Translation Beyond Translation Studies

What is ’translation’? Even as the scholarly viewpoint of translation studies has expanded over recent years, the notion of ’translation’ has remained fixedly defined by its interlinguistic element. However, there are many different contexts and disciplines in which translation takes place for which this definition is entirely unsuitable.

Exploring translational aspects in contexts in which scholars do not think about ’translation’, this book considers the alternative uses of the term beyond the interlinguistic dimension. Taking our understanding of ’translation’ back to its basic semiotic principles, leading experts outline the wide variety of alternative fields of study, practices, applications and contexts in which the term ’translation’ is used. Chapters examine 11 different fields of study, exploring what the term ’translation’ means, how it is used and what it could contribute to an enlarged understanding of ’translation’ as a concept.

In this way, the volume argues for a reimagining of what we mean by translation, providing an essential reference for anyone interested in how translation is understood and practiced beyond the narrow perspectives of the field of translation studies itself.

Kobus Marais is Professor of Translation Studies at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.