Translation Theory and Development Studies


Book Description

This book aims to provide a philosophical underpinning to translation and relate translation to development. The second aim flows from the first section’s argument that societies emerge out of, amongst others, complex translational interactions amongst individuals. It will do so by conceptualising translation from a complexity and emergence point of view and relating this view on emergent semiotics to some of the most recent social research. It will further fulfill its aims by providing empirical data from the South African context concerning the relationship between translation and development. The book intends to be interdisciplinary in nature and to foster interdisciplinary research and dialogue by relating the newest trends in translation theory, i.e. agency theory in the sociology of translation, to development theory within sociology. Data in the volume will be drawn from fields that have received very little if any attention in translation studies, i.e. local economic development, the knowledge economy and the informal economy.




A (Bio)Semiotic Theory of Translation


Book Description

This volume outlines a theory of translation, set within the framework of Peircean semiotics, which challenges the linguistic bias in translation studies by proposing a semiotic theory that accounts for all instances of translation, not only interlinguistic translation. In particular, the volume explores cases of translation which does not include language at all. The book begins by examining different conceptualizations of translation to highlight how linguistic bias in translation studies and semiotics has informed these fields and their development. The volume then outlines a complexity theory of translation based on semiotics which incorporates process philosophy, semiotics, and translation theory. It posits that translation is the complex systemic process underlying semiosis, the result of which produces semiotic forms. The book concludes by looking at the implications of this conceptualization of translation on social-cultural emergence theory through an interdisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from semiotics, social semiotics, and development studies. Paving the way for scholars to analyze translational aspects of all semiotic phenomena, this volume is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in translation studies, semiotics, multimodal studies, cultural studies, and development studies.




Translation Studies


Book Description

"Translation Studies" presents an integrated concept based on the theory and practice of translation. The author adapts linguistic approaches and methods in such a way that they may be usefully employed in the theory, practice, and analysis of literary translation. The author develops a more cultural approach through text analysis and cross-cultural communication studies. The book is a contribution to the development of translation studies as a discipline in its own right.




Translation Theory and Development Studies


Book Description

This book aims to provide a philosophical underpinning to translation and relate translation to development. The second aim flows from the first section’s argument that societies emerge out of, amongst others, complex translational interactions amongst individuals. It will do so by conceptualising translation from a complexity and emergence point of view and relating this view on emergent semiotics to some of the most recent social research. It will further fulfill its aims by providing empirical data from the South African context concerning the relationship between translation and development. The book intends to be interdisciplinary in nature and to foster interdisciplinary research and dialogue by relating the newest trends in translation theory, i.e. agency theory in the sociology of translation, to development theory within sociology. Data in the volume will be drawn from fields that have received very little if any attention in translation studies, i.e. local economic development, the knowledge economy and the informal economy.




Literary Translator Studies


Book Description

This volume extends and deepens our understanding of Translator Studies by charting new territory in terms of theory, methods and concepts. The focus is on literary translators, their roles, identities, and personalities. The book introduces pertinent translator-centered approaches in four sections: historical-biographical studies, social-scientific and process-oriented methods, and approaches that use paratexts or translations to study literary translators. Drawing on a variety of concepts, such as identity, role, self, posture, habitus, and voice, the various chapters showcase forgotten literary translators and shed new light on some well-known figures; they examine literary translators not as functioning units but as human beings in their uniqueness. Literary Translator Studies as a subdiscipline of Translation Studies demonstrates how exploring the cultural, social, psychological, and cognitive facets of translatorial subjects contributes to a holistic understanding of translation.




Complexity Thinking in Translation Studies


Book Description

This volume highlights a range of perspectives on the ways in which complexity thinking might be applied in translation studies, focusing in particular on methods to achieve this. The book introduces the topic with a brief overview of the history and conceptualization of complexity thinking. The volume then frames complexity theory through a variety of lenses, including translation and society, interpreting studies, and Bible translation, to feature case studies in which complexity thinking has successfully been or might be applied within translation studies. Using complexity thinking in translation studies as a jumping off point from which to consider the broader implications of implementing quantitative approaches in qualitative research in the humanities, this volume is key reading for graduate students and scholars in translation studies, cultural studies, semiotics, and development studies.




The Role of Theory in Translator Training


Book Description

Translation study programs have always been torn between the expectations placed on them to provide students with a comprehensive education at an academic level but at the same time to prepare them for the demands of the professional translation market. There is, furthermore, an ongoing debate about a supposed gap between translation theory and practice. Several, often opposing claims have been put forward concerning the usefulness of theory to professionals and students and how and when to best implement theoretical courses in translation curricula. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the different opinions and expectations that have been put forward in the literature and to test some of these claims empirically on student subjects who have been trained with either a practical or a theoretical focus on translation. It thus gives insights into the role of both theoretical and practical aspects in translator training and the ways in which each of them can contribute to the development of translation competence.




Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond


Book Description

A replacement of the author's well-known book on Translation Theory, In Search of a Theory of Translation (1980), this book makes a case for Descriptive Translation Studies as a scholarly activity as well as a branch of the discipline, having immediate consequences for issues of both a theoretical and applied nature. Methodological discussions are complemented by an assortment of case studies of various scopes and levels, with emphasis on the need to contextualize whatever one sets out to focus on.Part One deals with the position of descriptive studies within TS and justifies the author's choice to devote a whole book to the subject. Part Two gives a detailed rationale for descriptive studies in translation and serves as a framework for the case studies comprising Part Three. Concrete descriptive issues are here tackled within ever growing contexts of a higher level: texts and modes of translational behaviour — in the appropriate cultural setup; textual components — in texts, and through these texts, in cultural constellations. Part Four asks the question: What is knowledge accumulated through descriptive studies performed within one and the same framework likely to yield in terms of theory and practice?This is an excellent book for higher-level translation courses.




Theories of Translation


Book Description

Presents the most important theories in Translation Studies that have emerged over the last 50 years. Particularly innovative is the inclusion of theories from outside North America and Europe, theoretical perspectives on recent technological developments and a consideration of the nature of theory in the field.




Introducing Translation Studies


Book Description

Introducing Translation Studies remains the definitive guide to the theories and concepts that make up the field of translation studies. Providing an accessible and up-to-date overview, it has long been the essential textbook on courses worldwide. This fifth edition has been fully revised, and continues to provide a balanced and detailed guide to the theoretical landscape. Each theory is applied to a wide range of languages, including Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Punjabi, Portuguese and Spanish. A broad spectrum of texts is analysed, including the Bible, Buddhist sutras, Beowulf, the fiction of Proust and the theatre of Shakespeare, European Union and UNESCO documents, a range of contemporary films, a travel brochure, a children's cookery book and the translations of Harry Potter. Each chapter comprises an introduction outlining the translation theory or theories, illustrative texts with translations, case studies, a chapter summary, and discussion points and exercises. New features in this fifth edition include: New material to keep up with developments in research and practice; this includes the sociology of translation chapter, where a new case study employs a Bourdieusian approach; there is also newly structured discussion on translation in the digital age, and audiovisual and machine translation; Revised discussion points and updated figures and tables; New in-chapter activities with links in the enhanced ebook to online materials and articles to encourage independent research; An extensive updated companion website with video introductions and journal articles to accompany each chapter, online exercises, an interactive timeline, weblinks, and PowerPoint slides for teacher support. This is a practical, user-friendly textbook ideal for students and researchers on courses in translation and translation studies.