This visibility not only makes interpretation full of fun and foreign languages, but also brings many challenges to interpreters. It is not easy to stand in public and speak in public. Regardless of the quality of translation, an interpreter should be an excellent speaker first. Otherwise, even if the translation is excellent, it will make the audience feel boring because of poor sound quality, beat or words. Obviously, for a successful interpreter, mastering solid speech skills is the most basic task.
1. Be familiar with the speech place and strengthen the speech effect.
In order to achieve good communication effect, interpreters must be familiar with the working environment after arriving at the workplace. Look at the room equipment where the speaker is located, the thickness of the roof, curtains and the area of the room will affect the sound effect. In addition, the speaker needs to speak to several audiences, whether on the podium or on his own initiative. These problems need to be considered by translators. As for the interpreter himself, whether to stand next to the speaker or retreat to the stage, whether there are auxiliary tools (such as microphones), whether it is an upright microphone, a handheld wireless microphone or a portable wireless microphone, we should control the situation as soon as possible before the start of work. Pay special attention to debugging the microphone to avoid the embarrassing situation of poor sound quality or insufficient battery power.
2. Comprehensive use of several major elements of the speech
The speaker's voice is accompanied by a series of physiological processes-first, the airflow exhaled by the lungs passes through the throat and vibrates the vocal cords to form a sound; Then through the pharynx, mouth and nasal cavity, the sound is amplified and modified, and finally through the tongue, lips, teeth and jaw, a specific sound is formed. Translators should pay attention to the use of several elements of speech in translation, namely, volume, pitch, beat, pause, pronunciation and articulation.
The volume and intensity of the speaker's voice. Interpreters should not shout loudly, even if the speaker's voice is too loud, it should not affect them to raise the volume. Moderate volume Even if my translation is easily accepted by the audience, it will not appear unconfident or pretend to be the host. You need to adjust the volume when translating. Interpreters should pay attention to the audience's expressions from the beginning, especially those in the front row and the last row. The unhappy expression of the audience in front or the puzzled expression of the audience behind are all signals that the volume is not appropriate.
The high and low levels of tone. Generally speaking, it is best for translators to adopt alto in translation, because alto appears calm and credible, and attention should be paid to the change of tone to make the audience feel cordial, gentle, sincere and enthusiastic. As an interpreter, it is inappropriate to show intense emotions. A tepid tone can make me more objective. However, this does not mean that the interpreter should use the same tone from beginning to end. The monotonous tone will bore the audience and greatly undermine the effect of the speech.
The speed at which the speaker's voice travels. Usually, the expression speed of Chinese is 150~ 180 words per minute, while that of English is 120~ 150 words. Although the translator should think about the characteristics of the translated content and the speed of speech adopted by the speaker to affirm his own translation rhythm, excessive fluctuation of the unified value will form an additional burden for the audience to bear the information. Therefore, the interpreter should speak at a moderate speed, and at important information points, such as numbers, special terms, names, titles and other keywords that the speaker particularly emphasizes, the speech speed should be slowed down appropriately. It is also important to adjust the beat frequently in translation.
A brief pause in information transmission. For translators, a proper pause can not only find time to stop thinking or repair the defects in translation naturally and generously, but also bring better results to information expression. Mark? Twain once said that when talking about speech skills, the right words may be effective, but nothing is more effective than the right pause. Interpreters should pay attention to controlling pause time. Too long pause will make the audience think that the interpreter can't translate it, thus affecting the trust in the interpreter. A short pause won't help. Mark? Twain thought that the pause of the audience should be short; Two listeners, pause a little; More listeners, pause for a while.
Whether the pronunciation, intonation and beat used by the speaker are correct and whether the audio and video are localized. A good interpreter should first have no obstacles in bilingual oral expression, and his pronunciation should at least meet the standards and norms of the language used to prevent the influence of the central accent. This is one of the basic qualities of an interpreter, so I won't elaborate on it here.
Whether the speaker can speak clearly and completely. Clear wording is very important to convey information effectively. Slowing down is an effective way to enhance spitting. At the same time, because formal speech is different from conversation, speakers are often required to pronounce words more and more perfectly, and the need for linking, weak reading and swallowing between words (words and words) is appropriately reduced, and it is even more necessary to prevent unnecessary expressions with personal habits, such as huh? This? That is to say? , um ... er ... yes ... ok ... and so on.
3. Adhere to good and generous manners
Besides language expression, the interpreter's body language is also very important. In the process of translation, the translator should consider the following aspects:
Dress interpreters should dress appropriately, speak English and make adjustments according to the workplace. In formal meetings, conferences, banquets and other occasions, interpreters need to dress formally, but they don't need to exaggerate; Other more relaxed places, such as tour guides, visits and simple meals, can wear more casual clothes. If you are not sure how to dress, you must ask the organizer. What is important is that a good dress is definitely different from expensive and fashionable brand clothes, but should be neat, generous and decent.
Standing/sitting posture should be correct and decent, and the body should not swing frequently and greatly. Don't cross your legs when standing, and don't cross your legs or sway your legs when sitting. At work, we should adhere to a highly involved physical state.
As an interpreter, excessive use of gestures will give people the feeling of stealing the limelight. In informal daily work interpretation, interpreters can use gestures to supplement communication appropriately; But in formal occasions, interpreters must be correct and prudent, and avoid dancing.
Increasing eye contact with the audience can enhance the communication effect. However, translators should pay attention to eye contact taboos in different cultures when they meet people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. For example, people in Europe, America and Arab countries are used to looking directly into each other's eyes when talking, while people in some Asian and African countries prevent direct eye contact when talking, especially people of different sexes and status levels. If it is a formal speech, the narrator should stop making eye contact with the audience from different directions and stay in a certain direction for a relatively long time, otherwise it will give people the impression of uncertainty and unconfidence.
Expressions convey friendliness to the audience from time to time through relaxed and natural expressions. Even if there are difficult expressions in the process of translation, the translator should not frown, stare or show other expressions of regret and helplessness. Translators' facial expressions need to show goodwill to the audience, as well as their interest in and grasp of the translation theme. At the same time, interpreters are not actors, and exaggerated artificial facial expressions will only be counterproductive. To sum up, as a front-screen communicator, an interpreter should adhere to a neat and generous appearance, master the skills of verbal expression, and at the same time be unpretentious, modest, steady and pleasant. A good beginning is half the battle, and the success of an interpreter depends to a great extent on the impression left by the first few sentences on the audience.
-Jiayutong Benny-
Related topic articles:
Ningbo netizens released reprinted reports involving Jiangxi police being exchanged across provinces.
Classic lines of American drama: those sentences that poke your heart.