“What’s in a name?”

Target ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Snell-Hornby
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Technical Term ◽  
Central Concept ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Scholarly Discourse ◽  
Functionalist Approach ◽  
Specific Definition

Terminology has often proved to be a problem in scholarly discourse, and Translation Studies is a case in point. Even the name of the discipline has been an issue since James Holmes brought it up in 1972, and the central concept of the time, equivalence, despite incessant debate and revaluation in some schools of thought, has in others long since been discarded as an illusion. Basically there are three possibilities open to the scholar wanting to introduce a new technical term: – As in the case of norm (Toury), a word from general language can be used in a specified sense and defined as such. The danger arises that it can be misinterpreted and used differently in other languages (as with Vermeer’s Norm). – the invention of completely new terms, as with Justa Holz-Mänttäri’s Botschaftsträger. – A word is taken over from a classical dead language, such as Latin or Greek, and given a specific definition for the theory concerned, as was the case with skopos in the functionalist approach. Referring to experience in editing the Handbuch Translation, the essay discusses this issue in detail. It also deals with the use of English as a lingua franca in the metadiscourse of Translation Studies.

Intersubjectivity And Analytic Field Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 853-893
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Civitarese
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Clear Definition ◽  
Binary Opposition ◽  
Central Concept ◽  
Original Meaning ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Specific Definition ◽  
Relational Paradigm

Intersubjectivity is the central concept of the relational paradigm, the most widely employed in contemporary psychoanalysis. Yet we do not have a clear definition of it. Usually it is synonymous with “the interpersonal” and thus indicates the interaction that takes place between two already constituted subjects. In this sense it has little to do with the radical social theory of subjectivation suggested by the term, at least originally, in Husserl’s philosophy. In the original meaning of intersubjectivity, as handed down by Husserl and later developed by Merleau-Ponty, the binary opposition between subjectivity and intersubjectivity is dissolved and transformed into a dialectic relationship. To formulate a clear and distinct, but above all specific, definition of intersubjectivity, we need to reclaim this intuition and translate it into coherent principles of technique. It is also essential to verify whether the models of psychoanalysis proffered as intersubjective actually satisfy this parameter. On the basis of these two simple principles, the variants of psychoanalysis that are labeled intersubjective can be placed along a continuum. Examples are given of “weak” and “strong” intersubjectivity. Paradigmatic of the latter pole is the post-Bionian theory of the analytic field.

The European Union and translation studies

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 63-80
Author(s):  
Alice Leal
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
The Other ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Crucial Element ◽  
The One ◽  
Similar Dynamic ◽  
The Eu

The tension between unity versus multiplicity seems to be at the heart of the European Union (EU) and of translation studies (TS). Indeed, a significant parallel between the two is the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF). The EU appears to be torn between a notion of language as a crucial element of one’s identity on the one hand, and a predominantly instrumental, Lockean view of language, on the other. A similar dynamic appears to take place in TS, an area that is par excellence heterogeneous and in which the notion of difference plays a paramount role. Indeed, at times TS appears to be afflicted by a sense of self-consciousness regarding its lack of unity and homogeneity. According to some, the solution is to foster the standardisation of its methods and terminology. But would proposing standardised terminology in a standardised language for the area not inevitably entail repressing different approaches in different languages? The paper explores this question in the context of the use of English as a lingua franca, and proposes various ways out of the dilemma both for the EU and TS.

scholarly journals Examining the Appropriateness of Reiss’s Functionalist-oriented Approach to Trancism

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-567
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Abdi
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Harry Potter ◽  
Literary Language ◽  
Main Aspect ◽  
English Version ◽  
Text Types ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Functionalist Approach ◽  
Persian Translation ◽  
Oriented Approach

Trancism is an activity that is put into Holmes’ (1972) applied branch of Translation Studies (TS). The aim of trancism is to make a fair judgment to help improve the translation through the constructive comments provided by the critic. Various approaches have been proposed to achieve an objective judgment in order to avoid making a subjective judgment. The present study investigated the appropriateness of Reiss’s (2000) approach to the critique of a translation. To do end, the English version of Rowling's (2000) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and its Persian translation were chosen as the corpus of the present study to evaluate the Persian translation on the basis of three categories included in Reiss’s model of trancism. This encompasses literary, language, and pragmatic categories. As the results indicated, the translator was successful in accomplishing her translation at almost all levels, except some part of grammatical and punctuation included in language category in which the translation she produced resulted in failure to some extent. In conclusion, Reiss’s functionalist approach was mostly appropriate to the critique of a translated text, especially expressive text types, because her model allows the critic to judge two main aspect of the translation: linguistic and extra-linguistic aspects.

scholarly journals Towards a linguistic theory of translation as re-contextualisation and a Third Space phenomenon

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane House
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Third Space ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Functional Approach ◽  
Linguistic Theory ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Sociocultural Contexts ◽  
Linguistic Account

The article suggests a theory of translation as re-contextualisation and a ‘Third Space’ phenomenon supplementing the ideas recently suggested in the cultural branch of translation studies with a linguistic account and building a bridge between the two. The view proposed here is rooted in a functional approach to translation. Such an approach is fruitful because it implies a systematic consideration of the context of translation units and the embeddedness of language as a meaning-making tool in micro-situational and macro-sociocultural contexts. The categorically different nature of Third Space in covert and overt translation is exemplified and explained with reference to House ’s theory of translation as re-contextualisation. Finally, possible changes in conceptualizing translation as a Third Space phenomenon are mentioned with a view to the growing dominance of English as a global lingua franca.

