Interpreting (HSK 7-9)
Interpreting in HSK 7-9 tests consecutive listen-and-interpret performance in both directions. It rewards chunking, note-taking economy and reformulation under time pressure; accuracy of propositions and register outranks elegant wording.
Core rules
- Take notes by proposition, not word: arrows for change, +/− for stance, underlining for negation and numbers.
- Chunk at clause boundaries; do not begin speaking until the speaker's unit is complete.
- Preserve modality and conditions: 建议, 应当, 除非, 只要 and 才. A dropped condition changes the policy.
- Use the target language's oral syntax; short sentences and explicit connectors beat calques.
- If you miss a detail, use a general term and continue; do not invent specifics.
Worked example
Segment: “我们建议先把试点范围控制在三个城市，等评估指标跑完一个季度再决定是否扩围。” Reasoning: three propositions-recommendation, scope, timing/condition. 试点 is 'pilot'; 跑完一个季度 means complete one quarter of data; 扩围 is 'expand.' The condition 等……再…… must survive. Sample: “We recommend limiting the pilot to three cities for now, and deciding on expansion only after the evaluation indicators have run for a full quarter.”
Traps
- Word-for-word calques that obscure the recommendation.
- Dropping 不, 未, 除非 or 才.
- Losing numbers and units.
- Adding background the speaker did not say.
- Restarting after a false start instead of repairing smoothly.