What is interpretation and what things can be interpreted

Updated January 19, 2021
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. We have all heard about the interpretation of an actor's role on stage or a piece of music by a pianist. It seems that this word is associated primarily with art and has nothing to do with everyday life.

Meanwhile, each of us constantly interprets , because this process is one of the stages of learning about the world around us.

So, let's understand what interpretation is, how it manifests itself in different areas of human life, and how the meaning of a word varies depending on the field of application.

What it is?

Translated from Latin, the word interpretatio means explanation, interpretation ).

Interpretation is a set of meanings attached to some elements of a theory (formulas, signs, symbols).

This definition of the term gives us an explanatory philosophical dictionary. In humanitarian knowledge, it is used in a meaning close to the word “understanding”

In a broader sense, interpretation is a way of being based on understanding and interpreting the meaning of something.

Synonyms for interpretation:

1. interpretation;
2. a comment;
3. clarification of meaning;
4. transcript.

Perceiving information from the environment, each person analyzes it in his own way. Of course, there are ideas and concepts that are common to everyone, but since all people have individual thinking, the same phenomena are interpreted differently.

Often this process occurs unconsciously (at the level of sensations, moral norms, rules of behavior laid down in childhood, and worldview). When a person uses his knowledge to decipher any data, the interpretation is directional in nature (for example, translations of texts from foreign or complex scientific languages ​​into a native or easier to understand language).

You can interpret anything : information, events, dreams, laws, musical and literary works, films and even analyses.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Moiseev wrote: “Different interpretations reflect only certain features of reality. No more! And they cannot always be consistent with each other, and sometimes they can contradict each other.”

Interpretation

The meaning of the word Interpretation according to Efremova: Interpretation - 1. The process of action according to the meaning. nesov. verb: to interpret (1). 2. Creative disclosure of an image, theme or musical work, based on the performer’s own feeling; interpretation.

Interpretation in the Encyclopedic Dictionary: Interpretation - (lat. interpretatio) - 1) in a broad sense - interpretation, explanation, translation into a more understandable language; in a special sense - the construction of models for abstract systems (calculi) of logic and mathematics... 2) In art - the creative development of works of art associated with its selective reading (sometimes polemical): in adaptations and transcriptions, in artistic reading, director's script, acting role, musical performance …3) Method of literary criticism: interpretation of the meaning of works in a certain cultural and historical situation of its reading. In art and literary criticism it is based on the fundamental polysemy of the artistic image.

The meaning of the word Interpretation according to the Business Dictionary: Interpretation - interpretation, explanation of the meaning.

The meaning of the word Interpretation according to the Logical Dictionary: Interpretation - (from Latin interpretatio - clarification, interpretation) - in logic, attributing some meaningful meaning, significance to the symbols and formulas of a formal system; as a result, the formal system turns into a language that describes a particular subject area. This subject area itself and the meanings assigned to symbols and formulas are also called. I. Let us consider the usual construction of propositional calculus. First, a list of initial words is specified: A, B, C, ...; ~, &, Ú®,), (. Then the rules for constructing formulas are established: 1. An individual letter from the number A, B, C,... is a formula. 2. If x is a formula, then ~ x is also a formula. 3. If x and y are formulas, then x&y, xvу, x->y will also be formulas. To this are added rules that allow one to obtain others from some formulas. In particular, some formulas constructed in accordance with the rules of construction can be taken as axioms, add to them the substitution rule, which allows one correctly constructed formula to be replaced by another correctly constructed formula, and the separation rule: from the formulas x -> y and x one can obtain the formula y. Such a syntactic construction of a formal system is simply a game with symbols when we combine symbols in accordance with the rules, we connect them, separate them, from some we get others, etc. In order for the system to acquire meaning, become a language, a description of some objects, connections and relationships between objects, it is necessary to give it an I. This is done as follows way. First, meaning is assigned to the original symbols. We will assume that the symbols A, B, C, ... represent sentences that can be true or false. The truth or falsity of complex formulas is established as follows: If the formula x is true, then the formula ~ x is false, if the formula x is false, then the formula ~ x is true. The formula x&y is true only if x is true and y is true; in all other cases the formula x & y is false. The formula xvy is false only if x is false and y is false; in all other cases the formula x v y is true. The formula x -> y is false only if x is true and y is false; in all other cases the formula x -> y is true. After I. formulas of a syntactic system, it becomes a system of sentences denoting truth or false, and the rules for transforming some formulas into others turn into rules for deriving some sentences from others. By substituting specific true or false sentences into formulas, we can establish various logical relationships between them. You can give the original symbols a different I., for example. consider that A, B, C, ... denote events, and the symbol “®” expresses the causal relationship of events. Then the expression “A®B” takes on the following meaning: event A causally entails event B. If in a formal system there are signs for individual variables, say, x, y, z, ...;, for predicate expressions -P, Q, ...; for quantifiers - ", $, then we can form formulas of the form "xP(x) and $xP(x). For the analysis of such formulas, a certain area of ​​objects through which individual variables run, and the properties of these objects, which are denoted by predicate expressions, are introduced. Then a sentence of the form xP(x) is considered true if all objects in a given domain possess the property P. A sentence of the form $xP(x) is true if at least one object from our object domain possesses the property P. Unlike formal logical systems, in In meaningful natural science and mathematical theories, some information is always implied: in such theories only meaningful expressions are used, that is, the meaning of each expression is assumed to be known in advance. In the general case, concepts and proposals of natural science theories are interpreted through images of consciousness, ideal objects, the totality of which must be adequate to the interpreted theory regarding the described properties of objects. The I. of theoretical constructions of developed areas of scientific knowledge is, as a rule, indirect in nature and includes multi-stage, hierarchical systems of intermediate I. The connection between the initial and final links of such hierarchies is ensured by the fact that I. interpretations of k.-l. theory also gives its direct interpretation. In mathematics, the interpretability of various systems of axioms with the help of other axiomatic theories serves as a traditional means of establishing their relative consistency (starting with the proof of the consistency of Lobachevsky's non-Euclidean geometry through its interpretation in terms of ordinary Euclidean geometry). In everyday language, I. is called interpretation, revealing the meaning of a particular position, text, or work of art. However, in the process of interpreting a text or a piece of music, the interpreter—literary critic, director, or performer—always introduces some personal meaning into the interpreted material and interprets it in his own way. This serves as the basis for the plurality of ideas in art and literature.

