Translation Studies
Translation Studies
Translation Studies
5, 369-386
doi:10.17265/1539-8072/2015.05.007
D DAVID PUBLISHING
Translation has been the subject of a variety of research and conflicts among theorists. This fact that gives Thomas
Samuel Kuhn’s paradigm theory is pertinent to the present study. Kuhn is an American philosopher of Science. In
his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, he proposes his paradigm theory which plays a great role in the
development of sociology and philosophy of Science. According to Kuhn (1970), paradigm originates from one or
some famous people’s achievements, and for these achievements to be considered as paradigms, two major
characteristics must be met as will be clarified in this paper. This study is an attempt to outline the scope of the
disciplines of Translation Studies (TS), to give some indication of the kind of work that has been done so far. It is
an attempt to demonstrate that TS is a discipline in its own right. It is a vastly complex field with many far-reaching
ramifications. This study discusses the relationships between the changing definitions of translation and the turns of
translation studies.
Introduction
Throughout the recent history of translation studies, there are mainly three turns of translation studies: the
linguistic turn, the cultural turn, and the social and psychological turn. It must be emphasized, here, that the
changes of definitions and the turns of translation studies affect and contact each other closely. The definition
of translation determines the scope of translation studies. A new definition that is widely accepted always
generates a new turn and the new turn tends to breed a next new definition, and so on and so forth, hence the
development of translation studies (Jixing, 2012, p. 35).
According to Thomas Kuhn (1970), a paradigm shift is a change in the basic assumptions or paradigms,
within the ruling theory of science. A scientific revolution occurs, according to Kuhn, when scientists encounter
anomalies that cannot be explained by the universally accepted paradigm within which scientific progress has
been made. Kuhn argues that science does not progress via a linear accumulation of new knowledge, but
undergoes periodic revolution in which the nature of scientific inquiry within a particular field is abruptly
transformed. Kuhn defines a paradigm as an accepted model or pattern. It is a research mode or pattern which is
concluded by a scientific group at a specific time, and in turn, guides their research. According to Kuhn, “a
paradigm shift is a change from one way of thinking to another. It’s a revolution, a transformation. It just does
not happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change” (Kuhn, 1970, p. 10). In addition, a paradigm originates
Hosni Mostafa El-daly, associate professor, Ph.D., Department of Linguistics & Applied Language Studies, College of
Humanities and Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University.
370 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
from one or some famous people’s achievements, and for these achievements to be considered as paradigm,
two major characteristics must be satisfied: (1) The achievement is sufficiently unprecedented to attract an
enduring group of adherents away from competing modes of scientific activity; (2) The achievement is
sufficiently open-ended to leave all sorts of problems for the redefined group of practitioners to solve (Kuhn,
1970, p. 10).
According to Kuhn, when a new paradigm is formed, it gains its own new followers, and an intellectual
“battle” takes place between the followers of the new paradigm and the hold-outs of the old paradigm. Kuhn
denies the view that all kinds of belief systems are equal and states that when a scientific paradigm is replaced
by a new one, the new one is always better, not just different. Finally, Kuhn has pointed out that the theory of
paradigm shift is appropriate for humanities and social sciences. However, in social science, different
paradigms can coexist, whereas in natural science, the old paradigm will be replaced entirely by a new one.
Preliminaries
Misconceptions Regarding Translation
Translation is occasionally taken too lightly by some. However, translation is in fact a serious business
that should be approached sensibly in order to avoid poor results. First, some people may, mistakenly, think
that knowing a foreign language makes a translator. This is the most common translation misconception and the
most damaging one. A translator must have in-depth understanding and knowledge of at least two languages: a
foreign language and a mother tongue. A translator must be able to write well and have an excellent command
of the nuances in language use. Language is not free of cultural influences. If the culture behind the language
which is being translated is not appreciated, an accurate translation is extremely difficult (Tonkin & Frank,
2010; Riley, 2007). Second, translation has been perceived as a secondary activity, as a “mechanical” rather
than a “creative” process, within the competence of anyone with a basic grounding in a language other than
his/her own (Bassnett, 1996). Folk notions might still at times claim that proficiency in two languages along
with a couple of dictionaries are all that one needs to produce a translation (Edwards, 2009; Gregorious, 2011).
Beyond the notion stressed by the narrowly linguistic approach, that translation involves the transfer of
“meaning” contained in one set of language signs into another set of language signs through competent use of
the dictionary and grammar, the process involves a whole set of extra-linguistic criteria. Sapir (1956) claims
that language is a guide to social reality and that human beings are at the mercy of the language that has
become the medium of expression for their society. Experience, he asserts, is largely determined by the
language habits of the community, and each separate structure represents a separate reality: “No two languages
are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. The worlds in which
different societies live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached” (Sapir,
1956, p. 69).
