本书描述了口译员在法庭以及其他法律情境下的工作情况和工作方法。全书围绕法庭口译，介绍了案情准备、职业伦理和规范、译员会产生和需要避免的错误、司法文书笔译、录音转写和翻译、译员作为专家证人以及译员培训等内容。

本书向读者提供了一幅职业路线图，并辅之以操作性极强的方法和技巧，可助译员准确无误地完成法庭口译任务。作者本人有多年的法庭口译经验，她说：“该书的编排结构与法庭口译职业构成高度吻合。”

该书可作为基础课程用书，也可作为法庭口译人员和处理法庭口译事务的法庭官员的辅导读物。

To the Reader

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: How to Become a Court Interpreter and a Brief Sketch

     of the Work

Who Should Become a Court Interpreter

Formal Training for Court Interpreting

Training on the Job

Training at Professional Meetings

Finding Work

Requirements for the Federal Courts

State Certifications

Free-lance v. Full-time Work

Where Court Interpreters Work and What They Do

Expressions Used in This Text

Chapter 2: Case Preparation - A: Context and Documents

Purpose of Information

No-Paper

The Structure of a Felony Proceeding

The Plea Bargain

Documents and Information

Jury Instructions

Physical and Verbal Evidence

A Case Sheet

Chapter 3: Case Preparation - B: Terminology, Reference Book

      and Dictionaries

Terminology Preparation

Forensic Reference Books

Kinds of Dictionaries

How to Buy a Dictionary

What to Do When a Word Is Not in the Dictionary

Chapter 4: In the Courtroom: Ethics, Roles, Procedures

Ethics

Projection of Interpreter Image

Need for Interpretation

Giving the Client Good Value

Neither Too Many nor Too Few Interpreters

Who Is Who in the Courtroom

Sound Equipment

Procedural Matters

Comprehension

Judicial Checklist

Author's Information for Judges

Chapter 5: The Rich Potential for Error

Errors that Originate with the Interpreter

Errors that Counsel Help Create

The Perils of Literal Interpretation

Chapter 6: Translation of Legal Documents

Sight Translation

Written Translation

Fax and Modem

The Use of Computers

Chapter 7: Tape Transcription and Translation

Procedures and Problems

Transcribing Original Language Allows Attorneys to See What

  Was Actually Said

Time Constraints

The Transcription

Translation of Transcription

Quality Control

Chapter 8: The Interpreter as Expert Witness

Impartiality

Critique

Presenting Your Own Tape Work or Translation

Preparation with Counsel

On the Witness Stand

When Not to Be an Expert

Chapter 9: Continuing Your Education and Enjoying It

Books

Periodicals

Television

Tapes

And in Closing

Bibliography

Appendices

1. The Court Interpreters Act of 1978

2. Seltzer & Torres Cartagena v. Foley et al., 1980

3. Court Interpreters Amendments Act (1988)

4. Suggested Interpreter Oaths

Index