Interpreting U.S. Public Diplomacy Speeches

Book excerpt: Interpreting U.S. Public Diplomacy Speeches is an attempt to bring a methodical consideration of social context into the interpreter’s approach to analyzing discourse. In this book, speeches delivered by U.S. diplomats to foreign audiences are described using elements of Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING model. This will help interpreters to shape their interpretation of this text type and supply a flexible means of better understanding discourse in any culture. This book is intended as a resource for non-U.S. interpreters who want to know more about interpreting for U.S. government officials or other U.S. American people. It could also interest anyone curious about how cultural context can affect the work of interpreters.