ABSTRACT
This article 1 addresses and discusses situations in which untrained interpreters deal with medical terms. I will show that the different ways in which this is done can be seen in relation to the particular speech situation, the pre-existing action systems between the interpreter and the primary inter-locutors, and the organization of the source discourse. After a general introduction and some considerations of the pragmatic function of medical terms, three authentic cases will be discussed. The article finishes with a discussion of the data and my conclusions.
