Interpreting, Communication, and Interculturality

In everyday life, communication appears to be the action carried out most naturally and routinely, people rely on shared knowledge and conventions to build mutual understanding. Following the process of globalization, events involving people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds are growing rapidly. In such circumstances, as the communicative strategies employed by the participants are rooted in their cultural framework and may not be shared by their interlocutors, the task of the interpreter in establishing common ground becomes crucial. Based on the reflections concerning the nature of communication and its related cultural dimension, the present chapter sets out to analyze two case studies of consecutive interpreting between Italian and Chinese. In both cases, the emergence of cultural specificities can be observed firsthand, and discussions will revolve around the solutions provided by the interpreter as well as the impact they may exert on communication. Finally, the reflections will focus on the intercultural activities carried out by the interpreter, not just as interventions of “rescue” in critical moments, but as a constant commitment that characterizes their role on the boundary between two cultures.