Interpreting Questions in Courtroom Examinations: A Study of English-Mandarin Chinese Interpretations of Question Types in Remote Settings

Abstract

Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the increased use of the remote option for justice, such as videoconferencing hearings and interpreting via video or audio link, has brought professional interpreters challenges in achieving accuracy. Empirical studies have found that interpreters tend to alter the pragmatic force of courtroom questions in face-to-face settings. However, little is known about professional interpreting performance in remote settings, particularly in non-European languages. The present article discusses initial findings from a more extensive experimental research project. It focuses on examining the less-investigated English-to-Mandarin Chinese interpretations of lawyer questions by professional interpreters during remote courtroom examinations. Based on the analysis of 2,350 English questions and their interpretations in Mandarin Chinese, this article found that the most prevalent question type used by counsels and interpreted by practitioners during examination-in-chief is interrogative, whereas in cross-examination the predominant question type is declarative, and these findings are consistent with the face-to-face settings. This article intends to inform future pedagogical practice and improve interprofessional understanding between interpreting service users (e.g., judicial officers and lay participants) and service providers (e.g., professional bodies, agencies, and interpreters) in remote settings. This is also intended for interpreter education providers to integrate the interpretations of lawyer questions into the pedagogical design.

Keywords

• question type
• courtroom examination
• court interpreting
• remote interpreting
• professional interpreters