Introduction: A State of Emergency for Crisis Communication

Abstract

The introduction aims to ask provocative questions. It challenges superficial usages of the term ‘emergency’ and gives an overview of the relationship between the perception of living in an interconnected and closer global society and the permanent state of emergency. By analysing the literature in translation (with some examples from interpreting) on the role of interpreters and translators in unexpected emergencies, this contribution highlights the gap between multidisciplinary research on the multilingual nature of many international emergencies and cross-disciplinary emergency research. The focus is on preparedness, response, and the discourses rotating around these concepts in order to highlight the different approaches taken by the contributions in the edited volume in discussing roles and representations of intercultural mediators when operating in the frontline of emergencies.