Modern Chinese-English Interpretation Practice Book

Author: Wu Bing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The Workbook for "Modern Chinese-English Interpretation" is designed to accompany the main textbook, providing students with more practice opportunities. It consists of 18 units covering topics such as tourism, sports, education, women and children, elderly and family, population, ethnic groups, religion, medical and health, industry, agriculture, foreign trade, science and technology, economic development and reform, environmental protection, foreign affairs, and the general situation of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Each unit includes three types of exercises: skill practice, text practice, and adaptability practice.
Skill practice emphasizes memory and note-taking exercises, as well as number interpretation. If practiced in class, the teacher should narrate passages segment by segment, avoiding reading directly from the text and instead "speaking" the written content to the students. Students should focus on memorization, supplemented by simple notes, and then paraphrase in Chinese. Initially, the length of each narrated segment should not be too long but should include one or two complete thought groups. During practice, teachers should help students learn to use different methods for memorization based on the content, such as organizing information by chronological order, geography, space, cause and effect, or primary and secondary relationships.
Note-taking exercises are not dictation practice, so the teacher should narrate at a normal speed and in a natural, conversational manner. Since note-taking is highly personalized, teachers can collect students' notes, identify issues, provide guidance, and recommend effective methods. Periodically, teachers can organize discussions for students to share insights and learn from each other. Memory and note-taking exercises may either supplement the text or provide relevant background information. Text practice primarily focuses on promoting the country's basic policies and achievements through external publicity, while exercises often highlight problems and shortcomings. Combining these two aspects offers a more objective and comprehensive perspective.
Number practice includes pure number exercises and sentence exercises with numbers. Numbers are one of the recognized challenges in interpretation, so repeated practice is essential, starting with pure numbers. However, numbers always appear in specific contexts with measurement units, and students often focus solely on recording and translating the numbers while neglecting the units or context. Therefore, it is necessary to practice numbers within sentences.
Text practice includes paragraph translation and dialogue. Paragraph translation aims to help students grasp the text content and review relevant vocabulary and expressions. Dialogue practice is closer to real-world interpretation work and emphasizes the use of colloquial language and expressions. Adaptability practice is designed to develop students' translation skills, so the style of exercises varies. Some may resemble everyday conversation, while others are more formal, resembling written language. Interpreters should be able to adapt flexibly to different situations, as even with thorough preparation, unexpected challenges may arise. Regular training helps students remain calm and composed when faced with difficulties.
Each unit offers extensive practice, with all materials and data sourced from national media reports and government documents, reflecting statistics from the time. Some content or numbers may have become outdated by the time the book was published, but this does not hinder the practice of professional terminology and numbers. In class, teachers can use a portion of the material, leaving the rest for students to practice independently or in groups. Generally, one hour of interpretation training in class requires at least 2-3 hours of additional practice outside class for reinforcement.
In addition to memory and note-taking exercises and some pure number exercises, all other exercises come with reference answers and multiple possible translations. It should be noted that there are often more possible translations than those provided. Reference answers use italics and bold italics to highlight word collocations, and some include additional notes. To prevent students from relying on answers, the exercises and answers are intentionally separated in layout, which, while inconvenient for reference, helps cultivate independent problem-solving skills.
As situations change continuously, teachers are encouraged to supplement new practice materials and guide students to pay attention to emerging linguistic phenomena and content. Students should also find ways to increase their practice volume. Chinese and English broadcasts in China, as well as Chinese and English publications and online resources, can all be utilized.
To develop students' ability to learn, accumulate, and gather materials, teachers can assign short thematic presentations in class. Students should collect materials in advance and prepare brief outlines if necessary, but avoid reading or memorizing them verbatim during the presentation, instead expressing ideas in their own words. Simulated interpretation exercises—where four students take turns playing roles as Chinese and foreign speakers and their respective interpreters—greatly benefit comprehensive skill development.
In simulated interpretation exercises, students representing the Chinese side should familiarize themselves with China's history and current social conditions, understand and master the country's basic policies, and respond confidently to the other side's questions. Students playing the foreign side should gain insights into foreign policies and approaches to the same issues, as well as foreign perspectives on China's policies, current situation, and more.
Format: 16-page, 19.25 pages, 300 copies
The workbook is designed to accompany the main textbook, providing students with more practice opportunities, covering 18 units such as tourism, sports, education, women and children, elderly and family, population, ethnic groups, religion, medical and health, industry, etc.