Images Lost: Persian > English Simultaneous Interpreters Tackling Non-Literal Language

Abstract

This study explores the challenges simultaneous interpreters face when coming across non-literal language in the source utterance, such as metaphors, metonymies, and idioms. Non-literal language adds imagery to communication but seems to pose difficulties in the interpreting process due to its figurative nature. Simultaneous interpreters must navigate cultural differences and find appropriate equivalents while remaining agile with their cognitive capabilities in order to accurately convey the non-literal meaning into the target language in real-time. Simultaneous interpreters must analyze and interpret the utterance quickly while maintaining the production flow. Keeping track of the source utterance while taking care of the images getting transferred into the target production is not an easy task, for the fact that, according to Gile’s effort model (Gile 1992), a simultaneous interpreter is already putting different required efforts in work, let alone rendering figurative items. Through this study, it appeared that non-literal items in language are not totally transferred into the target language; 95 non-literal items were extracted from 113 minutes of simultaneously interpreted UN political speeches, out of which 32% were replaced with their literal counterparts, added up with 16% being directly skipped, 9% of the items being unreplaced metonymies, and 10% of the items transferred while modified with a different image in the target production. Results in total, consist of 67% (almost two-thirds) of the items got lost or were thoroughly modified leaving only 33% (roughly one-third) of the non-literal items being transferred intact, which itself is a question raising phenomenon and evidence of problem triggering situations in the process of interpreting.