Nonlinear Narratives: Paths of Indirect and Relay Translation

Washbourne, Kelly

doi:10.7202/1025054ar

Cited by 31 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The higher price of translating from a distant language, as well as power relations between languages, cultures and agents within the world translation system are also mentioned as possible causes for ITr (for additional reasons, see e.g. Washbourne 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical, methodological and terminological issues regarding indirect translation: An overview

Rosa

Pięta

Maia

2017

Translation Studies

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The practice of indirect translation (ITr), here understood as a translation of a translation (see Gambier 1994, 413; 2003, 57), has a long-standing history (e.g. the Bible, I Ching, Shakespeare translation or the activity of the so-called Toledo School), widespread use in various areas of today's society (e.g. audiovisual, computer-assisted and literary translation, localization) and, arguably, a promising future (e.g. due to globalization and the increasingly high number of working languages in international organizations, which entails editing documents via the linguae francae). Despite all this, ITr has traditionally attracted only marginal attention from translation scholars and only in recent years has it become a more popular concept in translation studies (TS) research. This growing popularity is evident from the noticeable surge in the number of scientific publications (see Pięta 2017, in this special issue) and academic events (e.g. those held in Barcelona, Germersheim and Lisbon in 2013), as well as the founding in 2016 of an international network of researchers working on ITr (IndirecTrans, www.indirectrans.com). Such developments have made a significant contribution by, for example, challenging the conventional binarism in the study of translation or offering insights into the historiography of intercultural relationships and the complex role of intermediary centres in the cross-cultural transfer between peripheries. However, ITr research remains very fragmented and this concept is thus still largely undertheorized, and its position within TS still marginal. Research has not kept pace with the rapidly evolving practice. In an effort to overcome this fragmentation, launch this area of research from a scientific basis and accelerate the production of (a common core of) knowledge, this special issue will shed light on the state of the art of research on ITr, expand/challenge current understanding of this practice and reflect on future research avenues. Our focus is on conceptual, terminological and methodological issues. Claims, assumptions and motivations Before addressing the main terminological, theoretical and methodological issues, it may be useful to identify claims, assumptions and motivations regarding indirect translation. It is said to be a common practice. Given an apparently still predominant demand for closeness to the source text (ST), ITr tends to be negatively evaluated because it arguably increases the distance to the ultimate ST and, therefore, is often hidden or camouflaged.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical, methodological and terminological issues regarding indirect translation: An overview

Rosa

Pięta

Maia

2017

Translation Studies

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“…Reasons for ITr probably give rise to the most frequent discussion. In his enlightening and logical article, Washbourne discussed factors that can cause ITr (Washbourne , 611–112). This sectionwill examine the topic in detail, with critical reflections, and the case of ITrs of Andersen's tales in China will be utilized as a typical example.…”

Section: Reasons For Translating Indirectlymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the “relative prestige of the L2 translation” (Washbourne , 612) is not among the reasons for indirect Chinese translation of Andersen's tales. From the first Chinese translation made in the 1910s up to now, there are various English translations that have been selected as MTs, but there is very little credible evidence for consideration regarding the quality or prestige of these MTs before translating.…”

Section: Reasons For Translating Indirectlymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Complexity of Indirect Translation

2017

Orbis Litterarum

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Although indirect translation (ITr) has always been commonly accepted and necessary, it is seldom discussed in translation studies. Issues such as the reasons for ITr, the visibility of ITr, the ways of mediating, the agents and other influential factors in ITr, and the its reception have suggested its complex nature, and thus determined that many facets of ITr remain to be studied. The present article will try to encompass the complexity of ITr by looking into the reasons for translating indirectly, the challenge of finding out mediating texts (MTs), indirectness in both translation and interpretation, and the possible influences the two types of indirectness can bring to the translated images of a foreign literary work, as well as the validity of a prevailing and lasting hypothesis about ITr. In the course of the discussion, the ITr(s) in the Chinese translations of Andersen's tales, most of which have been translated and interpreted indirectly through major languages like English, will be employed as examples. Hopefully, this study will offer more insights into the nature of translation as a social activity and raise further interests in studying translation as a complex phenomenon.

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“…Why a relay translation happen? First, both lack of knowledge and lack of translator who has a good competencies to do direct translation [26], [40], and [22]. Second, lack of access to the source language [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%