How are translation norms negotiated?

Abstract

Translation norms are conventionally viewed as forces that regulate translatorial behavior. Yet little is known about how norms are validated, challenged or broken by human agents. This quasi-experimental study of Chinese institutional translation proposes a risk-management model that explains how norms are jointly negotiated among the agents embedded in different institutional milieus. It is argued that norms are validated by the translators who strategically manage and weigh various translation risks pertaining to both the start and target cultures.

Toury’s Norms as Applied to the Translation of Arabic Literary Texts Into English

“…Toury (2012) assumes that the shifts from the source language into the target language can be seen even in the most adequate orientation of translation. Hu (2020) said that this assumption puts the orientation toward the source culture in a secondary position. For a long time, these shifts have been considered a sign of the universality of the translated text.…”