Meaning of the word Interpretation according to Ushakov’s dictionary: INTERPRETATION

(te), interpretations, g.
(Latin interpretatio) (book). 1. Interpretation, explanation, disclosure of the meaning of something. Interpretation
of laws.
Interpretation
of the text. 2. Creative performance of something based on one’s own interpretation. musical, literary work or dramatic role. The artist gave a new interpretation of the role of Khlestakov.

TSB definition of the word “Interpretation”: Interpretation

— Interpretation (lat. interpretatio) interpretation, explanation, clarification.
1) In the literal sense, the term “I.” used in jurisprudence (for example, the interpretation of a law by a lawyer or a judge is a “translation” of “special” expressions in which this or that article of the code is formulated into “common” language, as well as recommendations for its application), art (I. roles an actor or a musical work by a pianist - an individual interpretation by the performer of the work being performed, which is not, generally speaking, uniquely determined by the author’s intention) and in other areas of human activity. 2) I. in mathematics, logic, methodology of science, theory of knowledge - a set of meanings (meanings) attached in one way or another to elements (expressions, formulas, symbols, etc.) of any natural science or abstract-deductive theory (in In the same cases when the elements of this theory themselves are subjected to such “interpretation,” they also speak of the I. of symbols, formulas, etc.). The concept of "I." has great epistemological significance: it plays an important role in comparing scientific theories with the areas they describe, in describing different ways of constructing a theory, and in characterizing changes in the relationship between them in the course of the development of knowledge. Since each natural science theory is conceived and constructed to describe a certain area of ​​real reality, this reality serves as its (theory’s) “natural” information. But such “implicit” information is not the only possible one even for meaningful theories of classical physics and mathematics; Thus, from the fact of isomorphism of mechanical and electrical oscillatory systems described by the same differential equations, it immediately follows that for such equations at least two different Is are possible. This applies to an even greater extent to abstract-deductive logical-mathematical theories, admitting not only different, but also non-isomorphic I. It is generally difficult to talk about their “natural” I. Abstract-deductive theories can do without “translating” their concepts into “physical language”. For example, regardless of any physical geometry, the concepts of Lobachevsky geometry can be interpreted in terms of Euclidean geometry (see Lobachevsky geometry). The discovery of the possibility of mutual interpretability of various deductive theories played a huge role both in the development of the deductive sciences themselves (especially as a tool for proving their relative consistency) and in the formation of modern epistemological concepts associated with them. See Axiomatic method, Logic, Logical semantics, Model. Lit.: Hilbert D., Foundations of Geometry, trans. from German, M.-L., 1948, ch. 2, § 9; Kleene S.K., Introduction to Metamathematics, trans. from English, M., 1957, ch. 3, § 15; Church A., Introduction to Mathematical Logic, vol. 1, trans. from English, M., 1960, Introduction, § 07; Frenkel A., Bar-Hillel I., Foundations of set theory, trans. from English, M., 1966, ch. 5, § 3. Yu. A. Gastev. Interpretation of programming languages, one of the methods for implementing programming languages ​​on electronic computers (computers).
In I., each elementary action in a language corresponds, as a rule, to its own program that implements this action, and the entire process of solving a problem is a computer simulation of the corresponding algorithm written in this language. With I., the speed of solving problems is usually much lower than with other methods, but I. is easier to implement on a computer, and in many cases (for example, when simulating the operation of one computer on another) it turns out to be the only suitable one. Interpreter. Interpretation Interpretation