Translation Studies and the mirage of a lingua franca

Perspectives ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Agost
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Lingua Franca

scholarly journals A Translational and Narratological Approach to Audio Describing Narrative Characters

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-90
Author(s):  
Gert Vercauteren
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Functionalist Approach ◽  
Narrative Characters

The present article examines two issues in the field of audio description (AD) that so far have received little attention. Research in AD is highly multi- and interdisciplinary, and while semiotics, discourse analysis, narratology and film studies are some of the frameworks that are regularly used to study audio description, few attempts have been made to frame AD within the field of translation studies (TS). The first part of this article, therefore, describes a functionalist approach to audio description, both to strengthen the position of AD within TS and to contribute to a systematization of AD research. In the second part, such a systematic approach is applied to one question deemed “vital” in many national AD guidelines: the audio description of characters. Based on principles from formal narratology, a strategy is developed that allows describers to analyze characters in a structured, general way and to select relevant character information to be included in their descriptions.

What is the publication language in humanities? The case of Translation Studies scholars

English Today ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-49
Author(s):  
Xiangdong Li
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Publication Language ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Forms Of Knowledge

English is becoming the default language of knowledge construction and dissemination (Kuteeva & McGrath, 2014; Zheng & Gao, 2016; Fuentes & Gómez Soler, 2018). However, English as a monolingual and mono-rhetorical means of disseminating knowledge may maximize its ‘Tyrannosaurus rex’ side (Tardy, 2004; Espinet et al., 2015; Zheng & Gao, 2016). The use of English as an Academic Lingua Franca (EALF) is depicted as hegemonic, totalitarian, colonial and imperialistic, silencing other academic traditions, imposing Anglophone ideologies of norms and rhetorical conventions, and controlling other academic territories (Phillipson, 1992; Bennett, 2013). It is claimed that an orientation towards the norms and rhetorical conventions of the Anglo-Saxon discourse demotes non-English languages, cultures and rhetorical conventions (Tardy, 2004; Espinet, Izquierdo & Garcia–Pujol, 2015), disadvantages non-native English-speaking scholars and their scholarship (Flowerdew, 2013; Zheng & Gao, 2016), erodes alternative forms of knowledge construction (Martín–Martín, 2005; Bennett, 2011), and reduces intellectual, cultural and epistemological diversity (Tardy, 2004; Bennett, 2011).

Quo vadis, functional translatology?

Target ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Nord
Keyword(s):  
Second Generation ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
The Future ◽  
Quo Vadis ◽  
Functionalist Approach

Functional approaches to translation and Skopostheorie, on which many of them are based, have been around for more than thirty years now. Perhaps, therefore, it is time to take stock, trying to trace the development and spread of functionalist ideas and drawing some cautious conclusions as to where the future may lie. As a representative of the “second generation” and drawing on recent publications in journals and monographs on Translation Studies, I provide an overview of where young translation scholars who claim to take a “functionalist” viewpoint find themselves, what they are investigating, and which topics they consider worthy of research. Offering this insider view, I do not pretend, however, to present an objective picture of the functionalist approach nor to exhaustively cover the whole field of functionalism in translation and adjacent fields.

Some Reflections On the Relationship Magic-Religion

Numen ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.S. Versnel
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Value Judgments ◽  
Roman World ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Scholarly Discourse ◽  
Functionalist Approach ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe well-known substantialist-'Frazerian'-definitions of magic as distinct from religion by its immediate and individual goals, the concomitant manipulative and coercive attitude, the instrumental and mechanical type of action etc., have been under attack for more than half a century. Anthropologists in particular have argued that no meaningful contrast between religion and magic can be gained from this approach and that our notion 'magic' is a modern-western biased construct which does not fit representations of other cultures. Consequently, in the view of some of them, the term 'magic' should be altogether avoided. Furthermore, with respect to the ancient and early modern world, in which the opposition religion-magic is supposed to have originated, it is argued that magic and religion function exclusively as value-judgments, terms indicating 'magic' being exploited to stigmatize illegitimate or undesired (religious) behaviour of socially or culturally deviant groups. In the present article it is argued that-although admittedly this functionalist approach has yielded remarkable and lasting results-rejection of the term 'magic' will soon turn out to be unworkable and, in fact, is putting the cart before the horse. From an etic point of view-which in the view of the author is the only possible way to conduct scholarly discourse-it will be impossible to do cultural research without the aid of heuristic instruments such as-at least broad, polythetic or prototypical-definitions. And, if possible at all, it would be utterly unpractical to completely eliminate religion as one of the obvious models of contrast. This position is substantiated with some practical instances from the Graeco-Roman world. It is shown that, at least in the context of (magical) curse-tablets and-related but clearly distinct-(religious) prayers for justice or vengeance, the ancient authors were clearly aware of the very same distinctions modern people normally associate with the notions of magic and religion.

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