On Application of Relevance Theory in Interpretation

【Abstract】As Relevance Theory provides a new perspective into interpretation， which is the cognitive perspective， this papers sets out to first， elaborate on the interpreting process especially the understanding and reproduction process and then to analyze interpretation under the framework of relevance theory to further discuss understanding and reproduction as an ostensive-inferential communicative process in order to achieve optimal reference and several examples are rendered for your reference.

【Key words】relevance theory; ostensive-inferential process; optimal relevance

【作者簡介】田甜，湖北經(jīng)濟學院法商學院，講師，研究方向：口譯理論與口以教學。主編《商務口譯》教材并參編《中級口譯》等教材。著有譯著《農(nóng)莊男孩》《華麗的地圖》等。

Chapter 1 Interpreting Process under the Framework of Relevance Theory

Interpreting process， especially information processing can be best accounted under the framework of Relevance Theory put forward by D.Sperber and D.Wilson. Relevance Theory implies that in the cognitive process， to “make inference is the core of communication.” （苗興偉，1997） In the interpreting process， understanding is not only a decoding of the stored information process but also an ostensive-inferential process. When the two communicators are from different countries with different language， interpretation is thus required to serve as a third party to help the hearer to get the informative intention and the communicative intention. Interpretation is thus an active communicative process facilitated by a third party besides the two main communicators （the speaker and the listener）， which requires oral transference of message. Thus， the ostensive-inferential process is unusual from the one with only two main communicators and the interpreter is the receiver of the message or information delivered by the speaker and is at the same time the sender of the processed message to the hearer. The key stages of interpreting process which are the understanding and reproduction is comprised of two ostensive-inferential processes. One is in understanding， in which the ostensive act is made by the speaker and inference is made by the interpreter. The other is in reproduction， in which the ostensive act is made by the interpreter and the inference is made by the target hearer. How the two ostensive-inferential processes are conducted will be further elaborated on below.

In understanding， the interpreter should decode the original speech and grasp its core meaning， which can also be referred to as the process of deverbalization. The core meaning is the intention expressed by the speaker， which is composed of the informative intention and the communicative intention. The informative intention is clearly understood but the communicative intention is closely context-related. The interpreter should express both the informative intention and the communicative intention， with the communicative intention the priority. The informative intention， at some time， needs to give way to communicative intention when it is necessary. Under the Relevance Theory framework， “the speech implies a guarantee to provide relevance for comprehension.”（周穎，2006：32） In seeking for relevance from his contextual assumptions， the interpreter infers the speakers intention in the light of his own， cognitive environments. Thus， based on different cultural background or cognitive capabilities， the interpreter and the speakers cognitive environments can be totally different， thus， in order to interpret faithfully the intention of the speaker， the interpreter should select a context close to the original speech and then make inference based on the context. Examples are rendered as follows：

Example 1： 過去的兩年我們是在極其困難條件下走過來的。人民用堅實的步伐走過了不平坦的道路，這將會在歷史上留下印跡。

Under very tough circumstances， we have covered an eventful course in the past two years. Chinese people have gone through an extraordinary journey with solid steps. It will leave an imprint in the annals of history.

“走過來…不平坦” “走過來” which respectively， literally means “survive” or “undergo” “experience” and “不平坦” means “uneven” “unsmooth” or “tough”. Those are the informative intention talked about previously， the explicit and literal meaning. However， the communicative intention conveyed totally different. If the interpreter can get related to the cognitive environments of the speaker and find a context as close enough to the original speakers， he will understand the speech as “covered an eventful course” and “go through an extraordinary journey”.

Chapter 2 To Achieve Optimal Relevance

“Every act of ostensive communication communicates a presumption of its own optimal relevance”（Sperber and Wilson 2001） Interpreter， serving as the receiver as well as the sender of information， not only understanding is an ostensive-inferential communicative process， but also reproduction. Thus， optimal relevance has been put forward under the framework of Relevance Theory. Interpreter should consider the hearers cognitive environments and sends the original speakers intention to the target hearer in an ostensive way.

Example 2： If Beijing is successful， it might open up a Pandoras box with several countries like India demanding the return of their relics.

如果北京申遺成功，印度等幾個國家也會要求歸還他們的遺產(chǎn)，這必將導致一系列問題。

The idiom Pandoras box is obviously culturally-loaded， the contextual assumption of the idiom is not in the hears existing cognitive environments. The interpreter should reconsider the hearers cognitive environments to achieve optimal relevance as the goal of reproduction， thus the hearers can make little processing efforts in finding relevance and get much contextual effects， as the optimal relevance proposed. Thus， so far as I am concerned， “潘多拉的盒子” with addition is preferred， which is better be like “像打開了潘多拉的盒子一樣帶來一系列問題”.

Thus， from a relevance theoretical account of the interpretation， relevance is of significant importance which can be illustrated below by the role the interpreter should perform as both receiver and sender of information.

Chapter 3 Conclusion

Interpretation， as a profession is given into great attention. Interpretation， however is also a communicative process and in doing interpretation， the process of the interpreters understanding or comprehension of the speech is also a complicated cognitive process. It manifests in the different cognitive environments due to different communicative occasions， social and cultural backgrounds and the contextual assumptions the interpreter need to make under certain communicative occasions and his capabilities to make inferences. Thus， the interpreter should mobilize all available sources and relevant knowledge and data to find and establish relevance， and rapidly and accurately achieve optimal relevance.

References：

[1]Sperber. Dan. Relevance Theory.10 September 2005.

[2]Sperber. Dan.&Deirdre Wilson. 2001. Relevance： Communication and Cognition. Beijing： Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.