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Many students of Chinese-English interpretation often find it difficult to translate numbers during simultaneous interpretation. A number of factors, such as digit length and the differences between Chinese and English number notation systems, could be responsible for this phenomenon. This study uses an experimental approach to test the effects of training, notation, and presentation mode on number translation. Six groups of subjects from graduate interpretation and translation programs with various training levels were tested under three presentation modes using a series of stimuli consisting of nine different types of numbers, and asked to translate them from Chinese into English. Results showed an increase in reaction time as the amount and complexity of information increased. It took longer to translate numbers with more digits, and the addition of a unit greatly increased translation time. Presentation mode also had major effects on processing time. Audio input was the easiest, followed by visual input, and the presence of both audio and visual input was the most difficult.

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