Interpretations in various areas of life

“Artists, writers, journalists try to interpret reality. Politicians and lawyers are changing it” (Kathy Lette).

Interpretation manifests itself in different areas:

1. in philosophy - when translating complex works and works of thinkers into a more understandable language;
2. in the humanities, to interpret is to interpret the meaning of texts (historical sources, literary works, translations);
3. In computer science, interpretation is an interpreter program that executes instructions written in programming languages ​​into machine language;
4. in politics, representatives of different political movements interpret legislative acts and articles differently;
5. in jurisprudence, the lawyer and the prosecutor interpret the same law based on each of their goals. Just on this topic, watch a short lecture in the video below:

What can be interpreted in music

In the art of music, interpretation means the process of transforming a score (notation) into a work that reflects the individual consciousness of the performer. How it turns out depends on the skill, personal qualities of the musician and his affiliation with any musical direction.

The essence of interpretation in music was accurately expressed by composer A.N. Serov: “The great secret of great performers is that they illuminate what they perform with the power of their talent from within, putting into it a whole world of sensations from their own soul.”

Every significant piece performed by a talented musician introduces changes to the composer’s original idea. With the same musical text, performance options can differ markedly from one musician to another, or even from one person to another at different times.

One of the best interpreters of violin music, L. Auer, wrote: “There is no precisely established way for an artist to perform a piece of music. The performer's duty is to penetrate into the spirit of the composition and reveal the composer's intentions."

What is interpretation: origin, meaning

In our daily activities, we operate with a huge number of different words and concepts. This applies to absolutely everything in our lives: home, work, study, any hobbies, interests, etc. If you open a dictionary for the sake of experience, the Russian language will amaze you with its versatility and the presence of a countless number of terms. Some people have a familiar vocabulary that they always use. And someone is greedy, so to speak, for knowledge, and constantly strives to expand their horizons and make their information base richer.

All people are interested in different things, have interests, and have their own worldview and philosophy that is unique to them. There are, of course, those who are not interested in anything at all - they live as they live, and are content with what they know. But, be that as it may, all this affects a person’s perception and understanding of any information he receives, and how he interprets this very information.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows what interpretation is. And in order to correct this situation at least a little, this article was written.

So, let's talk about what interpretation is, what definitions of this word exist, and in what context it is usually used.

The word “interpretation” comes from the Latin interpretatio – explanation, clarification, interpretation. This concept received practical application in the philology of ancient times and was called allegorical interpretation of texts. In the Middle Ages, there was a Christian interpretation of pagan legends (by the way, it was at this time that the largest number of transcripts and interpretations of sacred texts and works of ancient Greek philosophers was given). During the Renaissance there were “lexicography”, “textual criticism”, “grammar”. The latter included rhetoric and stylistics. And in the era of the Reformation there was Protestant exegesis.

But what is interpretation in our time? It has slightly different meanings when applied to different contexts. Here they are:

1. In historical and human sciences - interpretation of various texts, which is aimed at understanding their meaning.
2. In philosophy, logical semantics, mathematical logic - determining the meanings of expressions in a formal language.
3. In mathematics - building models for number systems.
4. In hermeneutics, the activity of thinking, consisting of deciphering hidden meaning and alternative levels of meaning.
5. In art - individual performance of a literary or musical work, dramatic role, interpretation of the director's script.
6. In literature - revealing the meaning of works in special cultural and historical situations of their reading.

As you can see, the Russian language dictionary offers many definitions.
And they are applicable to completely different areas of human intellectual activity. But all of them, in a broad sense of understanding, are an explanation, interpretation, translation into a simpler and more understandable language. That is, it is the meaning, as well as the totality of meanings attached to the elements (individual or all) of a certain theory. By understanding what interpretation is, we increase our vocabulary. And by skillfully applying this concept in practice, we can learn to look at all things from different angles, which contributes to a much deeper understanding of the world around us and comprehension of the events taking place in it.

