual choice of words, he is more likely to deliver more target language accessible to the audience. This provides an effective way for the trainees to improve their speech output.

Besides the vocal rendering should be trained, trainees should also be trained to gain the capacity to control stress and the public speaking skill for interpretation is in fact a communicative process. Interpreters are expected to behave naturally and confidently so that they can produce good interpretation performance. As secondary speaker, the confidence in the interpreter exerts great influence on the his interpretation ability and quality.

3. Conclusion

Under the guidance of Gile’s Efforts Model of comprehension effort, memory effort and production effort, interpretation training is divided into listening, memorizing and speaking training.To improve trainees’ listening ability, it is advisable for one to choose interactive listening. As for memory training, retelling in source language can be an ideal choice to expand one’s memory capacity. What’s more, noise disturbance can be introduced deliberately to train one’s concentration. For speaking training, shadowing can help with smooth delivery of information. It helps one overcome the linguistic habitual troubles one encounters in interpretation.

Bibliography:

1.Franz,Pochhacher(2004)Introducing Interpreting Studies  London/New York:Routledge

2.林郁如et al.(1999)新编英语口译教程（学生用书、教师用书）上海：上海外语教育出版社