Sapir’s thesis, endorsed later by Benjamin Lee Whorf, is related to the view advanced by the Soviet
semiotician, Lotman (1978), that language is a modelling system. Lotman declares as firmly as Sapir or Whorf
that “No language can exist unless it is steeped in the context of culture; and no culture can exist which does
not have at its center; the structure of natural language” (Lotman, 1978, p. 18). Language, then, is
the heart within the body of culture, and it is the interaction between the two that results in the continuation of
life-energy. In the same way that the surgeon, operating on the heart, cannot neglect the body that surrounds it, so the
translator treats the text in isolation from the culture at his peril. (Bassnett, 1996, p. 4)
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 371
Translation is, as Quirk (1974) puts it, “one of the most difficult task that a writer can take upon himself”
(Quirk, 1974, p. 12). The third misconception regarding translation is that translating is easy. Translation can be
very intricate, complex, and arduous work. Having to simultaneously concentrate on two different texts is
mentally exhausting. This is because a translator is continuously moving between two languages and mind
frames. A translator must first read and register source information then mange to digest it and present it
accurately in the target language. The fourth misconception is that computers can now do translation. No
translation program can and ever will be able to take the place of a human translator. This is because computers
do not understand what language is and how it is used. Computers may be able to translate simple
one-dimensional sentences, but they will never be able to tackle the complexities within literature or technical
texts. If the translation is to be accurate and professionally prepared and presented, then, an experienced
translator is crucial. Bad translations lead to many problems including people misunderstanding texts which
ultimately reflect poorly on a company or organization. “If you want your car fixed you take it to a mechanic,
not a car salesman. He may know a bit about cars but not enough to address your problems properly” (Pyne,
2004).
On the other hand, translation study in English has devoted much time to the problem of finding a term to
describe translation itself. Some scholars such as Savory (1957) define translation as an “art”; others, such as
Jacobsen (1958) define it as a “craft”; while others, perhaps more sensibly, borrow from the German and
describe it as a “science”. Frenz (1961) claims that translation is neither a creative art nor an imitative art, but
stands somewhere between the two. This emphasis on terminological debate in English points again to the
problematic of English Translation Studies. At all events, the perusal of such a debate is purposeless and can
only draw attention away from the central problem of finding a terminology that can be utilized in the
systematic study of translation (Bassnett, 1996).
Moreover, because translation is perceived as an intrinsic part of the foreign language teaching process, it
has rarely been studied for its own sake. The stress throughout is on an understanding the syntax of the
language being studied and on using translation as a means of demonstrating that understanding. It is hardly
surprising that such a restricted concept of translation goes hand in hand with the low status accorded to the
translator and to distinctions usually being made between the writer and the translator to the detriment of the
latter. Belloc (1931) summed up the problem of status and his words are still perfectly applicable today:
The art of translation is a subsidiary art and derivative. On this account it has never been granted the dignity of
original work, and has suffered too much in the general judgment of letters. This natural underestimation of its value has
had the bad practical effect of lowering the standard demanded, and in some periods has almost destroyed the art altogether.
The corresponding misunderstanding of its character has added to its degradation: neither its importance nor its difficulty
has been grasped. (Belloc, 1931, p. 32)
Discussion
What is Translation?
At the outset, it may be important to point out that translation has been defined in many ways, and every
definition reflects the theoretical approach underpinning it. Shuttleworth and Cowie (1997) observe that
throughout the history of research into translation, the phenomenon has been variously delimited by formal
descriptions, echoing the frameworks of the scholars proposing them. For example, Bell (1991) starts with an
informal definition of translation, which runs as follows: “the transformation of a text originally in one
372 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
language into an equivalent text in a different language retaining, as far as is possible, the content of the
message and the formal features and functional roles of the original text” (p. 21). At the beginning of the
“scientific” (Newmark, 1981, p. 2) study of translation, Catford (1965) described it in these terms: […] the
replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL).
Central to reflections on the nature of translation, the task of the translator has always been the question of
the translator’s responsibility towards the original. To what extent, scholars have been asking for hundreds of
years, can the translator add to, omit from, or in any way alter the source text? Debates on this issue have given
rise to much theorizing and are at the heart of the free/literal translation paradigm. In modem times,
considerations of the relationship between translation and original have often focused on principles of
“faithfulness” and “accuracy”. While usually understood in widely diverse ways, faithfulness has assumed the
status of an ethical responsibility, with translators in many countries required to take an oath to guarantee the
accuracy and correctness of their work before being officially licensed to practice. Translators, thus, are
expected to present their readers with an “accurate” picture of the original, without any “distortions”, and
without imposing their personal values, or those of their own culture, on the intellectual products of other
nations. The French philosopher and writer “Gilles Menage” coined the phrase “les belles infidels” to suggest
that translations, like women, can be either “faithful” or “beautiful” but not both. “Faithfulness” is the extent to
which a translation accurately renders the meaning of the source text, without distortion. On the other hand,
“transparency” is the extent to which a translation appears to a motive speaker of the target language to have
originally been written in that language and conforms to its grammar, syntax, and idiom.
In recent years, however, challenges to the “transparency” principle have been mounted chiefly by
postmodernist and postcolonial critics. The most widely circulated and influential of these challenges can be
found in the work of Lawrence Venuti. Venuti has called attention to the ethnocentrism inherent in what he has
termed “domesticating translation”, which assimilates the foreign text to the values of the receiving culture to
create an impression of a natural text, whose translator is invisible. Venuti equates domesticating translation
with “ethnocentric violence”, a violence which involves appropriating others and assimilating them into the
target culture’s worldview, “reducing if not simply excluding the very differences that translation is called on to
convey” (Venuti, 2008, p. 16). Venuti also maintains that domesticating translation consolidates the power
hierarchy that imposes hegemonic discourses on the target culture by conforming to its worldview. Venuti has
recently refined his position on domesticating translation. While domestication as a practice is still generally
denounced, Venuti introduces a new potential function for it. He conceives of the possibility of a “foreignizing
fluency that produces the illusion of transparency and enables the translation to pass for an original composition”
(Venuti, 2008, p. 267).
