Whose play is it anyway?: Theatre Studies, Translation Studies and translation for the stage

This article explores the historical neglect of translation as a consideration in the study and practice of theatre in the United States and Europe. While the study of literature is fairly strictly divided between English-language and Comparative Literature departments, theatre and drama have shown little concern about language as a barrier to reception of the dramatic text. Arguably, this discrepancy may be traced to a fundamental gap between the perceived status of the novel as a completed work of art and the playtext as work of art in progress, waiting to find its completion in performance.

Turning the tide: A critique of Natural Semantic Metalanguage from a translation studies perspective

Starting from the premise that human communication is predicated on translational phenomena, this paper applies theoretical insights and practical findings from Translation Studies to a critique of Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), a theory of semantic analysis developed by Anna Wierzbicka. Key tenets of NSM, i.e. (1) culture-specificity of complex concepts; (2) the existence of a small set of universal semantic primes; and (3) definition by reductive paraphrase, are discussed critically with reference to the notions of untranslatability, equivalence, and intra-lingual translation, respectively. It is argued that a broad spectrum of research and theoretical reflection in Translation Studies may successfully feed into the study of cognition, meaning, language, and communication. The interdisciplinary exchange between Translation Studies and linguistics may be properly balanced, with the former not only being informed by but also informing and interrogating the latter.

Polish metaphorical perceptions of the translator and translation

The paper offers a comprehensive overview of the Polish metaphorics of translation. It starts by examining the Polish linguistic image of translating, followed by a survey of metaphorical descriptions of the translator and translation from the 18th century, representing the pre-scientific era in reflection on translation. Most attention is devoted to metaphors found in contemporary Polish discourse on translation, centered around: (1) the nature of translation; (2) the relationship between the source and target text, and between the author and translator; and (3) the role of the translator. It is demonstrated that the Polish context offers a rich repertoire of metaphorical depictions of translating, which reflects its distinctive historical and cultural setup.

Professing translation: the acts-in-between

Drawing on scholarship in translation ethics (Berman 1992; Cronin 2003) and performance studies (Conquergood 2002; Jackson 2004), this article approaches translation in the theatre from the double perspective of theory and practice. Professing translation as a model for the resolution of entrenched binaries (scholar/artist; theoretician/practitioner), the author sees the practice of translating for performance not just as a method of discovery or a hermeneutic tool but also as a mode of reflection that brings together both “readerly” and “writerly” approaches to text (Barthes 1974). By drawing on the experience of writing translations of García Lorca for the Belgrade Theatre, Calderón for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Lope de Vega for the Watermill Theatre and the Washington Shakespeare Theatre, the article attempts to characterise such translation as an act of physical imagination, of a holistic understanding of both language and performance, into which textuality is incorporated and by which it is superseded. © John Benjamins Publishing Company

Ubiquitous Translation

In this book, Piotr Blumczynski explores the central role of translation as a key epistemological concept as well as a hermeneutic, ethical, linguistic and interpersonal practice. His argument is three-fold: (1) that translation provides a basis for genuine, exciting, serious, innovative and meaningful exchange between various areas of the humanities through both a concept (the WHAT) and a method (the HOW); (2) that, in doing so, it questions and challenges many of the traditional boundaries and offers a transdisciplinary epistemological paradigm, leading to a new understanding of quality, and thus also meaning, truth, and knowledge; and (3) that translational phenomena are studied by a broad range of disciplines in the humanities (including philosophy, theology, linguistics, and anthropology) using various, often seemingly unrelated concepts which nevertheless display a considerable degree of qualitative proximity. The common thread running through all these convictions and binding them together is the insistence that translational phenomena are ubiquitous. Because of its unconventional and innovative approach, this book will be of interest to translation studies scholars looking to situate their research within a broader transdisciplinary model, as well as to students of translation programs and practicing translators who seek a fuller understanding of why and how translation matters.

The Rise and Fall of a Translational Compound: ‘Only Begotten’ in the English Translations of the New Testament

The present paper is an attempt to account for the emergence of the designation “only begotten” in the English Bible, its widespread use in pre-modern versions, and its gradual and almost complete disappearance from most contemporary translations. A close examination of the origins of this designation, traceable to its Latin cognate unigenitus, first introduced into the biblical tradition by St. Jerome to render selected occurrences of the Greek adjective monogenes, reveals a unique theological inspiration behind it. “Only begotten,” recurring in English translation of the Bible for almost six centuries as an important christological title, has recently been replaced by translational solutions reflecting a more accurate understanding of the underlying Greek word.

Translation, Intertextuality, Interpretation

Intertextuality is central to the production and reception of translations. Yet the possibility of translating most foreign intertexts with any completeness or precision is so limited as to be virtually nonexistent. As a result, they are usually replaced by analogous but ultimately different intertextual relations in the receiving language. The creation of a receiving intertext permits a translation to be read with comprehension by translating-language readers. It also results in a disjunction between the foreign and translated texts, a proliferation of linguistic and cultural differences that are at once interpretive and interrogative. Intertextuality enables and complicates translation, preventing it from being an untroubled communication and opening the translated text to interpretive possibilities that vary with cultural constituencies in the receiving situation. To activate these possibilities and at the same time to improve the study and practice of translation, this article aims to theorize the relative autonomy of the translated text and to increase the self-consciousness of translators and readers of translations alike.

Knowledge translation in men’s health research: development and delivery of content for use online

Background: Men can be hard to reach with face-to-face health-related information, while increasingly, research shows that they are seeking health information from online sources. Recognizing this trend, there is merit in developing innovative online knowledge translation (KT) strategies capable of translating research on men’s health into engaging health promotion materials. While the concept of KT has become a new mantra for researchers wishing to bridge the gap between research evidence and improved health outcomes, little is written about the process, necessary skills, and best practices by which researchers can develop online knowledge translation.
Objective: Our aim was to illustrate some of the processes and challenges involved in, and potential value of, developing research knowledge online to promote men’s health.

Methods: We present experiences of KT across two case studies of men’s health. First, we describe a study that uses interactive Web apps to translate knowledge relating to Canadian men’s depression. Through a range of mechanisms, study findings were repackaged with the explicit aim of raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with men’s depression and/or help-seeking. Second, we describe an educational resource for teenage men about unintended pregnancy, developed for delivery in the formal Relationship and Sexuality Education school curricula of Ireland, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), and South Australia. The intervention is based around a Web-based interactive film drama entitled “If I Were Jack”.

Results: For each case study, we describe the KT process and strategies that aided development of credible and well-received online content focused on men’s health promotion. In both case studies, the original research generated the inspiration for the interactive online content and the core development strategy was working with a multidisciplinary team to develop this material through arts-based approaches. In both cases also, there is an acknowledgment of the need for gender and culturally sensitive information. Both aimed to engage men by disrupting stereotypes about men, while simultaneously addressing men through authentic voices and faces. Finally, in both case studies we draw attention to the need to think beyond placement of content online to delivery to target audiences from the outset.

Conclusions: The case studies highlight some of the new skills required by academics in the emerging paradigm of translational research and contribute to the nascent literature on KT. Our approach to online KT was to go beyond dissemination and diffusion to actively repackage research knowledge through arts-based approaches (videos and film scripts) as health promotion tools, with optimal appeal, to target male audiences. Our findings highlight the importance of developing a multidisciplinary team to inform the design of content, the importance of adaptation to context, both in terms of the national implementation context and consideration of gender-specific needs, and an integrated implementation and evaluation framework in all KT work.