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Article published In: Target
Vol. 36:3 (2024) ► pp.445–480

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More spoken or more translated?

Exploring the known unknowns of simultaneous interpreting from a multidimensional analysis perspective

ORCiD logo with link | Beijing Institute of Technology
 | Beijing Institute of Technology
Published online: 30 September 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.22028.xu
Abstract
This article explores the features of simultaneous interpreting (SI) from a multidimensional (MD) analysis perspective (. 1988. Variation Across Speech and Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), drawing on a newly built comparable intermodal corpus, the LegCo+ corpus. The corpus incorporates Cantonese speeches that are both interpreted and translated into English, as SI and written translation (WT), respectively. Additionally, a third English corpus consisting of English native speeches (NS), without mediation, serves as a benchmark comparison. We aim to examine the extent of similarities and differences between SI, NS and WT in terms of the linguistic patterns they display. Our findings show that: (1) SI is a hybrid language mode, exhibiting features that lie between those of non-mediated spoken language and mediated written language; (2) in terms of its spoken nature, SI resembles NS in certain dimensions where typical features are associated with orality, suggesting a strong modality effect; and (3) in terms of its mediated status, SI demonstrates similarities with WT, despite their perceptibly distinct modalities, pointing to a potential mediation-specific effect. These empirical findings emphasize the necessity of understanding the multidimensionality inherent in interpreted language.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Studies on ontology versus modality
    • 2.1The effect of ontology
    • 2.2The effect of modality
    • 2.3The effects of ontology and/or modality from a multidimensional perspective
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Introducing the LegCo+ corpus
    • 3.2The MD analysis approach
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1Dimensions extracted from factor analysis
      • 4.1.1Dimension 1: Involved versus Informational Production
      • 4.1.2Dimension 2: On-line Information Elaboration with Stancetaking Concerns
      • 4.1.3Dimension 3: Precise versus Simplified Description
      • 4.1.4Dimension 4: Narrative versus Abstract Focus
      • 4.1.5Dimension 5: Lexical versus Functional Concerns
      • 4.1.6Dimension 6: On-line Persuasion
      • 4.1.7Dimension 7: Coordinating versus Possessive Functions
    • 4.2Language varieties across dimensions
      • 4.2.1SI — More spoken than translated/mediated?
      • 4.2.2SI — More translated/mediated than spoken?
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Summary and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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Zhang, Wenkang, Rui Xie, Yao Yao & Dechao Li
2025. Lexico‐Syntactic Complexity in Machine Interpreting: A Corpus‐Based Comparison With Human Interpreting and Translation. International Journal of Applied Linguistics DOI logo

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