Hatim and Munday (2004) point out that we can analyze translation from two different perspectives: that
of a “process”, which refers to the activity of turning a ST into a TT in another language, and that of a
“product”, i.e., the translated text. Long time ago, Mounin (1963), the French theorist perceives translation as a
series of operations of which the starting point and the end product are significations and function within a
given culture. In this regard, Bassnett (1996) points out that the emphasis always in translation is on the reader
or listener and the translator must tackle the SL text in such a way that the TL version will correspond to the SL
version. The nature of that correspondence may vary considerably, but the principle remains constant. To
attempt to impose the value system of the SL culture onto the TL culture is dangerous ground. The translator
cannot be the author of the SL text, but as the author of the TL text has a clear moral responsibility to the TL
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 373
readers. In this regard, Levy (1963), cited in Holmes (1970) insisted that any contracting or omitting of difficult
expressions in translating was immoral. The translator, he believed, had the responsibility of finding a solution
to the most daunting of problems, and he declared that the functional view must be adopted with regard not
only to meaning but also to style and form (Moruwamon & Kolawole, 2007).
The Development of Translation Studies
Translation was initially studied as a linguistic phenomenon, as a process of meaning transfer via linguistic
transcoding, and consequently, Translation Studies was conceived as a linguistic discipline. Attempts were
made to develop a “science of translation” (Nida, 1964), or a linguistic theory of translation (Catford, 1965),
whose aim was to give a precise description of the equivalence relations between signs and combinations of
signs in the source language(SL) and the target language (TL). Over the following years, as Ulrych and
Bosinelli emphasized, the ties between translation and linguistics got even stronger, thanks to the development
within linguistics of new paradigms which considered “[…] language as a social phenomenon that takes place
within specific cultural context, like discourse analysis, text linguistics sociolinguistics, and pragmatics”
(Ulrych & Bosinelli, 1999, p. 229).
Since the early 1960’s significant changes have taken place in the field of Translation Studies, with the
growing acceptance of the study of linguistics and stylistics within literary criticism. Since 1965, great progress
has been made in Translation Studies. The work of scholars in the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet
Union, German, and the United States seems to indicate the emergence of clearly defined schools of
Translation Studies, which place their emphasis on different aspects of the whole vast field. Moreover,
translation specialists have benefited a great deal from work in marginally related areas (Bassnett, 1996).
Emerging in the 1970s, developing in the 1980s, and flourishing in the 1990s (Bassnett, 1999, p. 214), TS has
evolved enormously in the past twenty years and is now in the process of consolidating. TS has gradually
evolved into a disciplines in its own right, or rather, as said, into an “interdiscipline”, which draws on a wide
range of other discipline and hence could be effectively described as “a house of many room” (Hatim, 2001, p.
8).
One of the first moves towards interdecsiplinarity can be considered Snell-Hornby’s (1988/1995)
“integrated approach”. The approach was meant to bridge the gap between linguistic and literary-oriented
methods. Lefevere (1978) proposed that the name Translation Studies should be adopted for the discipline that
concerns itself with the problems raised by the production and description of translation. The Routledge
Encyclopedia of Translation Studies defines “Translation Studies” as “[…] the academic discipline which
concerns itself with the study of translation” (Baker, 1992, p. 276). As Baker points out, although initially
focusing on literary translation, TS “[…] is now understood to refer to the academic discipline concerned with
the study of translation at large , including literary and nonliterary translation” (Baker, 1992, p. 277).
Hatim defines TS as the discipline “[…] which concerns itself with the theory and practice of translation”
(Hatim, 2001, p. 3). The practice of translation without a theoretical background tends toward a purely
subjective exercise. As Yallop (1987) reminds us, one of Halliday’s main contributions to linguistics is his
desire to build bridges between linguistic theory and professional practice. “When dealing with translation, we
firmly believe that this need is even stronger. Proficiency in two languages, the source one and the target one, is
obviously not sufficient to become a competent translator” (Manfredi, 2008, p. 38).
374 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
Translation theory is relevant to translators’ problems, and not only for academic purposes, but also to the
practice of a professional translator, since it can “[…] offer a set of conceptual tools [that] can be thought of as
aids for mental problem-solving” (Chesterman & Wagner, 2002, p. 7). Theory and practice are linked, and are
not in conflict. Understanding of the processes can only help in the production, and a theory of translation
without a link to practice is simply an abstraction.
Moreover, as Bassnett (1996) points out, although Translation Studies covers such a wide field, it can be
roughly divided into four general areas of interest, each with degree of overlap. Two are product-oriented, in
that the emphasis is on the functional aspect of the TL text in relation to the SL text, and two of them are
process-oriented, in that the emphasis is on analyzing what actually takes place during translation. Ulrych and
Bosinelli (1999) argue that the term “multidiscipline” is the most apt in portraying the present state of
translation studies since it underlines both its independent nature and its plurality of perspectives. Translation
studies can in fact be viewed as a “metadiscipline” that is able to accommodate diverse disciplines with their
specific theoretical and methodological frameworks and thus to comprehend areas focusing, for example, on
linguistic aspects of translation, cultural studies aspects, literary aspects and so on. Their account of TS is akin
to Hatim’s view that “translating is a multi-faceted activity, and there is room for a variety of perspectives”
(Hatim, 2001, p. 10). According to Snell-Hornby (2006a) [Translation Studies] opens up new perspectives from
which other disciplines—or more especially the world around—might well benefit. It is concerned, not with
languages, objects, or cultures as such, but with communication across cultures, which does not merely consist
of the sum of all factors involved. And what is not yet adequately recognized is how translation (studies) could
help us communicate better—a deficit that sometimes has disastrous results (Leeuwen, 2011; Hua, 2011;
O’Keeffe & Clancy, 2011).
