Simultaneous Interpreting of Code-Switching in Iranian Presidential Speeches on PressTV

Abstract

Iranian presidential speeches often include code-switching between Persian and Arabic, primarily through quotations from religious sources. This paper focuses on a single case study of a speech delivered by the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and its simultaneous English interpretating on PressTV. It examines how the media interpreter handles the challenge of multilingual political discourse during simultaneous interpreting. The research identifies three main interpreting strategies: the interpreter renders Arabic quotes often partially, depending on whether the president provides a Persian translation in his speech. If no Persian translation is offered, the interpreter omits long or complex Arabic quotes. However, if the quote contains familiar phrases, such as common honorifics, the interpreter renders them into English. For religious Arabic terms and phrases, the interpreter either uses functional English equivalents, borrows original terms or omits them altogether. Overall, this study highlights the intricate challenge of interpreting multilingual political speeches, illuminating real-time decisions media interpreters take under high-pressure conditions. The paper lays the foundation for further research into interpretation of multilingual speeches.