Conference interpreting of institutional discourse

Abstract

The proposed paper explores the peculiarities of conference interpreting within the context of institutional discourse. The research is grounded in the understanding that interpreting is a complex process embedded in the interplay of linguistic, social, and cultural factors, as well as the physical and institutional settings. Focusing on the speeches of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, the study aims to unravel the core competencies and translation strategies crucial for high-quality interpretation in institutional discourse. Methodologically, a corpus of political speeches in English and Ukrainian is examined using continuous sampling, comparative translation and contextual analyses. The research unfolds the distinctive features of institutional discourse, marked by goal orientation, formality, specialized vocabulary, and role-driven communication. The paper underscores the interpreter’s pivotal role in ensuring effective communication at conferences involving diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It highlights the challenges posed by unique professional titles and gendered language, showcasing his/her role not merely as a language expert but as a cultural mediator. The analysis results show that pragmatic adaptation is crucial in rendering institutional discourse into the target language, requiring adjustments beyond linguistic equivalence to align with cultural, contextual, and audience-specific factors. While the research reveals the translation adaptation strategies employed by interpreters, it also exposes challenges in maintaining emotional and rhetorical tones. The paper concludes by emphasizing that conference interpreting in institutional settings is a complex social and practical activity, demanding interpreters to convey not only lexical meanings but also emotional tones and cultural specificity.