Focus on the Translator in a Multidisciplinary Perspective

In recent years research into the nature of translating and translations has brought about an evolution in both depth and detail with the result that translation studies has broadened its horizons to encompass a multiplicity of approaches, schools and perspectives. Apart from the multiple approaches that have emerged within the discipline itself, evidence from the working world indicates that professional translating entails multiple forms of communication, once considered as lying on the periphery of what was considered “translation proper”: activities such as technical writing, editing, language consultancy and film translation, for instance, are becoming core components of a translator’s day-to-day practice. Translating has, moreover, become multimedial and multimodal as ever-greater use is made of computer-assisted tools such as hypertexts, translators’ workbenches and Internet. It is in the light of these various “multi” aspects of translation that the term multidiscipline is used here to refer to the configuration of translation studies today. The picture that presents itself is that of a number of neighbouring disciplines, such as, for example, linguistics, semiotics, literature, cultural studies, media studies, to name but a few, each converging upon and contributing towards translation studies. While it may be conceded that the subject matter of these various disciplines is translational, the fact remains that their theoretical and methodological frameworks, taken alone, cannot account for the multifaceted nature of translation. This can only come from within the discipline of Translation Studies, provided that translation scholars are willing to acknowledge the contributions of these other disciplines and are both flexible and tolerant in accommodating them within their own multidiscipline. From the pedagogical perspective the book aims to demonstrate that only a fully-comprehensive formative approach to the teaching of translation and translator education will enable translators of the future to survive the far-reaching transformations that the profession is undergoing. The behaviourist principle according to which one learns how to translate by translating needs to be bolstered by a sound theoretical and methodological foundation. Translation is thus envisaged as a problem-solving and decision-making activity which enables translators to build up their self-reliance and powers of reasoning on the basis of the theoretical, descriptive and applied components of the discipline. An innovative component of the book is the integration of an evidence-based approach into translation practice and translator education. Originally developed within the field of medicine where the systematic use of empirical data has been shown to aid practitioners in their daily practice and to clarify theoretical assumptions, an evidence-based approach to translation can effectively improve a translator’s competence and performance. The approach is not, however, in any way prescriptive and it is left to translators, teachers or trainers themselves to decide on how best to apply the suggestions to fit their specific needs.