Abstract
The present study attempts to explain the behavior of interpreters when communication
problems occur, focusing on cases involving Japanese companies in China. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with seven in-house interpreters, and twelve instances of
communication problems were identified and analyzed. Following Baker（2006）, the present
draft argues that interpreters do not merely find themselves “caught up in” communication
problems but rather actively participate in the process. Interpreters use various strategies to
settle conflicts when they occur and do what they can to prevent communication problems from
occurring. However, cases were identified where employees tried to shift the responsibility for
the problem to the interpreters. Even in cases where the interpreter seemed to be managing the
situation well, they were often actually emotionally confused or conflicted, and as a result tried
to distance themselves from the situation. In this study, interpreters were found to serve as a
“buffer” when communication problems occurred.
