The sociological turn in the interpreter’s role

Abstract

Interpreter-mediated communication, as a complex activity that involves social interaction among all participants, is increasingly important in today’s globalized world. A focus on sociolinguistic questions and on considerations associated with the interpreter’s presence and actions has led to opposing views ranging from that of “verbatim” interlinguistic reproducer or “conduit” to that of “advocate,” “cultural broker,” or “coordinator.” Still, the existing literature has rarely modeled the relationship between the parameters that influence the interpreter’s on-site decisions during a specific communication event. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the interpreter’s scope of action in a given communicative situation within a Triadic Discourse Interpreting Model (TRIM) by means of discourse interpreting filters, which show the interplay of static and dynamic TRIM parameters. Thus, the interpreter’s role is no longer defined by the verbatim-mediation dichotomy but rather reflects a decision-making continuum that evolves as the communication develops and offers a better understanding of the interpreter’s complex and important social role.