In painting

Works of painting are always considered as a subject of interpretation. It is necessary to take into account the difference between two pictures of the world - the artist and the contemplator:

1. the first draws a work based on the reality around him, his worldview and feelings;
2. the second can only guess what the author wanted to say with his painting, whether his perception (what is it?) corresponds to the artist’s idea.

The works of abstract artists (W. Kandinsky, K. Malevich, P. Picasso) perhaps need this most of all.

When painting in this style, the master uses a visual language of shapes, lines, contours and colors to interpret the subject. This is very different from traditional painting styles, in which objects are interpreted closer to generally accepted ideas.

Interpretations in literature

Phraseologisms, polysemantic words, epithets, metaphors and other means of artistic expression of language can make it difficult to understand literary works. The same word can be interpreted in different ways (especially if it has changed its lexical meaning over time).

For example, now the word “factor” is understood as the driving force of a process. But in the 19th century texts it was about a printing house worker: “The factor explained their gaiety by admitting to him that the typesetters were dying of laughter typing Gogol’s book.” Now such a text would cause bewilderment: how can a factor explain something?

Works of art in a foreign language need interpretation . Often translations by different authors differ from each other and do not always accurately reflect the idea contained in the original. Differences arise not only due to the individual or professional qualities of the translator, but also due to unaccounted for national characteristics, regional aspects of the language characteristic of a particular area.

Goethe's poem “The Traveler's Night Song” has been translated into 130 languages. It was translated into Russian by Lermontov, Bryusov, Annensky and Pasternak. Each translation has its own characteristics. No translation is alike.

The correct interpretation of a text can be called an art . A striking example of real mastery is the translations of Shakespeare's sonnets by S. Marshak and B. Pasternak.

The same sonnet is translated differently by writers, and some researchers note that their translation turned out to be more imaginative than the original texts, thanks to the lexical richness of the Russian language.

What is interpreted in psychology

This concept also has its meaning in psychology.

Here, interpretation is the doctor’s explanation to the patient of his state of health, the nature of obsessive thoughts, disturbing symptoms, dreams or associations.

If you give a person the opportunity to explain the meaning of his experiences, you can interpret the problem simultaneously from the conscious and unconscious. Sometimes people become hostage to their stereotypes, because of which they cannot see the forest for the trees.

Many psychologists work with drawings and tests. Based on the results obtained, conclusions are drawn about the state of the patient’s mental health. Attention is paid to details, which are drawn differently for each client.

Dream interpretation is a rather complex method that belongs to the field of social psychoanalysis. To correctly interpret the meanings of sleep, the help of a specialist is necessary. Its decoding allows us to expand our understanding of the sphere of unconscious perception of the surrounding world.

Meaning of the word interpret

If the number “2” is interpreted as duality, separation (for example, one can recall such symbols of duality as Yin and Yang, the cabalistic “Star of David”, the Masonic “Sun and Moon”, the pagan Two-Faced Janus); and if the number “7” is interpreted as a sign of the completeness of the current temporal age (as opposed to eternity, signified by the number “8”), then 2 to the 7th power is read as follows: “complete perfect separation,” that is, decay, death .

Tests should only be administered and interpreted by experienced and qualified individuals. Proficiency tests are easier to interpret than psychological tests because

Interpret your inner impulses, hidden desires and Freudian complexes (by the way, it was for this reason that Dmitry believed in such nonsense as Freudism) - interpret for the benefit of his compatriots!

Thus, we can assume that the images we observe in the “sky” actually have a completely different form. Consequently, our consciousness can, using the above-mentioned transformation, penetrate into any part of space and time and, having received the appropriate information, interpret it in some specific form.

He believes that the cylinder seal probably contains only stylized images of random stars, which should not be interpreted as an accurate picture of the cosmos.

Cuneiform symbols can be interpreted in the most wild ways, and insufficiently experienced decipherers are especially guilty of this.

Later, hermeneutics began to include the interpretation of literary texts and texts as such; nowadays, it is a philosophical method that helps interpret historical, social, psychological and other aspects of our world.

by the time they are ready to travel into infinity, they are already ready to perceive energy as it flows in the universe, and the most important thing is that they can reinterpret the flow of energy without the intervention of the mind.

After all, if I make any major modifications or there are too many of them, I will have to deal with so many variables that I will not be able to interpret the result.

In psychotherapy, some patients had difficulty interpreting their dreams (the usual intellectual difficulties), but I found that almost all of them responded actively and directly to the question of sleep positions.