时间：2022-09-28 05:18:53
Abstract：This paper has discussed the application of speakers' voice controlling skills in interpreting. The aspects of voice controlling including volume， pitch， rate and pronunciation have been talked about in this paper to illustrate the close relation between public speaking skills and interpreting as well as the necessity of mastering public speaking skills for interpreters.
Key words：Public Speaking Skills， Interpreting， Speakers' Voice
As an interpreter， a good command of source language and target language is crucial for him or her. Interpreting is the oral translation of a spoken message or text. The interpreters need to be expert oral communicators. Interpreters are "performers" who are making immediate decision and taking communicative risks， therefore they experience much stress in interpreting （Mark Shuttleworth & Moira Cowie， 2004：83-84）. Public speaking is a systematic speech given in front of people with a specific purpose to convey either informing or persuading. In order to achieve the set goal， it involves a range of skills and expertise， such as delivery skills. There is a close relationship between public speaking and interpreting， and it is also necessary for interpreters to learn some public speaking skills. In this paper， I will touch upon some delivery skills of public speaking in interpreting， which are about speakers' voice.
The first aspect of voice that interpreters should control is their volume. First of all， in the book of The Art of Public Speaking， volume is defined as loudness or softness of a speaker's voice. Whether the speaker speaks with or without a microphone， be sure to adjust his or her voice to the acoustics of the room， the size of the audience， and the level of background noise. If the speaker speaks too loudly， the listeners will think him or her boorish. If the speaker speaks too softly， they will not understand you （Stephen E. Lucas， 2009：150）. As for interpreting， he or she should not speak too loudly even if the addresser's volume is high. A moderate volume is acceptable for the listeners， and the interpreter won't appear unconfident or arrogant. Besides， it is very important to observe the listeners facial expression soon after interpreting. If they look unpleasant or puzzled， it may be the sign of inappropriateness of the interpreter's volume.
The second aspect of voice the interpreters should take into consideration is the pitch. The highness or lowness of a speaker's voice is pitch. The pitch of the interpreter can convey a lot of emotions. Because interpreting is to translate a spoken message in an oral way， objectivity is critical in transferring the meaning of the addresser or speaker. Therefore as an interpreter， he or she should adopt a pitch of mediant， which sounds steady and credible for the listeners. It is not wise for interpreters to express their own emotions. A moderate pitch will impress the audience with objectivity. However， adopting a median pitch by no means is to use a monotone from the beginning to the end. In fact， an interpreter should avoid the monotone. In a word， the interpreter had better use a pitch of mediant and pay attention to his or her inflections to make the listeners feel a friendly and kind atmosphere.
The third aspect of the speaker's voice is rate. The rate is the speed at which a person speaks. The average speed of speaking is between 120 and 150 words per minute. Although the rate may differ in varied contents of interpreting or be influenced by the addresser， an interpreter must know how to adjust to and adapt to different circumstances and control his or her speed of speaking. There should be an average rate to keep， and no relatively sharp fluctuations in interpreting. If an interpreter speaks too fast， the audience may not catch up； if he or she speaks too slowly， the listeners might feel sleeping. Therefore the rate of interpreter influences the effect of interpreting. As an interpreter， he or she has to adopt a moderate speed and adjust the rhythm in interpreting to adapt to the need of audience.
At last let's turn to speaker's pronunciation. In The Art of Public Speaking， pronunciation is defined as the accepted standard of sound and rhythm for words in a given language. Although native speakers of English are very tolerant of pronunciation errors by nonnative speakers in spontaneous conversation， they expect a higher degree of accuracy in formal speeches. （Stephen E. Lucas， 2009： 152）. As an interpreter， first of all， there should be no language barrier of both source language and target language. Meeting the criteria of Standard English is very necessary. Bad pronunciation may cause difficulty in understanding for listeners and even misunderstanding. Therefore it is critical for interpreters to master a standard pronunciation of both source language and target language. For those who speak with local accent， first thing they should do is to get rid of it. It involves a lot of imitation and practice. I think it is also a good way for us to check the phonetic symbol when we come across new words or words which we are not sure about its pronunciation.
When an interpreter is doing interpreting， he or she is a public speaker. Public speaking skills are the foundations for a qualified interpreter. When the interpreters do practice， they should pay attention to all the aspects which I have discussed. Interpreting is a high demanding work， and some public speaking skills are essential for interpreters. Learning some public speaking skills are very useful and necessary for interpreters.
Bibliography
1.Mark Shuttleworth & Moira Cowie， Dictionary of Translation Studies[M]. Shanghai： Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press， 2009
2.Stephen E. Lucas， The Art of Public Speaking [M]. Beijing： Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press， 2009