Translation

Abstract

Translation is usually defined as the transfer of meaning from one language to another language, and the product of such a process is generally expected to be equivalent to the original. However, this quick description is incomplete, not only because it fails to meet the requirements of being ‘both inclusive and exclusive’ (Hermans 2013: 74) for a formal definition, but also because it presents translation as if it were a fixed and static concept of homogenous nature, which is shared by different cultures and nations at all times. This commonly held belief of regarding translation as simply a linguistic transcoding process between two languages largely reflects Western thinking or, more exactly, Eurocentric conceptualizations about the term. The denotation and connotation of translation, as convincingly argued by Tymoczko (2010: 54–106), vary from culture to culture as do notions of meaning and equivalence, and translation actually means different practices or things at different historical periods and places. In this chapter, a review of the conceptualizations of translation throughout history in other parts of the world produces ample counterexamples to the Eurocentric idea which attempts to define translation as a circumscribed and meaning-based concept. By focusing on the multifaceted and cross-cultural nature of the concept translation, this chapter argues for a broad definition of translation, with its readiness to admit idiosyncratic translational performance and thinking across time, space, and cultures. It is expected that this enlarged definition will foster the development of a truly international discipline of translation studies.