Translation Studies and Linguistics.
Along with the conviction that a multifaceted phenomenon like translation needs to be informed by
multidisciplinarity, Manfredi (2008) believes that, within this perspective, linguistics has much to offer the
study of translation. Since linguistics deals with the study of language and how this works, and since the
process of translation vitally entails language, the relevance of linguistics to translation should never be in
doubt. But it must immediately be made clear that we are referring in particular to “[…] those branches of
linguistics which are concerned with the […] social aspects of language use” (Bell, 1991, p. 13) and which
locate the ST and TT firmly within their cultural contexts.
Mounin (1963) acknowledges the great benefits that advances in linguistics have brought to Translation
Studies; the development of structural linguistics, the work of Saussure, of Hjelmslev, and of the Moscow and
Prague Linguistic Circles has been of great value, and the work of Chomsky and the transformational linguists
has also had its impact, particularly with regard to the study of Semantics. Mounin feels that it is thanks to
developments in contemporary linguistics that we can (and must) accept that: (1) Personal experience in its
uniqueness is untranslatable. (2) In theory the base units of any two languages (e.g., phonemes, monemes, etc.)
are not always comparable. (3) Communication is possible when account is taken of the respective situations of
speaker and hearer, or author and translator. In other words, Mounin believes that linguistics demonstrates that
translation is a dialectic process that can be accomplished with relative success:
Translation may always start with the clearest situations, the most concrete messages, the most elementary universals.
But as it involves the consideration of a language in its entirety, together with its most subjective messages, through an
examination of common situations and a multiplication of contacts that need clarifying, then there is no doubt that
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 375
communication through translation can never be completely finished, which also demonstrates that it is never wholly
impossible either. (Mounin , 1963, p. 4)
One of the first to propose that linguistics should affect the study of translation was Jakobson who, in 1959,
affirmed: “Any comparison of two languages implies an examination of their mutual translatability; the
widespread practice of interlingual communication, particularly translating activities, must be kept under
constant scrutiny by linguistic science” (1959/2000, pp. 233-234). In 1965, Catford opened his, “A Linguistic
Theory of Translation”, with the following assertion: “Clearly, then, any theory of translation must draw upon a
theory of language – a general linguistic theory” (Catford, 1965, p. 1). As Fawcett (1997) suggests, the link
between linguistics and translation can be twofold. On one hand, the findings of linguistics can be applied to
the practice of translation; on the other hand, it is possible to establish a linguistic theory of translation. Bell
even argues that translation can be invaluable to linguistics: “[…] as a vehicle for testing theory and for
investigating language use” (Bell, 1991, xvi). Fawcett’s view is that, without a grounding in linguistics, the
translator is like “[…] somebody who is working with an incomplete toolkit” (Fawcett, 1997, foreword). Taylor
affirms that “translation is undeniably a linguistic phenomenon, at least in part” (Taylor , 1998, p. 10).
In spite of all this, on many sides the relevance of linguistics to translation has also been critiqued, or
worse, neglected. Bell (1991) showed his contempt for such a skeptical attitude. He finds it paradoxical that
many translation theorists should make little systematic use of the techniques and insights offered by linguistics,
but also that many linguists should have little or no interest in the theory of translation. In his view, if
translation scholars do not draw heavily on linguistics, they can hardly move beyond a subjective and arbitrary
evaluation of the products, i.e., translated texts, they are, in short, doomed to have no concern for the process.
Similarly, Hatim (2001) warns against those introductory books on TS which tend to criticize the role of
linguistics in the theory of translation and blame it for any, or all, failure in translation. However, despite this
skepticism, a genuine interest in linguistics does continue to thrive in TS. Even though Snell-Horney takes her
distance from it, recently TS seems to have been characterized by a new “linguistic turn” (Snell-Hornby,
2006b). Up to the end of the 1970s, as Snell-Hornby reports (1988), most linguistically-oriented theories were
centered around the concept of equivalence.
As Leonardi (2000) points out, the difficulty in defining equivalence seems to result in the impossibility of
having a universal approach to this notion. It is undoubtedly one of the most problematic and controversial
areas in the field of translation theory. The term has caused, and it seems quite probable that it will continue to
cause, heated debates within the field of translation studies. This term has been analyzed, evaluated, and
extensively discussed from different points of view and has been approached from many different perspectives.
The question of defining equivalence is being pursued by two lines of development in Translocation Studies.
The first, rather predictably, lays an emphasis on the special problems of semantics and on the transfer of
semantic content from SL to TL. With the second, which explores the question of equivalence of literary texts,
the work of the Russian Formalists and the Prague Linguists, together with more recent developments in
discourse analysis, have broadened the problem of equivalence in its application to the translation of such texts.
Holmes (1988), for example, feels that the use of the term equivalence is “perverse”, since to ask for sameness
is to ask too much.
