Preparing for Conferences: A Theme-

based Approach

Preparing for Conferences: A Theme-

based Approach

By Dr. Wang ChuanyingThe Dept. of Interpretation & Translation,

Nankai University

Course Description

An integral part of Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) training course

Targeting 2nd year graduate students majoring in SI

Focusing on English-Chinese interpreting but applicable to Chinese-English

Skills testable by resorting to a role-play Globalization and Inequality

Statement of Purposes

3 purposes for today’s workshop:

Analyze the possibility of preparing for a conferenceDiscuss a theme-based approach for preparatory workTest techniques with excerpts from a real conference

Some Truths about SI

Conference-orientedLanguage skills are important“Correspondence effect” is very desirableUnreliable organizer(s) in terms of

advance information

Flowchart of Conference Interpreting

Procèsverbal

Conference

5 knowns

Preparation1 week ahead

Offer 2 weeks ahead

Flowchart of Conference Interpreting

Procèsverbal

Conference

5 knowns

Preparation1 week ahead

Offer 2 weeks ahead

Role-Play:

Globalization and Inequality

Flowchart of Conference Interpreting

Procèsverbal

Video

Specific search of keynote speaker(Joseph Stiglitz)

5 Knowns

Brainstorming the topic:economic/political/social consequences

Assignments

1. Independent search for other 3 speakers (Jeffrey Sachs, George Soros and Mark Malloch-Brown)

2. Further brainstorming the topic with more information from different sources (books, journal articles, etc.)

Tip: All three speakers have personal homepages

References for this discussion

蔡小红 . 口译研究新探 . 香港：开益出版社， 2002 . 胡壮麟 . 语篇的衔接与连贯 . 上海：上海外语出版社 .1994. 勒代雷著，刘和平译 . 释意学派口笔译理论 . 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司 .

2001. 梅德明 . 高级口译教程（第二版） . 上海：上海外语教育出版社 .2000. 苗兴伟 .“ 关联理论与认知语境” . 外语学刊， 1997. 莫爱屏 .“ 推理照应的语义研究” . 外语研究， 2004. 刘宓庆 . 口笔译理论研究 . 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司 .2004. 仲伟合 . 英语口译教程 . 北京：高等教育出版社 . 2006 . Brown G and Yule G. Discourse Analysis. Cambridge University

Press, 1983. Halliday, Hasan. Cohesion in English. Shanghai: Foreign Language

Teaching and Research Press, 1976. Sperber D., Wilson, D. Relevance: Communication and Cognition.

Oxford: Blackwell, 1995.

Thank you for attending! Your further comments and

instructions are highly appreciated!

Thank you for attending! Your further comments and

instructions are highly appreciated!

5 Knowns

Organizers

Agenda Highlights

Names

Theme

5 Knowns

Information about keynote speakers

Lifepath

Major career achievements

Impact on others

Brainstorming the intended topic

Theme-based Preparation: Does it work ?

General scanning Specific search

Available sources for personnel search:Search engines (e.g. Google): Personal homepage Biography Autobiography( if any)Traditional sources: Who is who? Encyclopedia

“Correspondenceeffect”

Role-play: Globalization and Inequality

Organizers

Agenda Highlights

Names

Theme

5 Knowns

Globalization and Inequality

Jeffrey Sachs, George Soros, , Mark Malloch-Brown,Joseph Stiglitz

one-day meeting, roughly 15 minutes for each speaker followed by a panelists debate

The Earth Institute at Columbia University directed by Jeffrey Sachs

based on news release available 3 weeks ahead of the conference

Interesting Discoveries of Joseph Stiglitz

2001 Nobel laureate in economics for contribution to information economics Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President of the World Bank, 1997- 2000 First a member, then chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors of Clinton administration during 1993-97 Influenced by John Maynard Keynes who emphasized fiscal policy over monetary policy, or ‘stimulus’ in Stiglitz’s word Disagrees with US Treasury and IMF on their proposed rapid market liberalization program for the developing world The author of many books and articles. Most recent books concerning globalization include:

Globalization and Its Discontents The Roaring Nineties Towards a New Paradigm in Monetary Economics Fair Trade for All Making Globalization Work (forthcoming)

Excerpts from the video