Professional Image of Chinese-English Conference Interpreters in Taiwan: Self-representations vs. Perceptions

• Main Authors: Wen-Pin Yang, 楊文斌
• Other Authors: 張嘉倩
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/9w56c7

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 翻譯碩士學位學程 === 105 === Researchers of professionalization of conference interpreting have often suggested that the professional image of conference interpreters plays a significant role in the process of professionalization. However, few studies have been done on the professional image of conference interpreters in Taiwan. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the professional image represented by conference interpreters in Taiwan. At Tsai Ing-Wen’s 2016 international press conference, Vincent Chao, the Deputy Director of the Department of International Affairs of the Democratic Progressive Party, served in the capacity of consecutive interpreter. As a result, a wealth of commentaries on Chao’s interpretation from parties inside and outside the T&I community emerged, through which different parties’ perceptions of the professional image could be observed. This study seized the opportunity and conducted content analysis on conference interpreters’ general self-portrayals, news media’s commentaries on Chao’s interpretation, and reactions to the commentaries from the interpreting community to present the self-representation of professional image by conference interpreters through the media. This study concludes that C-E conference interpreters in Taiwan represent conference interpreting as a full-fledged profession awaiting legal recognition.