Jakobson’s study of equivalence gave new impetus to the theoretical analysis of translation since he
introduced the notion of “equivalence in difference”. On the basis of his semiotic approach to language and his
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aphorism “there is no signatum without signum” (Jakobson, 1959, p. 232), he suggests three kinds of
translation: (1) intralingual (within one language, i.e. rewording or paraphrase), (2) interlingual (between two
languages), and (3) intersemiotic (between sign systems). Jakobson claims that, in the case of interlingual
translation, the translator makes use of synonyms in order to get the ST message across. This means that in
interlingual translations there is no full equivalence between code units. According to his theory, “translation
involves two equivalent messages in two different codes” (Jakobson, 1959, p. 233). Jakobson goes on to say
that from a grammatical point of view languages may differ from one another to a greater or lesser degree, but
this does not mean that a translation cannot be possible. He acknowledges that “whenever there is deficiency,
terminology may be qualified and amplified by loanwords or loan-translations, neologisms or semantic shifts,
and finally, by circumlocutions” (Jakobson, 1959, p. 234). Nida (1964) argues that there are two types of
equivalence, namely formal equivalence—which in the second edition by Nida and Tabler (1982) is referred to
as formal correspondence—and dynamic equivalence. Formal correspondence “focuses attention on the
message itself, in both form and content”, unlike dynamic equivalence which is based upon “the principle of
equivalent effect” (Nida, 1964, p. 159). In the second edition (1982) of their work, the two theorists provide a
more detailed explanation of each type of equivalence. Formal correspondence consists of a TL item which
represents the closest equivalent of a SL word or phrase. Nida and Taber make it clear that there are not always
formal equivalents between language pairs. They, therefore, suggest that these formal equivalents should be
used wherever possible if the translation aims at achieving formal rather than dynamic equivalence. The use of
formal equivalents might at times have serious implications in the TT since the translation will not be easily
understood by the target audience (Fawcett, 1997). Nida and Taber themselves assert that “typically, formal
correspondence distorts the grammatical and stylistic patterns of the receptor language, and hence distorts the
message, so as to cause the receptor to misunderstand or to labor unduly hard” (Nida & Taber, 1982, p. 201).
Dynamic equivalencies are defined as a translation principle according to which a translator seeks to translate
the meaning of the original in such a way that the TL wording will trigger the same impact on the TC audience
as the original wording did upon the ST audience. They argue that frequently, the form of the original text is
changed; but as long as the change follows the rules of back transformation in the source language, of
contextual consistency in the transfer, and of transformation in the receptor language, the message is preserved
and the translation is faithful. (Nida & Taber, 1982, p. 200)
Catford (1965) advocated a theory of translation based on equivalence. A central task of translation theory
is that of “defining the nature and conditions of translation equivalence” (Catford, 1965, p. 21). Catford had a
preference for a more linguistic-based approach to translation and this approach is based on the linguistic work
of Firth and Halliday. His main contribution in the field of translation theory is the introduction of the concept
of types and shifts of translation. Catford proposed very broad types of translation in terms of three criteria: (1).
the extent of translation (full translation vs. partial translation), (2). the grammatical rank at which the
translation equivalence is established (rank-bound translation vs. unbounded translation), and (3). the levels of
language involved in translation (total translation vs. restricted translation). The second type of translation is
the one that concerns the concept of equivalence. In rank-bound translation an equivalent is sought in the TL
for each word, or for each morpheme encountered in the ST. In unbounded translation equivalences are not tied
to a particular rank, and we may additionally find equivalence at sentence, clause, and other levels. Catford was
very much criticized for his linguistic theory of translation. One of the most scathing criticisms came from
Snell-Hornby (1988), who argued that Catford’s definition of textual equivalence is “circular”. She considers
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 377
the concept of equivalence in translation as being an illusion. She asserts that the translation process cannot
simply be reduced to a linguistic exercise, as claimed by Catford, since there are also other factors, such as
textual, cultural, and situational aspects, which should be taken into consideration when translating. In other
words, she does not believe that linguistics is the only discipline which enables people to carry out a translation,
since translating involves different cultures and different situations at the same time, and they do not always
match from one language to another.
House (1977) is in favor of semantic and pragmatic equivalence and argues that ST and TT should match
one another in function. House suggests that it is possible to characterize the function of a text by determining
the situational dimensions of the ST. According to her theory, every text is in itself is placed within a particular
situation which has to be correctly identified and taken into account by the translator. She acknowledges that “a
translation text should not only match its source text in function, but employ equivalent situational-dimensional
means to achieve that function” (House, 1977, p. 49). Central to House’s discussion is the concept of overt and
covert translations. In an overt translation the TT audience is not directly addressed and there is therefore no
need at all to attempt to recreate a “second original” since an overt translation “must overtly be a translation”
(House, 1977, p. 189). By covert translation, on the other hand, is meant the production of a text which is
functionally equivalent to the ST. House also argues that in this type of translation the ST “is not specifically
addressed to a TC audience” (House, 1977, p. 194).
