A Micro-macro Paradigm to Identify Simultaneous Interpreting Strategies (SISs) with Reference to -taxis Relations in UN Discourse

Abstract

The object of this paper is to situate simultaneous interpreting (SI) as textually strategy-specific (micro level) and discursive practice (macro level) drawing on Norman Fairclough’s (1989) critical discourse model in Language and Power. Considering its diverse nature, this article treats UN interpreted discourse as a form of particularised organisational discourse where -taxis relations are surface features of language at the micro level. On a deeper level, it contributes to the collective ideological framing at the macro level. A micro-macro continuum substantiates a more unified representation of SI through collaboration across a myriad of approaches and that is where originality lies. SI is incorporated with CDA and Corpus-based methods to make it possible for valid simultaneous interpreting strategies (SISs)to be identified. This model helps to reveal (i) the patterns expert interpreters establish to simultaneously interpret textual features, namely, hypotaxis and parataxis (micro level); and (ii) the functions of interpreted textual features and whether they keep original ideologies or depart from them (macro level).