Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida

by Rainer Schulte (Editor), John Biguenet (Editor)

Spanning the centuries, from the seventeenth to the twentieth, and ranging across cultures, from England to Mexico, this collection gathers together important statements on the function and feasibility of literary translation. The essays provide an overview of the historical evolution in thinking about translation and offer strong individual opinions by prominent contemporary theorists.

Most of the twenty-one pieces appear in translation, some here in English for the first time and many difficult to find elsewhere. Selections include writings by Scheiermacher, Nietzsche, Ortega, Benjamin, Pound, Jakobson, Paz, Riffaterre, Derrida, and others.

A fine companion to The Craft of Translation, this volume will be a valuable resource for all those who translate, those who teach translation theory and practice, and those interested in questions of language philosophy and literary theory.

Genres: Language, Nonfiction, Essays, Linguistics, Philosophy, Reference, Anthologies

260 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1992

Reviews

[paul holzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rich and powerful reference for those interested in language, translation and their evolution. Unfortunately, I lost this book on my travels and did not get to read all of the entries. I made it to Octavio Paz's essay which resonated with me deeply.

"When we learn to speak, we are learning to translate; the child who ask's his mother the meaning of a word is really asking her to translate the unfamiliar term into the simple words he already knows. In this sense, translation within the same language is not essentially different from translation between two tongues, and the histories of all peoples parallel the child's experience."

Octavio Paz (tr. Irene del Corral)

[Stephany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious and pretentious. Not a single female translation expert is represented here. Most essays are philosophical for the sake of being so with little attention paid to the actual process of translation. The theory here is simple common sense to anyone who seriously chooses to undergo the process of literary translation.

[Sachin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every student of translation.

[Meneghin Livia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though this edition was printed in 1992, I didn't expect to read such dated, sometimes sexist and racist language. I was distracted by it and the fact that not one female theorist was featured.

[Wyatt Reu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for those new to translation theory. Wide range of essays and theories from very different thinkers. Can feel a bit redundant at times; there’s only so much to say about translation, the map seems pretty well charted.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected. The philosophy behind translating poetry. There were a few interesting essays, but by and large it felt pretty repetitive.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy cow! this book is totally amazing! kind of hilarious that all of these essays about translation are, yes, translated themselves from their original language, isn't it?
a total must for those of us who read lots and loads of translated works! of course, the walter benjamin essay is my number one, but each essay is enlightening and so readable.

[Karyn]

awesome -- goes all the way back to the Tower of Babel. Why do we translate? What responsibility, if any, does the translator have to the original author and to the reader?

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

While imperfect, a useful introduction to a wide variety of influential names and essays in translation.