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Is Translation Studies going Anglo-Saxon?

Critical comments on the globalization of a discipline
  • Mary Snell-Hornby
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Why Translation Studies Matters
This chapter is in the book Why Translation Studies Matters

Abstract

The paper focusses on the dominant role of English in the academic discourse of Translation Studies and the effects this has on communication within the scientific community: the danger is increasing that the language English is not only used as a means of communication (e.g. with publications and conferences exclusively in English), but actually forms part of the object of discussion, dealing with facets of languages contrasted to English, and using English examples, whereby non-native speakers are disadvantaged, other approaches are ignored, and “pseudo-English” discourse is increasingly tolerated. The paper discusses the subtle difficulties involved in English academic discourse and presents a number of possible solutions, concentrating on the concept of passive multilingualism and the introduction of “bridge languages” as a means of gaining access to languages other than English or the active working language of the individual scholar.

Abstract

The paper focusses on the dominant role of English in the academic discourse of Translation Studies and the effects this has on communication within the scientific community: the danger is increasing that the language English is not only used as a means of communication (e.g. with publications and conferences exclusively in English), but actually forms part of the object of discussion, dealing with facets of languages contrasted to English, and using English examples, whereby non-native speakers are disadvantaged, other approaches are ignored, and “pseudo-English” discourse is increasingly tolerated. The paper discusses the subtle difficulties involved in English academic discourse and presents a number of possible solutions, concentrating on the concept of passive multilingualism and the introduction of “bridge languages” as a means of gaining access to languages other than English or the active working language of the individual scholar.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Does TS matter?
  5. Why interpreting studies matters 3
  6. What matters to Translation Studies? 15
  7. Part 2. Translation and society
  8. Translators as cultural mediators 29
  9. Censorship in the translations and pseudo-translations of the West 41
  10. A world without God 57
  11. Manipulating the matricial norms 69
  12. Knowledge in Translation Studies and translation practice 83
  13. Part 3. Language issues
  14. Is Translation Studies going Anglo-Saxon? 97
  15. Slowakisch: Brückensprache zur slawischen Welt? 105
  16. Translation Studies and mass media research 115
  17. Register shifts in translations of popular fiction from English into Slovene 125
  18. Getting the ACCENT right in Translation Studies 137
  19. Die Kirche im Dorf oder die Regierung im Wald lassen 153
  20. Part 4. Assessment and training
  21. Magnifying glasses modifying maps 167
  22. Effects of short intensive practice on interpreter trainees’ performance 183
  23. Corpora in translator training 195
  24. Part 5. Psychology
  25. Psycholinguistik, Übersetzungswissenschaft und Expertiseforschung im Rahmen der interdisziplinären Forschung 211
  26. Interpreting Studies and psycholinguistics 223
  27. fMRI for exploring simultaneous interpreting 237
  28. Part 6. Postscript
  29. Why Translation Studies matters 251
  30. Name index 263
  31. Concept index 267
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.88.09sne

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Does TS matter?
  5. Why interpreting studies matters 3
  6. What matters to Translation Studies? 15
  7. Part 2. Translation and society
  8. Translators as cultural mediators 29
  9. Censorship in the translations and pseudo-translations of the West 41
  10. A world without God 57
  11. Manipulating the matricial norms 69
  12. Knowledge in Translation Studies and translation practice 83
  13. Part 3. Language issues
  14. Is Translation Studies going Anglo-Saxon? 97
  15. Slowakisch: Brückensprache zur slawischen Welt? 105
  16. Translation Studies and mass media research 115
  17. Register shifts in translations of popular fiction from English into Slovene 125
  18. Getting the ACCENT right in Translation Studies 137
  19. Die Kirche im Dorf oder die Regierung im Wald lassen 153
  20. Part 4. Assessment and training
  21. Magnifying glasses modifying maps 167
  22. Effects of short intensive practice on interpreter trainees’ performance 183
  23. Corpora in translator training 195
  24. Part 5. Psychology
  25. Psycholinguistik, Übersetzungswissenschaft und Expertiseforschung im Rahmen der interdisziplinären Forschung 211
  26. Interpreting Studies and psycholinguistics 223
  27. fMRI for exploring simultaneous interpreting 237
  28. Part 6. Postscript
  29. Why Translation Studies matters 251
  30. Name index 263
  31. Concept index 267
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