Note-taking in Interpreting
2020/12/11
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The importance of taking notes in interpreting
➢ Our short-term memory alone can not retain the amount of information the speaker gives in the act of interpreting. We need to employ other means to help with our retaining and retrieval of information. Notes are an aid to enhance the work of understanding, analysis and re-expression, the three activities of consecutive interpreting.
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➢ The main use of notes is to relieve memory. Although an interpreter may have understood the main ideas of a speech, it is almost impossible for him/her to recall all the elements of a five-minute speech, particularly if it contains numbers, names, lists, since such elements cannot be recalled on the basis of analysis and logic.
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Use as many symbols as you feel comfortable with
+－
↑↓← →
<>
≤≥
=≠
≈
×
∵∴
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+ 还有,和,此外,而且,以及 - 减少, 不会,没有 = 等于, 相当于 ＞ 大过，超过，优越于 ＜ 少于，小于，比不上 ↓ 减少，下降 ↑ 增加，上升，上报 ↗ 逐步增加 ↘ 逐步下降，减少 → 向前发展
∴ 所以， 于是 ∵ 因为，由于 √ 正确， 同意，好 ∽ 调换，对调，交流 ⅹ 错误，不行，没有 ‖ 停止， □ 国家 ⊙ 国内 □• 国外 ! 注意，警惕 ？ 疑问，问题，试验性 --- 下划线表示强调。
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Use abbreviations
“Prof” for “professor”, “dept” for “department”, “std” for “standard”. “ref” for “reference”, “eg” for “for example”, “ie” for “that is”, “esp” for “especially”, “min” for “minimum”, “max” for “maximum”, and “usu” for “usually”
2020/12/11
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GDP (gross domestic product), GNP (gross national product), 5yr P (five year plan), SOE (state owned enterprise), FIE (foreign invested enterprise), JV (joint venture), SEZ (special economic zone), trd (trade),
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invt (investment), respon (responsibility), memo (memorandum), demo (demonstration), Ad (advertisement), TQC (total quality control), CI (corporate image), Attn (attention), dept (department),
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Basic guidelines for note-taking in CI
Write only on one side of the sheets; Write your note vertically. Notes should be easily readable, be well
spread on the page, written in large characters, and sometimes one single sentence can even occupy one sheet.
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Notes must be unequivocal: for instance, an arrow pointing upward ↗ must be always used to represent one idea.
Avoid inventing symbols or abbreviations in the course of interpretation.
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Language used in your notes: SL and TL
Use whatever language that comes to your mind
20coop (cooperation), prodc(production), ref(reference), info(information), IT indy(information industry), telcom(telecommunication), IDD (international direct dialing), R&D(research and development), CAD( computer assisted design), agrd(agreed). CEO(chief executive officer), Govt(government), FOB, CIF。