Assessing the fidelity of consecutive interpreting

Interpreting ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Han ◽  
Rui Xiao ◽  
Wei Su

Abstract The study reported on in this article pertains to rater-mediated assessment of English-to-Chinese consecutive interpreting, particularly informational correspondence between an originally intended message and an actually rendered message, also known as “fidelity” in Interpreting Studies. Previous literature has documented two main methods to assess fidelity: comparing actual renditions with the source text or with an exemplar rendition carefully prepared by experts (i.e., an ideal target text). However, little is known about the potential effects of these methods on fidelity assessment. We therefore conducted the study to explore the way in which these methods would affect rater reliability, fidelity ratings and rater perception. Our analysis of quantitative data shows that the raters tended to be less reliable, less self-consistent, less lenient and less comfortable when using the source English text (i.e., Condition A) than when using the target Chinese text (i.e., Condition B: the exemplar rendition). These findings were backed up and explained by emerging themes derived from the qualitative questionnaire data. The fidelity estimates in the two conditions were also found to be strongly correlated. We discuss these findings and entertain the possibility of recruiting untrained monolinguals or bilinguals to assess fidelity of interpreting.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noezafri Amar

This research was aimed at describing the accuracy level of Google Translate especially in translating English text into Indonesian based on language error analysis and the use of equivalence strategy. The data were collected by taking one paragraph from Johann Gottfried Herder’s Selected Writings on Aesthetics book as the source text. Then they were translated by Google Translate (GT). The data of GT translation were analyzed by comparing them with the measurement instrument of translation equivalence level and elaborating the equivalence strategy of GT. By doing so the language errors were seen thus the accuracy level of GT translation could be described. The result of this research showed that (1) out of 13 source data only 4 or 31% are accurate translation, 7 or 54% are less accurate translation, and 2 or 15% are inaccurate translation. Therefore it is implied that its reliability for accurate level is only 31%. Half of them is less understandable and a few are not understandable. (2) If the appropriate equivalence translation strategy is sufficiently transposition and literal, GT can produce an accurate translation. (3) If the appropriate equivalence translation strategy is combined strategy between transposition and modulation or descriptive, more difficult strategies, GT just produce less accurate translation because it kept using literal and transposition strategies. (4) But if the appropriate equivalence translation strategy is only modulation, GT just produce inaccurate translation which is not understandable because it can only use transposition strategy. Even if the appropriate equivalence translation strategy is just a transposition strategy, in one case, GT failed to translate and it produced inaccurate translation because its strategy is only literal. In conclusion, especially in this case study, Google Translate can only translate English source text into Indonesian correctly if the appropriate equivalence translation strategy is just literal or transposition.AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan tingkat keakuratan Google Translate khususnya dalam menerjemahkan teks berbahasa Inggris ke dalam bahasa Indonesia berdasarkan analisis kesalahan bahasa dan penggunaan strategi pemadanan. Data dikumpulkan dengan mengambil satu paragraf dari buku Johann Gottfried Herder yang berjudul ‘Selected Writings on Aesthetics’ sebagai teks sumber. Kemudian data tersebut diterjemahkan oleh Google Translate (GT). Data terjemahan GT itu dianalisis dengan cara membandingkannya dengan instrumen pengukur tingkat kesepadanan terjemahan dan menjelaskan strategi pemadanan yang digunakan. Dengan melakukan hal tersebut kesalahan bahasanya dapat terlihat sehingga tingkat keakuratan terjemahan GT dapat dideskripsikan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa (1) Dari 13 data sumber hanya 4 data atau 31% yang merupakan terjemahan akurat, 7 data atau 54% merupakan terjemahan yang kurang akurat, dan 2 data atau 15% merupakan terjemahan tidak akurat. Dengan demikian tingkat kehandalannya sampai pada tingkat akurat hanya sebesar 31% saja. Sementara sekitar setengahnya lagi kurang dapat dipahami. Sedangkan sisanya tidak bisa dipahami. (2) Apabila strategi pemadanan yang seharusnya dipakai cukup transposisi dan terjemahan literal saja ternyata GT mampu menghasilkan terjemahan yang akurat. (3) Apabila strategi yang harus dipakai adalah strategi kombinasi antara transposisi dan modulasi atau deskriptif, strategi yang lebih sulit, GT hanya mampu menghasilkan terjemahan yang kurang akurat karena tetap menggunakan strategi penerjemahan literal dan transposisi saja. (4) Tetapi apabila strategi yang seharusnya dipakai hanya strategi modulasi saja GT hanya menghasilkan terjemahan tidak akurat, yang tidak bisa dipahami karena hanya mampu memakai strategi transposisi saja. Bahkan jika seharusnya strategi yang dipakai adalah sekedar transposisi, pada satu kasus, GT ternyata gagal menerjemahkan dan menghasilkan terjemahan tidak akurat karena strategi yang dipakainya adalah penerjemahan literal. Sebagai simpulan, khususnya dalam studi kasus ini, Google Translate hanya mampu menerjemahkan teks sumber berbahasa Inggris ke dalam bahasa Indonesia secara akurat jika strategi pemadanannya yang sesuai hanya sekedar literal atau transposisi.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-191
Author(s):  
Hua Chen ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
T. Pascal Brown

Abstract This study investigated the effects of topic familiarity on interpreting quality of eighteen Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) student interpreters in Chinese–English consecutive interpreting (CI) at a university in China. Data were collected from two interpreting tasks in a 2-hour interpreting course over a four-week period. The interpreting quality was assessed by using three analytic rating scales (i.e., information completeness, fluency of delivery, and target language quality) and a holistic rating. Semi-structured interviews with the students were conducted to gain some in-depth perceptions of the effects of topic familiarity on interpreting quality. The results showed that topic familiarity had significant effects on information completeness, fluency of delivery, target language quality, and holistic scores of the interpreting tasks. It was also found that topic familiarity strongly correlated with information completeness, fluency of delivery, target language quality, and holistic scores. The findings of the study indicate that topic familiarity should be included and highlighted in Chinese–English consecutive interpreting in classroom contexts. The study provides effective guidance for interpreting teaching, training, and research.


