On Interpreters' Role As A Cultural Mediator:A Project Report On The Victoria Jiangsu Business Placement Program

Based on an interpreting project in the Victoria Jiangsu Business Placement (VJBP) Program, this paper reports the reporter's experience as an interpreter during the Chinese business culture workshop and Jiangsu Victoria Investment Communication Luncheon. Drawing upon her failures as well as gains, the reporter explores the role of an interpreter as a cultural mediator, namely, how to play a part in business communication and facilitate understanding between two parties, thus achieving cooperation. As a liaison interpreter of the Australian entrepreneurs of this project, the reporter bumped into a series of problems caused by lack of cross-cultural awareness and the dislocation of interpreters'role. Hence, based on the live recording and the transcripts of the project and related theories, this report endeavors to analyze the corresponding problems such as omissions, misinterpretation and an unbalanced distribution of attention to short-term memory and note-taking. In the end, this report makes suggestions as to strategies for business interpreting based on a new insight into interpreters'role as cultural mediators. To be specific, apart from making adequate preparation, the interpreter should enhance cross-cultural awareness and facilitate coordination in terms of both verbal and non-verbal communication so as to fulfill her multiple role in the interpreting task. The report provides useful information for new interpreters who need to deal with identity misconception and facilitate business communication.