1. Introduction

In the 1960s and 1970s, interpreting research entered the stage of experimental psychology, and in 1986, the first International Symposium on Interpreting at the University of Trieste promoted empirical research. This article analyzes the research on cognitive processes in interpreting from 1990 to 2020, using co word analysis and core word statistical analysis to explore the internal structure and new growth points of the study.

2. Cognitive characteristics of interpreting process

The study of cognitive processes in interpreting reveals the particularity of interpreting phenomena, including immediacy, multiplicity, heaviness, and objectivity. Timeliness requires translators to respond quickly and process online to ensure continuity in communication. Multiplicity involves the ability of translators to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as attention to sharing and anti-interference. Hardship describes the translator's high-speed, coordinated, efficient, and strategic cognitive operations under limited resources. Objectivity emphasizes the rational processing and objective transmission of information by interpreters, while interpreting research from the perspective of cognitive science focuses on how interpreters use cognitive mechanisms to process information.

3. Hotspots in the study of cognitive processes in interpreting

The hot topics in the study of cognitive processes in interpreting include conceptual interpretation and theoretical argumentation, empirical analysis and experimental exploration, and applied research. Theoretical research focuses on interpreting process modeling and interpreting cognitive control modeling, such as Setton's simultaneous interpreting cognitive processing model and Gile's interpreting energy allocation model. Empirical experimental research is the dominant field in the study of cognitive processes in interpreting, involving core topics such as source language comprehension, bilingual conversion, target language production, and communicative note taking, as well as cross cutting issues such as energy allocation, cognitive load, and working memory. Applied research focuses on the teaching of interpreting potential and abilities, as well as interpreting cognitive skills, with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of interpreting ability development and interpreter training.

4. Research Trends

The development trend of cognitive process research in interpreting is reflected in the interdisciplinary empirical experimental shift. Future research can be conducted from three perspectives: meta-analysis integration, natural orientation of experimental research, and corpus research. The meta-analysis method helps to integrate existing research results, discover relationships between variables, and avoid analysis omissions. Experimental research on the cognitive process of interpreting should enhance naturalness, form hypotheses based on real language materials, and focus on the cognitive processing effects of multi-channel information sources. Corpus research provides a new research path for the cognitive process of interpreting, which helps to reveal the cognitive operation process of interpreters, and the research results are easy to translate into teaching.

5. Conclusion

The study of cognitive processes in interpreting focuses on the micro cognitive operations and processing mechanisms of interpreters, and online experimental methods have become mainstream. Research continues to deepen and themes become more refined, but theoretical construction needs to be strengthened. The research results need to be integrated, and there is room for development in applied research. Meta analysis will play an important role in integrating research data. Future research should focus on the application of results and improve integration with other research pathways.