Formal Correspondence vs. Dynamic Equivalence in Simultaneous Interpreting

The purpose of this article is to show that meaning-based interpretation in simultaneous interpreting should not be seen as shortfalls of the simultaneous interpreter. Rather, it is argued that some departures may occur as a result of the interpreter’s strategic decision-making to deliver the speaker’s message in the most suitable form to the target audience while at the same time overcome the constraints inherent in this mode of communication. This study uses the outputs of professional simultaneous interpreters in actual international conferences to discern patterns in departures and what trigger them. According to the analysis, departures may be categorized into five different types: ellipsis, deletion, addition, substitution and errors. The largest number of departures were in the form of substitution (51occurrences) followed by deletion(39 times), addition (22 times) and ellipsis (19 times.) The findings showed that the interpreter substituted own outputs or added information to deliver the message in the most easily understandable form to the target audience while deleted or omitted expressions to reduce time constraints. Thus, the empirical findings were evidence that departures are strategic choices on the part of the interpreter.