ABSTRACT
In this chapter, a phatic non-professional interpreting event is investigated involving humorous talk between multilingual interactants at the dinner table. Participants in this event interact with one another and, at the same time, assume the responsibility of interpreting spontaneously, i.e. without any previous arrangement having been made. This constellation is thus characterized by the fact that interactants take on a double role as primary interactants and mediators. The results of the analysis show that the interpreters, in their attempt to create functional equivalence, tend to oscillate between these different roles, leading to role conflicts and problems in interpreting humorous talk.
