Characteristics of Chinese Discourse, Automatisms, and Useful Expressions for Conference Interpreters

Interpreters for conferences involving China are expected to have a good understanding, both topical and linguistic, about the Chinese style of communication. Mastery of knowledge regarding conference themes and Chinese discourse helps interpreters work more efficiently across languages. This chapter introduces the content of common general conference topics, including politics and diplomacy, economic and commercial cooperation, ecology and environmental protection, and cultural exchanges. It then discusses classic features of Chinese discourse, together with typical linguistic devices employed in contemporary political expressions, especially those used by Xi Jinping. The chapter also offers useful expressions and sentence patterns that can be used at different stages of a conference for various communicative functions.