U n i t F o u rB u s i n e s s T r a v e lUnit Objectives (单元目标)After reading this unit, you should➢understand the ways to identify the main ideas of the source text.➢find ways to improve your interpreting skills and performance.➢master the basic words and expressions about business travel.➢know some cultural background knowledge about business travel.PreparingI. Interpreting Skills (口译技能)Read the following presentation about discourse analysis and try tounderstand the four speech types and know how to identify the mainideas of the source text. Then complete the following task:1. Listen to the passage, “ My first day in New York”, and answer the followingquestions:1). When did the author first arrive in the US?2). What did the author do on the way to his hotel?3). Where did the author get something to eat after his friend had left?4). Why couldn’t he have what he really wanted at the restaurant?5). What did the author do after dinner?2. Listen to the passage again and try to catch more details, then retell thestory in your own words.Decoding Training (II): Discourse Analysis（语篇分析）Interpreting is to “understand and make understood”. To interpret the speech, one must first understand the message of the speech. However, comprehension（理解）of the source discourse goes beyond the simple recognition of words and linguistic structures. The interpreter shall make an analysis of the source discourse. More importantly, the interpreter shall identify（识别）the speech type and know how to identify the main ideas of the original speeches.Identification of the Speech TypesSpeeches are diversified serving different occasions and purposes. It will be of great help to the interpreters if they know the speaker’s style. In most cases, speeches are prepared beforehand. Therefore, a study of the different types of writing helps an interpreter identify the main idea of a given speech. Following are the basic types of writing.1. Descriptive WritingDescriptive（描述性的）writing involves a great deal of detailed information. A descriptive discussion aimed at providing details of an event, a scene, a procedure, or a situation.This speech type demands a thorough background investigation of the speaker and the relevant situation by the interpreter.2. Narrative WritingNarrative（叙述性的）writing focuses on the development of events. There is no doubt that the interpreter should be very sensitive to dates, time phrases, and verb tenses when a narrative speech is dealt with.3. Expositive WritingExpositive（说明性的）writing deals with its subject matter in such orders as chronological, spatial, comparison, and definition. It would be to the advantage of the interpreter to conduct a background investigation of the speaker and the situation, for that would provide the interpreter with not only thenecessary glossary but also the speaker’s standpoint（立场）.4. Persuasive WritingPersuasive（劝说性的）writers always want to make their arguments clear, strong and convincing. When the purpose is to convince, writers of persuasive writing mainly employ two techniques -- induction（归纳）and deduction（推论）. Inductive writing starts with specific examples or points to draw a general conclusion, while deductive writing illustrates its thesis at first and then supports and reinforces the thesis through specific examples or subordinate ideas.Identification of the Main IdeasIn the context of interpreting, the main ideas of the source speech can be identified at the sentence level and at the discourse level. Priority should always be attached to identifying the main idea at the sentence level. We argue that identification of main ideas be done on the basis of sentences. Training in identifying the main ideas in interpreting should naturally take place first at the sentence level.1. Sentence LevelThe most important task for an interpreter to identify the main ideas at the sentence level is to discern (洞悉）the subject, verb and object (SVO). It is highly significant for the interpreter to catch the SVO of the sentence while listening to the source text, as the SVO usually carries the major information of the sentence. For example, when listening to “The best way to carry money while traveling is to have a major credit card”, the interpreter is expected to catch “The best way is to have a credit card.” If the interpreter is able to catch the SVO of the sentence, he then will produce a complete sentence with the major information in the target language.2. Discourse LevelThere are also some skills an interpreter might employ on different occasions for grasping the gist （要点）of a speech at the discourse level. In a well-organized speech, the speaker usually explains his point in the first few sentences. Therefore, one of the ways to get the main idea of a speech is to attach priority to the beginning of the speech. Secondly, if the interpreter encounters a speech that is inductively constructed, the interpreter should, to the best of their ability, conduct a study of the speaker's background and viewpoints so that they can follow the speaker's logical guidelines.II. Phrase Interpreting (短语口译)Work on the following words and phrases. Interpret them into Chineseand English respectively.A. English to Chinese1. Have a population of…2. Cover an area of…3. Date back to…4. Have a history of…5. Be situated in…6. The gross domestic product7. Dive-in restaurant 8. Quarantine certificate9. Duration of stay 10. Residence permitB. Chinese to English1、日程安排2、旅行路线3、起飞时间4、机场大楼5、候机室6、贵宾室7、问讯处8、安全检查9、免税店10、个人物品III. Sentence Interpreting （句子口译）Work on the following sentences. Interpret them into Chinese andEnglish respectively.A. English to Chinese1. I believe you're going out of your way for us.2. Wouldn't you like to spend an extra day or two here?3. I'm afraid that won't be possible, much as we'd like to.4. I wonder if it is possible to arrange shopping for us.5. I will keep you posted.B. Chinese to English1. 我特地为你们安排，使你们在北京的逗留愉快。
