Translation in Systems

The notion of systems has helped revolutionize translation studies since the 1970s. As a key part of many descriptive approaches, it has broken with the prescriptive focus on what translation should be, encouraging researchers to ask what translation does in specific cultural settings. From his privileged position as a direct participant in these developments, Theo Hermans explains how contemporary descriptive approaches came about, what the basic ideas were, and how those ideas have evolved over time. His discussion addresses the fundamental problems of translation norms, equivalence, polysystems and social systems, covering not only the work of Levy, Holmes, Even-Zohar, Toury, Lefevere, Lambert, Van Leuven-Zwart, Dhulst and others, but also giving special attention to recent contributions derived from Pierre Bourdieu and Niklas Luhmann. An added focus on practical questions of how to investigate translation (problems of definition, description, assessment of readerships, etc.) makes this book essential reading for graduate students and indeed any researchers in the field. Hermans' account of descriptive translation studies is both informed and critical. At the same time, he demonstrates the strength of the basic concepts, which have shown considerable vitality in their evolution and adaptation to the debates of the present day.

Autorentext

Theo Hermans

Inhalt

Preamble: Mann's Fate

1. An Invisible College

   Names Invisible Colleges Manipulation College?

2. Lines of Approach

   'Diagnostic rather than hortatory' Decisions, Shifts, Metatexts A Disciplinary Utopia

3. Points of Orientation

4. Undefining Translation

5. Describing Translation

   First Attempts Transemes? Real Readers Checklists Comparative Practice

6. Working with Norms

   Decisions and Norms Toury's Norms Chesterman's Norms Norm Theory Studying Norms

7. Beyond Norms

   Laws? Translation as Index Equivalence? Historicizing Theory

8. Into Systems

   Polysystem's Sources Polysystem's Terms Polysystems in Action Polysystem's Limitations

9. More Systems?

   Mass Communication Maps System, Ideology and Poetics Translation as Field and Habitus

10. Translation as System

    Expectations Structure Translation as a Social System Self-reference and Description

11. Criticisms

12. Perspectives