口译的基本策略可以归结为以下的表述：以SL意义为主轴的即时性解释（prompt explanation)。这一策略涵盖三个重要涵义:一、以原语意义为主轴，举凡繁、略、增、减等等技术手段都不要离开SL原意;二、即时，指在保证SL内容正确的前提下尽可能迅速、敏捷地说出TL;三、解释，指把内容讲明白，使对方得以了解，从而作出反应， 实现Grice所说的话语“合作关系”。因此，解释本身又涵盖鲜明的目的性:提供使对方了解内容、作出反应（反馈）的话语， 这就是 P. Thagand 说的：“An explanation is a structure or process that provides understanding. Furnishing explanations is one of the most important activities in high-level cognition” (MIT, 1999, p,300)。其所以说explanation是髙水平的认知活动，根据是：
第一、“解释”伴随对命题（例如一个句子）的推理， 而不只是简单的复述，尤其是当这个命题（一个句子）没有自释性的时候。 “解释”的这一条根据对口译是非常重要的，因为它牵涉到口译解释功能的充分发挥。例如以下例证都是“非自释”的，全赖译员应 环境和对象即时作出解释，如果不加解释，一略而过，肯定影响效果：
SL话语中的非自释性成分---要求在口译中作出推理或推衍式简练解释：
(1)专名
•孙中山
•Sun Yet-sen, Chinese revolutionary leader in early 20th century who plotted to overthraw the Ching Dynasty of China and established a republic
•a second Little Rock
•小石城第二，小石城在美国阿肯色州。20世纪50、60、70年代多次爆发严重种族冲突

(2)缩贿词、专用词组或搭配
“三资企业”
•refers to “外资”，that is，foreign-funded enterprise;   “合资”，joint adventure and “独资”，wholly fareign-owned or funded enterprise
(3)隐语、成语、典故、俚俗语
•解铃还需系铃人
•“let him who tied the bell on the tiger take it off ”，meaning, whoever started that trouble should end it himself
(4)文化词语
•气功疗法
•traditicmal Chinese breathing exercise designed as a therapy

以上四大类词语在口译中一般要求即时作出尽可能简练的解释(见上例右边部分)否则对方不能理解，“合作关系”难以维持。
第二、“解释”拒斥随意性，坚持合理推论；同时又必须确保译员充分的酌情权，这是一个“辩证的统一”。认知科学认为“解释” 常多于一个，这就是说必然存在一个“最佳解释”，译员应善于选择:[2]
An explanation is a structure or process that provides understanding. Furnishing explanations is one of the most important activities in high-level cognition and the nature of explanation and its role in thinking has been addressed by. . . researchers. ... in both scientific and everyday understanding, there is often more than one explanation... the term inference to the best explanation refers to accep-tance of a hyphthesis on the grounds that it provides a better explanation of the evidence than alternative hypotheses...Examples of inference to the best explanation (最佳解释）include theory choice in science and inferences we make about the mental states of other people.