Discourse markers in English as a target language: The use of so by simultaneous interpreters

Abstract

This paper investigates the distribution of a particular discourse marker, i.e. so, in the target speeches produced by professional simultaneous interpreters while translating from Italian into English. The objective is to examine the possible effect on discourse marker distribution of specific situational norms that are in play in simultaneous interpreter-mediated settings. The analysis is both quantitative and qualitative, and is based on a parallel corpus of three medical conferences with Italian and English (native and non-native) speakers along with the corresponding simultaneous interpretations. All the occurrences of zero correspondence (30% of all the occurrences of so in target speeches) are examined in detail and grouped into different macro-categories. Subsequently, there is a discussion of possible reasons behind the interpreters' decision to add "sequentially dependent elements which bracket units of talk" (Schiffrin 1987: 31), with a view to contributing to the description of English in interpreter-mediated communication.