On the Cross-Cultural Awareness of an Interpreter

楊 琴

Abstract: Cross-cultural awareness is one of the basic requirements for interpreters when they participate in intercultural communications, which is a particular way of thinking, a criterion for judgment or an acute sensitivity to be cultivated by the interpreters. Interpreters should remain aware of the possible cultural differences and conduct cultural mediating accordingly in interpretation.

Key words:cross-culture awareness interpretation criterion cultivation

Ⅰ Introduction

With the globalization of economy and science, cross-cultural communication is well on its way to becoming an everyday phenomenon[1]. Interpretation is then necessitated, which, as an art of cross-cultural communication, aims at establishing mutual understandings between members of different cultures in accordance with a previously determined communicative target purpose.

Therefore, the interpreter, as a cultural and linguistic analyst and a cross-cultural communicator, must be bicultural as well as bilingual.

Ⅱ The Concept of Cross-Cultural Awareness

The cross-cultural awareness is one of the basic requirements for an interpreter when he or she participates in the intercultural communication, which is a particular way of thinking, a criterion for judgment or an acute sensitivity to cultivated by the interpreter.

According to Hanvey's view, cross-cultural awareness means a sensitive cognition towards cultural elements of one who attends intercultural communication.

Ways of expression differ from others if the speakers come from different culture backgrounds. Thus, successful interpreting is the result of accurate comprehension and reconstruction and application of various skills and techniques in a professional manner and to a professional standard that will be achieved at both discourse and cultural level.

Ⅲ The Relationship between Cross-Cultural Awareness and Interpretation

(1) The role of an interpreter

Every language has its distinct culture background, therefore, interpreting is the communication across cultural barriers, cultural differences and linguistic distances.

The absence of a shared code system and common cultural assumption and the ethnocentric thinking often stymie successful intercultural communication. Mr. Wang Zuoliang has said, "An interpreter deals with a few words, but facing with two distinct cultures." Therefore, "the interpreter must be a real intellectual. To usher in the effective communication, the interpreter should serve as a bridge between two cultures as well as two languages.

Let's take an example:

Baudelaire's translation of Poe may be "better" poems than those Poe wrote; but those who read them have read Baudelaire's version of Poe; not Poe.

If the interpreter knew the French Poet Charles Baudelaire is famous all over the world for introducing American poet and novelist Edgar Allen Poe, he should easily interpret that as follow:

波德萊爾所譯的愛倫坡的詩,也許比愛倫坡自己所寫得更好;但讀那些詩的人只是讀了波德萊爾所譯的愛倫坡;而并非真正的愛倫坡。

And We would be accustomed to saying“這是我應該做的.” to answer “Thank you for doing it for me.”But because of different customs, an interprete should express it as “With pleasure.” or “It is my pleasure.”

Idioms and allusions also must be paid more attention to. We must actively explain “鶴蚌相爭” as “We are fighting hard in the boxing match, while the next player is waiting for touch down with a coffee.”

(2) The criterion for an interpreter

The correctness of interpretation does not mean correct grammar only, but also possesses other features such as “accurately”, “appropriately” and “culturally”. (準確性、得體性、符合文化性). Therefore, a so-called excellent interpreter could create a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere for intercultural communication. For example, “The children were full of hell” should be interpreted into“孩子們在盡情玩鬧”.

Ⅳ Significances of the Conscious Cultivation of Cross-Cultural Awareness by an Interpreter

(1) The reduction of faults in intercultural communication

Due to the cultural and linguistic distances between source language and target language, an interpreter's any fault will cause interruption or even failure of discourse.

Of all these faults, the first one is completely translation fault; The second one is to make interlocutors misunderstood for they are in different cultures; The third one is mainly pragmatic faults which results from the interpreter neglects intercultural principles and interpret literally.

It is hard to avoid faults during interpreting. However, the interpreter can reduce faults through studies on different culture and conscious cultivation of cross-cultural awareness.

(2) The promotion of intercultural communication

In most effective intercultural communication, the interpreter should translate not only at linguistic lever but also at cultural lever. A good interpreter should enhance their competence in both verbal and nonverbal communicative aspects, cultivate cross-cultural awareness, and conduct cultural mediating accordingly in interpretation.

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