Practice Report On Police Interpreting

As the capital and one of the most internationalized cities in China,Beijing hosts more and more foreigners.Inevitably,the number of violations of law,such as illegal residence and theft,and cases of foreigners seeking legal assistance increases.However,due to the insufficient ability of some policemen to communicate in English,interpreters are needed in police settings more than ever.Based on five times of police interpreting practice within two months,guided by Anderson’s interaction model,this practice report discusses the interpreter’s role in police interpreting,thus proposes coping strategies and basic principles of an interpreter.First,the author divides her practices into two categories: foreigner as a victim or help seeker,and foreigner as a suspect.Then,the author describes her preparation,process,and reflection on the interpreting.Finally,under Anderson’s interaction model and drawing from personal experience,the author concludes that the interpreter is a“communication facilitator” in help-seeking cases and more of a “switching device” in criminal cases.And the interpreter should follow the principles of confidentiality,neutrality,and side-rotating in police interpreting.To improve the effectiveness and efficiency,the interpreter is allowed to make full use of favorable conditions,visualize the information,and paraphrase the source language.The author draws lessons from her experience to improve her interpreting in the future and also sheds some light on police interpreting for those who have never worked in such a situation but may have the chance to do it in the future.