Compared with an interpreter in general, a court interpreter plays a special and significant role—he or she is part of the judiciary process in foreigner-related cases.

The increasing sensitivity to human rights,the mergence of Civil Law System and Common Law System,the transformation of China from an acquaintance society to an open one,and so on now offer opportunities for,meanwhile,pose unprecedented challenges to,the development of court interpretation in China.

With China s entering into WTO and increase of foreign related cases,with a view to safeguard the legitimate interest of the citizens and ensure the fairness of legal procedure,the establishment of court interpretation system in China becomes increasingly urgent.

This thesis first views the definition, history, modes of work, and functions of court interpreting.

This thesis aims to probe into how preparations for court interpreting shall be done with Relevance Theory as its theoretical framework.

The importance of court interpreting quality is indisputable.