Abstract
Based on Jenny Thomas’s dichotomous classification of pragmatic failure, this study proposes a new perspective and classifies pragmatic failure in interpretation into three categories: pragma-linguistic failure, socio-pragmatic failure and malaprop-pragmatic failure. Specific examples are given to illustrate the causes and effects of each category of pragmatic failure in interpretation. Meanwhile, this study establishes the “curriculum-textbook-teacher-teaching” scheme to develop students’ pragmatic competence in interpreting with which they are able to avoid pragmatic failure in interpretation.
Highlights
Interpretation is an act of verbal communication in which information is conveyed from one language into another (Pöchhacker, 2016)
Compared with Thomas’s research findings, this study has identified a number of pragmatic failures in interpretation that do not fit into pragma-linguistic failure or socio-pragmatic failure, for they are caused not by the neglect of linguistic or cultural differences but by the interpreters’ slip of tongue, which is why they are put into a third category: malaprop-pragmatic failure
From the analyses in the previous section, we have proved that pragmatic failures abound in interpretation and they come in three different categories
Summary
Interpretation is an act of verbal communication in which information is conveyed from one language into another (Pöchhacker, 2016). As globalization accelerates and countries have closer contacts with one another, interpretation plays a more important role and the need of good interpreters is growing faster than ever. Under such circumstances, colleges and universities either offer interpretation courses for language majors or even establish interpretation programs. Language proficiency and interpretation skills are the foci of interpretation education. They are the main themes for interpretation research. Pragmatic failures are common in interpretation, but little attention has been given to the study of them. How many categories of pragmatic failures are there in interpretation? How many categories of pragmatic failures are there in interpretation? What are the causes and effects of each category of pragmatic failures? What can be done to avoid them? To answer these questions, the present study examines pragmatic failures in interpretation with specific examples and proposes corresponding strategies to develop students’ pragmatic competence in interpreting
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