The Position of the Verb in Germanic Languages and Simultaneous Interpretation

Abstract

This paper reports on an experimental study analysing the impact of SOV on simultaneous interpreting fromD and NL into Italian and the language-specific strategies adopted by 15 professional interpreters to tackle SOV-related difficulties. Despite the typological affinity between the two Germanic final-verb languages, the greater rigidity of the SOV structure in German appears to require more extensive anticipation efforts aswell as a longer ear-voice span. Dutch is less rigid and characterised by systematic violations of the SOV order through the extraposition of a constituent. The load on short-term memory is, thus, less onerous which justifies a shorter ear-voice span and occasionally a blander approach to reformulation than is the case fromGerman.