由罗德里克·琼斯撰写的《会议口译解析》是以口译运用于国际间各类会议会谈为服务背景,以常规交替传译和同声传译的口译技能为主线的实践和应用型,并带有教学指导意义的会议口译学习指导书。书中很少涉及翻译理论。但是为了使那些对翻译理论有兴趣的读者继续钻研口译理论,作者在书中简明扼要地列出了主题明确的参考书目。

A number of readers may be annoyed that the above discussion of the basicprinciples of consecutive has been carried out to a large extent as if notes didnot exist. One may have gleaned the impression that the interpreter was to ana-lyze and memorize speeches of up to five minutes without any real assistancefrom notes. It is obvious that none but exceptional interpreters can be expectedto work in that way: our presentation in the previous chapter was merely de-signed to put note-taking in the right perspective. The essential part of a consecutive interpreter' s work is done in the activi-ties already described: understanding, analysis, re-expression. If these are notdone correctly, the best notes in the world will not make you a good inter-preter. Notes are no more than an aid to enhance the work done on the basis ofthese three key components. They are not an end in themselves, but a meansto an end.
The interpreter who invests too much in their notes is running a twofoldrisk. First, by trying to note as much as possible in a form as close as possible tothe original, their notes may become a form of shorthand, a mere transcriptionof the sequence of words used by the speaker. Such notes will influence theinterpreter when they are reproducing the speech, and their version will be toomuch a transliteration of the original, not a re-expression of its ideas.
Second, and more seriously, the interpreter who relies too much on theirnotes will have paid insufficient attention to genuine understanding and analy-sis while listening to the speech. They are therefore capable of being superficial,of making serious errors, even of contradicting themselves, insofar as the speechfor them is no longer a coherent whole but a series of sentences to be repro-duced automatically. They are, so to speak, flying blind.
Having sounded these warning notes about the attitude to take to notes, andthe risks involved in their abuse, what then is the purpose of taking notes?
The first
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Foreword
1. Introduction
What Is an Interpreter?
What Is Conference Interpreting?
The Context of the Conference Interpreter's Work
Definitions and Examples Used in this Book

2. The Basic Principles of Consecutive Interpreting
Understanding
Analysis
Analysis of Speech Type
Identification of Main Ideas
Analysis of Links
Memory
Re-expression

3. Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting
Practical Points for Note-taking
What to Note
How to Note
Abbreviations and Symbols
The Language in Which to Note
When to Note
How to Read Back Notes

4. Simultaneous Interpreting
The Acoustic Difficulties of Simultaneous Interpreting
The Technique of Simultaneous Interpreting
When to Start Speaking ?
Reformulation
The Salami Technique
Efficiency in Reformulation
Simplification
Generalization
Omission (Under Duress) and Fast Speakers
Summarizing and Recapitulation
Explanation
Anticipation
What if I Make a Clear Mistake?
What if the Speaker Makes a Mistake ?
Avoiding Committing Yourself
Metaphors and Sayings
Using 'Pat phrases'
Intonation, Stress and Pauses
Numbers
'Retour'
Relay
Concluding Remarks on Simultaneous Technique

5. The Pleasure of Interpreting
Glossary
Further Reading
Index
……

会议口译实践对外行来说很神秘,但若解析得当,其中的技巧还是可以掌握的。《会议口译解析》通过对笔记、信息重组、切分长句技巧、简化、概括、预测策略等的阐述,以及对应对各类翻译难题的职业窍门的说明,详细介绍了交替传译和同声传译的实务技能。书中每一章节都提供了大量的英语原文实例,有些例子是按照其他语言的句法和语法用英语表达的。
尽管《会议口译解析》是一本实践指导书,较少涉及翻译理论,但书中包含了诸如意义单元、翻译单元和话语结构等概念的说明;对一些更有争议的问题,如省略、翻译错误的道德规范等,也提出了自己的看法。书中还评价了会议口译的乐趣,并提供了术语表和进一步阅读的参考书目。总而言之,《会议口译解析》填补了英语出版界在口译方面的空白,为初学者提供了实用的入门指导,对教师而言则是便捷的参考书。