PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR EFFICIENT COMPRESSION IN UKRAINIAN-ENGLISH INTERPRETING

Abstract

This article examines the practical use of compression in Ukrainian–English interpreting, highlighting its importance for efficiently conveying essential meaning despite linguistic and cognitive challenges. It outlines key strategies such as omission, summarization, reformulation, and lexical compression, illustrated with examples from various contexts including political, media, legal, and academic settings. The paper discusses challenges like preventing excessive compression and preserving the speaker’s original intent. It also provides training recommendations, emphasizing summarization exercises and corpus-based analysis. Overall, the article underscores that effective compression is crucial for delivering accurate, clear, and efficient interpretations, particularly in fast-paced and demanding environments. The article further delves into the cognitive demands placed on interpreters when employing compression techniques, noting that successful application requires not only linguistic proficiency but also strong memory and quick decisionmaking skills. It emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural nuances and discourse conventions in both Ukrainian and English to ensure that compressed interpretations remain faithful to the original message while being accessible to the target audience. The discussion also touches on the potential risks of compression, such as loss of critical information or unintended shifts in meaning, underscoring the need for careful balance. In addition, the paper advocates for targeted training approaches to enhance interpreters’ compression abilities. It suggests incorporating practical exercises that simulate real-life interpreting scenarios, encouraging interpreters to practice summarization and reformulation under time constraints. The use of corpus-based analysis is recommended to identify common patterns and effective compression strategies in authentic interpreting data. By integrating these methods into interpreter education, the article argues that practitioners can better manage cognitive load and improve overall interpretation quality in Ukrainian–English settings.