An extremely interesting discussion of the notion of equivalence can be found in Baker (1992) who seems
to offer a more detailed list of conditions upon which the concept of equivalence can be defined. She explores
the notion of equivalence at different levels, in relation to the translation process, including all different aspects
of translation and hence putting together the linguistic and the communicative approach. She distinguishes
between four types. The first is the equivalence that can appear at word level and above word level, when
translating from one language into another. The second is grammatical equivalence, when referring to the
diversity of grammatical categories across languages. She notes that grammatical rules may vary across
languages and this may pose some problems in terms of finding a direct correspondence in the TL. In fact, she
claims that different grammatical structures in the SL and TL may cause remarkable changes in the way the
information or message is carried across. These changes may induce the translator either to add or to omit
information in the TT because of the lack of particular grammatical devices in the TL itself. The third is textual
equivalence, when referring to the equivalence between a SL text and a TL text in terms of information and
cohesion. Texture is a very important feature in translation since it provides useful guidelines for the
comprehension and analysis of the ST which can help the translator in his or her attempt to produce a cohesive
and coherent text for the TC audience in a specific context. It is up to the translator to decide whether or not to
maintain the cohesive ties as well as the coherence of the SL text. His or her decision will be guided by three
main factors, that is, the target audience, the purpose of the translation and the text type. The fourth is
Pragmatic equivalence, when referring to implicatures and strategies of avoidance during the translation
process. Implicature is not about what is explicitly said but what is implied. Therefore, the translator needs to
work out implied meanings in translation in order to get the ST message across. The role of the translator is to
recreate the author’s intention in another culture in such a way that enables the TC reader to understand it
clearly (Nunan, 2011; Walker, 2011).
Baker (1992) recognized that equivalence “is influenced by a variety of linguistic and cultural factors and
is therefore always relative” (Baker, 1992, p. 6). Similarly Ivir defended the concept of equivalence as relative
378 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
and not absolute, being strictly connected to the context of situation of the text (Ivir, 1996, p. 44). Halliday
(2001) who based his definition of translation on the notion of equivalence, has more recently reassessed the
centrality of equivalence in translation quality and proposed categorization according to three parameters, i.e.,
“Stratification”, “Metafuncton” and “Rank” (Halliday, 2001, p. 15).
Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) view equivalence-oriented translation as a procedure which “replicates the
same situation as in the original, whilst using completely different wording” (Vinay & Darbelnet, 1995, P. 342).
They also suggest that, if this procedure is applied during the translation process, it can maintain the stylistic
impact of the SL text in the TL text. According to them, equivalence is, therefore, the ideal method when the
translator has to deal with proverbs, idioms, clichés, nominal or adjectival phrases, and the onomatopoeia of
animal sounds. With regard to equivalent expressions between language pairs, Vinay and Darbelnet claim that
they are acceptable as long as they are listed in a bilingual dictionary as “full equivalents” (Vinay & Darbelnet,
1995, P. 255). However, they note that glossaries and collections of idiomatic expressions “can never be
exhaustive” (Vinay & Darbelnet, 1995, P. 256). They also, argue that even if the semantic equivalent of an
expression in the SL text is quoted in a dictionary or a glossary, it is not enough, and it does not guarantee a
successful translation (Segalowitz, 2011).
To sum up, these theorists have studied equivalence in relation to the translation process, using different
approaches, and have provided fruitful ideas for further study on this topic. These theories can be substantially
divided into three main groups. In the first there are those translation scholars who are in favor of a linguistic
approach to translation and who seem to forget that translation in itself is not merely a matter of linguistics. In
fact, when a message is transferred from the SL to TL, the translator is also dealing with two different cultures
at the same time. This particular aspect seems to have been taken into consideration by the second group of
theorists who regard translation equivalence as being essentially a transfer of the message from the SC to the
TC and a pragmatic/semantic or functionally oriented approach to translation. Finally, there are other
translation scholars who seem to stand in the middle, such as Baker for instance, who claims that equivalence is
used “for the sake of convenience—because most translators are used to it rather than because it has any
theoretical status” (Kenny, 1998, p. 77).
In this regard, Bassnett (1996) argues that equivalence in translation, then, should not be approached as
search for sameness, since sameness cannot even exist between two TL versions of the same text, let alone
between the SL and the TL version. And, once the principle is accepted that sameness cannot exist between two
languages, it becomes possible to approach the question of loss and gain in the translation process. It is again an
indication of the low status of translation that so much time should have been spent on discussing what is lost
in the transfer of a text from SL to TL whilst ignoring what can also be gained, for the translator can at times
enrich or clarify the SL text as a direct result of the translation process. Moreover, what is often seen as “lost”
from the SL context may be replaced in TL context. When difficulties are encountered by the translator, the
whole issue of the translatability of the text is raised. Catford distinguishes two types of untranslatability, which
he terms linguistic and culture. On the linguistic level, untranslatability occurs when there is no lexical or
syntactical substitute in the TL for an SL item. Catford’s category of linguistic untranslatability, is
straightforward, but his second category is more problematic. Linguistic untranslatability, he argues, is due to
differences in the SL and the TL, whereas cultural untranslatability is due to the absence in the TL culture of a
relevant situational feature for the SL text.
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380 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
Translation was defined as text production, as retextualising a SL-text according to the TL conventions. The
text moved into the centre of attention, and notions such as textuality, context, culture, communicative intention,
function, text type, genre, and genre conventions have had an impact on reflecting about translation. Texts are
produced and received with a specific purpose, or function, in mind. This is the main argument underlying
functionalist approaches to translation, initiated by Vermeer (1989) with his Skopos Theory.
As Robinson (2005) points out, it is probably safe to say that there has never been a time when the
community of translators was unaware of cultural differences and their significance for translation. The more
aware the translator can become of these differences, the better a translator will be. Nevertheless, Manfredi
(2008) argues that taking account of culture does not necessarily mean having to dismiss any kind of linguistic
approach to translation. As we have seen, even from a linguistic point of view, language and culture are
inextricably connected. Moreover, as House clearly (2002) states, if we opt for contextually-oriented linguistic
approaches—which see language as a social phenomenon embedded in culture and view the properly
understood meaning of any linguistic item as requiring reference to the cultural context, we can tackle
translation from both a linguistic and cultural perspective: […] while considering translation to be a particular
type of culturally determined practice, [to] also hold that is, at its core, a predominantly linguistic procedure
(House, 2002, p. 93).
