Abstract

In recent years, interpretation has become more and more important in cross-cultural communication. It has been playing an essential role in press conferences of NPC and CPPCC, which is regarded as an official stage for cultural exchanges. Speeches delivered on the press conferences tend to involve various kinds of culture-loaded words, including proverbs, idioms, poems as well as political jargon, and so on. These words, full of specific cultural background, pose a great challenge for interpreters given the limited time and resources. On-site interpretation brings high pressure to bear on the interpreters. Therefore, this thesis makes an attempt to study the C-E interpretation of culture-loaded words.

A literature review is conducted on previous studies of culture-loaded words, press conferences of two sessions as well as interpretation of those expressions in press conferences. The author collects transcripts and audio materials of speeches delivered by Premier Li Keqiang and former Premier Wen Jiabao in press conferences of two sessions. Based on the previous study of cultural schema, the author categorizes culture-loaded expressions involved in those speeches into four groups, demonstrating relationships of Chinese and English cultural schemata (i.e. Equivalence of cultural schema, conflict of cultural schema, cross-matching of cultural schema and absence of cultural schema). By using the same materials, the author looks into factors causing discrepancy in Chinese and English cultural schemata, including geographical feature, religious belief and social custom. On-site interpretations of these expressions are discussed in detail so as to analyze the interpreters’ treatment of culture-loaded words from cultural schema perspective.

Based on the above-mentioned analysis, the author presents two major findings about interpreting culture-loaded words from Chinese to English: zero introduction of new cultural schema and introduction of new cultural schema. The former is adopted when equivalence and cross-matching of cultural schemata occur, whose effect is realized by borrowing and literal interpretation. The latter is used when the absence of cultural schema occurs. In order to achieve the effect, new cultural background knowledge is often introduced along with literal meaning translation. Limitations and predictions are made as a conclusion of the whole thesis.

Key words: interpretation, culture-loaded words, cultural schema, press conferences

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter One  Introduction-1

1.1 Background of the Research-1

1.2 Significance and Objective of the Study-1

1.3 Methodology and Layout of the Study-2

Chapter Two  Literature Review-4

2.1 Culture-loaded words-4

2.1.1 Definition of Culture-loaded Words-4

2.1.2 Translation of Culture-loaded Words-5

2.2 Press Conferences of NPC and CPPCC-6

2.2.1 Characteristics of Press Conferences of Two Sessions-6

2.2.2 Interpretation on the Press Conferences of Two Sessions-7

2.3 Interpretation of Culture-loaded Words on Press Conferences-8

Chapter Three Theoretical Framework-10

3.1 Schema Theory-10

3.1.1 Brief Introduction of Schema Theory-10

3.1.2 Cultural Schema Theory-11

3.2 Comparative Study of Chinese and English Cultural Schemata-12

3.2.1 Equivalence of Cultural Schema-12

3.2.2 Conflict of Cultural Schema-13

3.2.3 Cross-matching of Cultural Schema-13

3.2.4 Absence of Cultural Schema-14

3.3 Causes of Discrepancy in Chinese and English Cultural Schemata-15

3.3.1 Geographical Feature-15

3.3.2 Religious Belief-15

3.3.3 Social Custom-16

Chapter Four Case Study-17

4.1 On-site Interpretation and Analysis-17

4.1.1 Cases Demonstrating Equivalence of Cultural Schema-17

4.1.2 Cases Demonstrating Conflict of Cultural Schema-19

4.1.3 Cases Demonstrating Cross-matching of Cultural Schema-20

4.1.4 Cases Demonstrating Absence of Cultural Schema-22

4.2 Translation Methods for New Cultural Schema-25

4.2.1 Zero Introduction of New Cultural Schema-25

4.2.2 Introduction of New Cultural Schema-25

4. 3 Summary-26

Chapter Five Conclusion-27

5.1 Major Findings-27

5.2 Limitations and Prediction-28

References-29

文献综述报告-31