A Practice Report On Roles Of Liaison Interpreters In Business Exchange Activities

This report is based on an interpreting practice conducted by the author. The author served as an interpreter for the Lancaster China Catalyst Program(LCCP). By reviewing the practice, the author found out that the roles of interpreters in business exchange activities are much more complicated than anyone can expect. Instead of being language converters and cultural ambassadors, interpreters actually play multiple roles in the interpreting process for the purpose of better communication between different parties. As an interpreter, the author had to switch roles a lot or to play different roles at the same time so that expected interpreting results could be achieved.Liaison interpreting in business exchange activities requires interpreters to actively switch their roles a lot so that targeted results can be achieved. But the results of the switch may vary due to interpreters’ judgments of the situation. Therefore, the ability to size up the situation and play appropriate roles will be of great importance for interpreters.Through his own practice, the author will analyze the roles interpreters play under different situations, and how these roles can help the two parties reach an agreement. The author will mainly focus on four basic roles of the interpreters: information deliverer, conversation participant, bilingual and bi-cultural specialist and mediator of the communication.