Culturally-oriented and linguistically-oriented approaches to translation “[…] are not, necessarily mutually
exclusive alternatives” (Manfredi, 2007, p. 204). On the contrary, the inextricable link between language and
culture can even be highlighted by a linguistic model that views language as a social phenomenon, indisputably
embedded in culture. Chesterman (2006) does not support the linguistic-cultural studies divide that is typically
used to categorize the shift or conflicting focus of research in Translation Studies. Chesterman considers that
the growth in Translation Studies as an interdiscipline has led to fragmentation and that concepts and
methodologies are “borrowed [from other disciplines] at a superficial level” which leads to “misunderstandings”
since those working in Translation Studies are often lacking expertise in the other field and even borrowing
concepts that may be outdated. This is an important criticism; Chesterman’s solution is for collaborative work
with scholars in other fields. Chesterman’s proposal is for the adoption of the term “consilience”, which has its
roots in the ancient Greek concept of the unity of knowledge and was recently revisited in the field of
sociobiology by Edward Wilson. Consilience is relevant, in Chesterman’s view, since “modem Translation
Studies [...] announces itself as a new attempt to cut across boundaries in the search for a deeper understanding
of the relations between texts, societies and cultures” (Chesterman, 2006, p. 25).
What has changed in recent translation scholarship on culture is an increasing emphasis on the collective
control or shaping of cultural knowledge; the role played by ideology, or what Gramsci (1971) called
“hegemony”, in constructing and maintaining cultural knowledge and policing transfers across cultural barriers.
Beginning in the late 1970’s, several groups of scholars began to explore the impact of cultural system on what
gets translated, and why, and how, and how the translation is used. And beginning in the late 1980’s, other
group of scholars began to explore the ongoing impact of colonization on translation—especially the surviving
power differentials between “first world” and “third world” countries and how they control the economics and
ideology, and thus also the practice of translation (Robinson, 2005; Baker, 2006).
Pym (1992) attempted to define a culture as follows:
How might one define the points where one culture stops and another begins? The borders are no easier to draw than
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 381
those between language and communities. It is enough to define the limits of a culture as the points where transferred texts
have had to be (intralingually or interlingually) translated. That is, if a text can adequately be transferred [moved in space
and ‘or time] without translation there is cultural continuity. And if a text has been translated, it represents distance
between at least two cultures. (Pym, 1992, p. 25)
In this regard, Robinson (2005) argues that texts move in space (are carried, mailed, faxed, and e-mailed)
or in time (are physically preserved for later generations, who may use the language in which they were written
in significantly different ways). Cultural difference is largely a function of the distance they move, the distance
from the place or time in which they are written to the place or time in which they are read; and it can be
marked by the act or fact of translation. As we approach cultural boundaries, transferred texts become
increasingly difficult to understand, until we give up and demand a translation—and it is at the point, Pym
suggests, that we know we have moved from one culture to another.
Postcolonial Translation Studies
Post-colonialism is one of the most thriving points of contact between Cultural Studies and Translation
Studies. It can be defined as a broad cultural approach to the study of power relations between different groups,
cultures, or peoples in which language, literature, and translation may play a role. Spivak’s work is indicative
of how cultural studies and especially post-colonialism has over the past decade focused on issues of translation,
the translational and colonization. The linking of colonization and translation is accompanied by the argument
that translation has played an active role in the colonization process and in disseminating an ideologically
motivated image of colonized people. The metaphor has been used of the colony as an imitative and inferior
translational copy whose suppressed identity has been overwritten by the colonizer. The postcolonial concepts
may have conveyed a view of translation as just a damaging instrument of the colonizers who imposed their
language and used translation to construct a distorted image of the suppressed people which served to reinforce
the hierarchal structure of the colony. However, some critics of post-colonialism, like Robinson (1997), believe
that the view of the translation as purely harmful and pernicious tool of the empire is inaccurate.
One theorist who has paid attention to the project of translation in the context of post-colonialism is
Gayatri Spivak. Spivak describes her translating method as follows: First, the translator must surrender to the
text. She must “solicit the text to show the limits of its language, because that rhetorical aspect will point at the
silence of the absolute fraying of language that the text wards off, in its special manner” (Spivak, 1992, p. 181).
The translator must earn the right to intimacy with the text, through the act of reading. Only then can she
surrender to the text. Spivak herself practices total surrender by providing a first translation at top speed.
Surrender at that point mainly means being literal. The revision is not in terms of a possible audience but “in a
sort of English”, working against the text as “just a purveyor of social realism” (Spivak, 1992, p. 188). Spivak
sees no reason why translation has to be a slow and time-consuming affair. If the translator is prepared and
possesses the necessary reading skills, the sheer material production could be very quick.
