A Study On The Subjectivity Of Interpreters In Court Interpreting From The Perspective Of Communication

In recent years, with the exchanges between China and the rest of the world becoming increasingly closer, foreigner-related legal cases are gradually on the rise in China. In consequence, studies on court interpreting have received more and more attention. The court interpreter is invariably considered as the gatekeeper of legal equality; therefore, the improvement of the competence of court interpreters is of great significance to the promotion of the efficient communication of court interpreting and the guarantee of judicial equality. In view of the fact that, court interpreting remains a fledging area in China independent of mature and systematic theoretical results, it is highly imperative to study how to improve the competency of court interpreters and fully exert their subjectivities for the sake of the efficient communication of court interpreting. It is fair, therefore, to reckon that the study in this field enjoys tremendous potential. Moreover, with abundant experience concerning court interpreting, the author of the thesis is fully aware of the important role played by the court interpreter. Consequently, the study emphasis of the thesis is on the court interpreter’s subjectivity.The thesis views court interpreting from a brand-new angle, namely communication, with the emphasis on the subjectivity of the court interpreters. Applying the classic model in communication-the Lasswell Model to the communication of court interpreting, the author discovers that, the interpreter serves as the medium of the process of communication, manipulating the whole communicative process and playing a key role in ensuring the overall effect of communication. Therefore, the author points out that, the role of the interpreter as the medium is underscored in the process of communication and the court interpreter’s subjectivity should be given full play.Subsequently, on the basis of combining relevant theories and summarizing the extensive personal experience concerning court interpreting, the author proposes some methods and suggestions on the realization and enhancement of the court interpreters’ subjectivities. The author sets forth the conditions for the realization of interpreter’s subjectivity as follows:the capability building of the court interpreter, preparation of background knowledge, neutral mentality in court, accumulation of the experience concerning court interpreting; While one can enhance the interpreter’s subjectivity in the following methods: flexible approaches to emergencies, the employ of explanatory language, regulations on the competence and proficiency of court interpreters, and emphasis on the code of ethics of court interpreters. What’s more, some innovative and original ideas conceived by the author are by no means in shortage. The previous studies on court interpreting are mostly conducted by summarizing relevant theories, hence lacking first-hand practical experience. In this thesis, the first-hand practical cases of court interpreting, which the author has taken part in, are adopted. And the author views the court interpreter’s subjectivity to the practice from the perspective of communication. The thesis, in a sense, is a valuable supplement to previous studies in this regard. With an original perspective and practical results, it is the author’s sincere hope that the thesis will hopefully contribute to the guidance and reference of further practice of court interpreting.