2013 ◽  
Vol 717 ◽  
pp. 844-848
Author(s):  
Qing Jun Wang ◽  
Shou Jin Wang

Previously there was algorithm shortage about making watermark hidden in semantic meaning of text and text formatting, this paper presents a new zero-watermark algorithm based on English text and the algorithm is suitable for Chinese text as well. Firstly, the algorithm determines the textual characteristics through the punctuation mark of texts. Then add the watermark information into the host through coring the information between cryptographic watermark and textual characteristics. The algorithm has a good concealment and strong robustness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Hiroko Yamada

There is a general consensus that novice interpreters should begin their training with consecutive interpreting (CI) and only move on to simultaneous interpreting (SI) after they have mastered CI. However, working memory (WM) capacity plays a central role in developing professional SI skills, and may even be more important than extended practice. As there is great variability in the innate cognitive abilities of individual people, some novice interpreters may have the potential to perform SI reasonably well. The present study has tested this hypothesis by offering SI training to novice interpreters in a university course, without administering prior CI training during the semester. Midterm and final examinations were conducted to analyze the learners’ SI performances. The findings suggest that student interpreters can perform SI quite well, subject to certain conditions such as preparation time, input rates, and source-text intelligibility. This study explores the pedagogical implications of introducing student interpreters directly to SI training, as well as the curricular arrangements involved.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riddhish Pandharkar ◽  
Matthew R. Hermes ◽  
Christopher J. Cramer ◽  
Laura Gagliardi

<p>Quantitatively accurate calculations for spin state ordering in transition-metal complexes typically demand a robust multiconfigurational treatment. The poor scaling of such methods with increasing size makes them impractical for large, strongly correlated systems. Density matrix embedding theory (DMET) is a fragmentation approach that can be used to specifically address this challenge. The single-determinantal bath framework of DMET is applicable in many situations, but it has been shown to perform poorly for molecules characterized by strong correlation when a multiconfigurational self-consistent field solver is used. To ameliorate this problem, the localized active space self-consistent field (LASSCF) method was recently described. In this work, LASSCF is applied to predict spin state energetics in mono- and di-iron systems and we show that the model offers an accuracy equivalent to CASSCF but at a substantially lower computational cost. Performance as a function of basis set and active space is also examined.<br></p>


Author(s):  
Nurhayati S.

Abstracts The translation from the source language into the target language cannot be exact equivalents as both languages are widely different in structure and cultural background. One of the rules in doing the translation is about the shift. This study was carried out to examine the category shift of the translation of  Surah Ibrahim verses 1-52. The data collection uses the source text (English text) and targets text (Indonesian text) from the Quran. The step of this research is to scan all English words (ST) and their Indonesian translation (TT) instead of, according to Catford's theory (1965: 76) ) Identify category transfers. These transfers are divided into structural transfers, class transfers, unit transfers, and intra-system transfers. The dominant category shift results are Unit Shift (46, 71%); Structure Shift with 16,78%; Intra System Shift with the percentage of 16,45%. It was found that several combinations of the category shifts were Unit Shift + Intra System Shift, Unit Shift + Class Shift, Unit Shift + Structure Shift, and Intra System Shift + Structure Shift with a low percentage. The findings of this study were not in line with the writer's previous research for the number of the kinds of the category shift and its domination. It is expected that this study can be one of the references of another related research.


1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (32) ◽  
pp. 3733-3750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Sano ◽  
Mikio Eto ◽  
Hiroshi Kamimura

In this paper we first describe the multi-configuration self-consistent field method with configuration interaction (MCSCF-CI) which is a variational method most suitable for strongly-correlated cluster systems. Then the calculated results of CuO 6 cluster embedded in hole-doped La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 and of CuO 4 cluster in the electron-doped Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 are reviewed. Finally the calculated results on the electronic structure of CuO 5 pyramid embedded in the insulating YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 and superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 are newly presented. In the latter case we will clarify an important role of the Cu-O chain in the electronic and superconducting state of YBa2Cu3O7 .


2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangjun Wu ◽  
Kefei Wang

Abstract In reality, expert interpreters from time to time do successfully tide over the gap between the capacity required and capacity available in dealing with extraordinarily large segments in consecutive interpretation. These exceptional cases imply that Gile’s Effort Model does not always hold and requires to be supplemented. This paper attempts to: 1) advance a solution to the dilemma that, in processing large segments in consecutive interpreting, the working memory capacity available is more often than not smaller than the capacity required, hence supplementing Gile’s Effort Model; 2) specify the rules of discourse transformation in consecutive interpretation; based upon the features of memory and consecutive interpretation, we deem that each segment, be it large or small, shall be processed as a discourse, the transformation of which is presumed to be the said solution; 3) and subsequently identify the optimal discourse transformation model, which is both capable of embodying the source text to the largest extent possible and achievable in terms of memory load. In addition, the author, through an observational study, justified the hypothesis. The validity of this theory, however, still requires further experimental evidence.


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