This article examines the pivotal, yet often understated, role of simultaneous interpreting (SI) not merely as a tool for linguistic transfer, but as a critical agent in shaping and mediating cultural exchange across international platforms. While SI is typically analyzed through the lens of cognitive load and linguistic accuracy, this paper focuses on its cultural impact, specifically how interpreters manage implicit cultural codes, social formalities, and context-dependent meanings in real-time. The discussion highlights the interpreter’s unavoidable function as a cultural mediator whose real-time decisions significantly influence cross-cultural understanding and the ultimate outcome of diplomatic and business engagements.

simultaneous interpreting, cultural effects, cultural mediation, pragmatic transfer, contextualization, global communication.

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