Abstract
This article aims to provide a description of interpreters’ conceptual processing in
English-Japanese simultaneous interpreting (SI) drawing on the conceptual complex
(CC) model introduced by Funayama (e.g. 2005, 2007). CC is a concept-based
descriptive device used to trace utterance comprehension in online discourse processing.
Differences between source text (ST) and target text (TT) are analysed to explore the
interpreter’s cognitive status, one main focus being repetitive translations of one element
in the ST into two or more places in the TT. Observing repetitive translations during the
SI performance makes it possible to analyse the formation and transformation of CCs, as
well as the contribution of various cognitive resources and other relevant phenomena.
Through a description of the SI process, this article also demonstrates how the SI
performance is supported by interpreters’ conceptual processing. This is an attempt to
substantiate deverbalization (Seleskovitch, 1978/1998) as an essential stage of the
interpreting process.
