Abstract: Political press conferences, while playing a significant role in international
communication by heads of state and government, are still largely
underexplored in interpreting studies. More scholarly attention is needed,
particularly to examine the interpreter’s mediating role in these uniquely
constrained communicative settings. Drawing on narrative theory and
Wadensjö’s model of renditions, this paper investigates the interpreter’s
mediating role at a 2011 joint press conference with the American and
Chinese Presidents, at that time Barack Obama and Hu Jintao respectively.
Specifically, the study examines how the interpretation comprises reduced,
expanded and summarized renditions of the speakers’ narratives, and how
the resulting mediation can affect not only their image, but also the outcome
of the diplomatic communication between their respective countries. Here,
the interpreter’s performance is subject not only to his language
competence, but also to a number of other factors. On the one hand, his
mediation can be facilitated rather than restricted by the constraints of the
setting where the interpreting occurs, such as technical problems and time
limitations. On the other hand, the mediation can also reflect the
interpreter’s institutional role and the public narratives within the
socio-cultural context.