382 PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES
great role for translation studies. It is mainly based on the theory of Jean Laplanche, Sigmund Freud, and
Jacques Lacan, the last two of which are especially influential. Freud believes that the mental condition of
human being is composed of three stages, id, ego, and superego. Only if we keep the three ones in balance can
we maintain health. In most cases, our neurosis owes to the repression of id and we usually translate our mental
condition into dream. Lacan associates Freud’s theory with language study. He regards unconsciousness as the
essence of language and points out that the nature of human being is unconsciousness. Both Freud’s and
Lacan’s theory show a close connection between the formation and identity. Since our mental condition now is
influenced by the memory of past, psychoanalysts usually try to recreate the sights of the past so as to find out
the specific demand which is repressed. “With a psychoanalytic reworking of an event, through the process of
transference, an alternative translation is possible, one that is less repressive and more therapeutic” (Gentzler,
2008, p. 184). Based on the studies in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Latin America, and Caribbean,
Gentzler proposes that it is translation that forms people’s identity in the Americas.
As Gentzler defining translation as a social and psychological activity which forms the identity of a nation,
translation studies are stepping into a new paradigm…social and psychological paradigm. The shift of
paradigms again broadens the scope of translation studies. As the focus transfers from text to mind, this time,
the scope includes not only language, context, but also the inside world of human being. With the broadening
of the scope, translation studies will usher in a new turn—the social and psychological turn.
The definition of translation in social and psychological paradigm of translation studies not only considers
the linguistic and cultural aspects of translation, but also introduces psychology into translation studies. From
Edwin Gentzler’s point of view, it is translation that constructs us; it is translation that forms our identity.
Based on the studies of the situation of translation in various areas such as the United States, Canada, Brazil,
Latin America, and Carribean, Gentzler connects the progress of human history with translation and puts
forward the history of translation in the Americas is a history of identity formation. Translation, in his eyes, is a
creative activity, not merely a linguistic operation, but one of the means by which an entire continent defines
itself. In this regard, Gentzler agrees with Sherry Simon’s definitions of translation: writing that is inspired by
the encounter with other tongues, including the effects of creative interference (Jixing, 2012).
As Kassymova (2014) points out, the study of translation/interpretation from a psychological point of view
allows considering this object (translation) more widely than it was done only from the points of linguistics and
literary issues. Relatedly, both Pym (1992) and Zimnyaya (1993) agree that the presence of different
approaches to translation are explained by understanding translation as a process and product, according to
which there are two points of view: external and internal. As Zimnyaya (1993) explains, translation is a text
from the perspective of “external knowledge” but an activity (aiming at the production of a text) from the
perspective of “internal knowledge”. The more complicated one is evidently the second point of view, “internal
knowledge”, because it is really difficult and sometimes impossible to have a deep insight into the mind of
translators during the process of translation/interpretation. The mind of the translator has always been the black
box that has not been included or at least not actively mapped.
Conclusion
Although most scholars today do agree that Translation Studies is not a sub-discipline of (applied)
linguistics, the questions “where do we stand?” and “where do we go?” are being discussed more and more
vigorously. Translation Studies continuously brings new theoretical developments to bear upon its disciplinary
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN TARANSLATION STUDIES 383
object. What is obvious in the substantially growing literature is that scholars have come to translation (studies)
from a variety of fields and disciplinary backgrounds, whereas traditionally this background was linguistics (or
its sub-disciplines, particularly pragmatics, text linguistics), and also literature. Nowadays there is an increasing
input from Cultural Studies. One of the consequences is terminological inconsistency (Schaffner, 1999). When
we take concepts from different disciplines we should clearly define them and clarify their disciplinary origin.
It seems to be a general phenomenon that different academic disciplines use the same labels, however, with
different meanings.
The preceding discussion shows that different paradigms of translation studies have different views on
translation. As Jixing (2012) has maintained, the shifts of the paradigms can be viewed as the results of the
development of definitions.
From a pedagogical perspective, the question that arises from the preceding discussion is that how
translation courses should be designed and organized so that they would offer the students exactly what they
need for their prospective career. This question implies that the task of the translation teacher does not consist
only in developing in their students those skills which underlie the general translation competence, but also in
creating a psychological climate which is very likely to turn the educational process into a positive experience
for future translators. In this regard, Cozma and Dejica-Cartis (2013) conducted a mini-research study in which
students were asked to answer the following questions: (1) Which are their fears and worries related to a
potential career as a translator? (2) What should a translator course cover in order to make them feel
psychologically secure about being a translator?, and (3) What can the translation teacher do in order to help
them in this respect ? . Analyzing the students’ answers shows some helpful points. First, almost all the subjects
mentioned that their greatest fear as trainee translators refers to the lack of familiarity with many of the
specialized domains in which they might be expected to work in the future. Also, in close connection to such a
fear, most of the students confessed that they expected their teachers to give them the opportunity of acquiring
various specific skills and knowledge associated with their future profession. As one of the subjects stated, “the
translation teacher should explain to us what it takes to be a good translator” (Cozma & Dejica-Cartis, 2013, p.
896). Second, the above study revealed the students’ need for an emotionally safe atmosphere during the
training process. As they mentioned, “their worries and fears are more likely to be erased by a translator trainer
who “builds and sustains optimism”, “who has an understanding attitude” (personal information). They, also,
stated that “the teacher should be supportive, creative and focus on the weak points of the students, instead of
following a strict, pre-set agenda” (Cozma & Dejica-Cartis, 2013, p. 897). Accordingly, Cozma and
Dejica-Cartis has made the following conclusion: “It seems, therefore, that students perceive their good training
for the translation career as being dependent not only on the teacher’s ability to develop their professional skills,
but also on the emotional atmosphere created during the process of training” (Cozma & Dejica-Cartis, 2013, p.
899).
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