Translation History and Culture: A Cultural Turn in Translation Studies by Susan Bassnett and André Lefevere
Translation History and Culture Susan Bassnett PDF Download
If you are interested in translation studies, you have probably heard of Susan Bassnett, one of the most influential scholars in the field. She is best known for her book Translation History and Culture, which she co-edited with André Lefevere in 1990. This book is a landmark in translation studies, as it introduced the cultural turn, a paradigm shift that challenged the traditional views of translation as a linguistic or textual activity. Instead, it proposed to study translation as a complex cultural phenomenon that involves history, politics, ideology, creativity, and power.
Translation History And Culture Susan Bassnett Pdf Download
In this article, we will explore what this book is about, why it is important, and how you can download it as a PDF file. We will also discuss the origins and development of translation studies, Susan Bassnett's contributions to the discipline, the main themes and topics of Translation History and Culture, its impact and relevance for translation studies and other fields, its reception and criticism, its legacy and influence, and its current and future challenges. By the end of this article, you will have a comprehensive overview of this seminal work on translation history and culture.
The Origins and Development of Translation Studies
Translation studies is a relatively young discipline that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws on linguistics, literature, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, psychology, communication, cultural studies, and other disciplines to study various aspects of translation theory and practice.
Translation studies can be divided into three main branches: descriptive translation studies (DTS), which focuses on describing how translations are produced, circulated, received, evaluated, etc.; prescriptive translation studies (PTS), which focuses on providing norms, rules, guidelines, etc. for translating; and applied translation studies (ATS), which focuses on solving practical problems related to translating.
Within these branches, there are different approaches or schools that have different perspectives or methods for studying translation. Some of these approaches or schools are:
The linguistic approach, which analyzes translation as a process or product of language transfer or equivalence.
The literary approach, which analyzes translation as a form or genre of literature or textuality.
The functionalist approach, which analyzes translation as a purposeful or communicative action that fulfills a specific function or skopos.
The hermeneutic approach, which analyzes translation as an interpretation or understanding of the meaning or message of the source text.
The sociological approach, which analyzes translation as a social or institutional practice that is influenced by various agents or factors.
The cultural approach, which analyzes translation as a cultural or intercultural phenomenon that involves the interaction or exchange of cultures or identities.
The Cultural Turn in Translation Studies
The cultural turn is one of the most significant and influential developments in translation studies. It refers to the shift from a linguistic or textual perspective to a cultural or intercultural perspective that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The cultural turn challenged the dominant paradigms of translation studies, such as the linguistic, literary, and functionalist approaches, and proposed new ways of conceptualizing and analyzing translation as a complex and dynamic cultural phenomenon.
The cultural turn was influenced by various theoretical and methodological currents, such as poststructuralism, postcolonialism, feminism, deconstruction, cultural studies, discourse analysis, etc. It also drew on various disciplines and fields, such as anthropology, sociology, history, politics, ideology, etc. The cultural turn opened up new horizons and possibilities for translation studies, as it expanded its scope and object of study, introduced new concepts and categories, raised new questions and issues, and generated new debates and controversies.
Susan Bassnett and Her Contributions to Translation Studies
Susan Bassnett is one of the leading figures of the cultural turn in translation studies. She is a British scholar who has been teaching and researching translation studies since the 1970s. She is currently a professor emerita at the University of Warwick and a professor of comparative literature at the University of Glasgow. She has also held various academic positions and roles in other institutions and organizations around the world.
Susan Bassnett has published extensively on various topics related to translation studies, such as comparative literature, literary translation, translation history, translation theory, translation criticism, translation pedagogy, etc. She has also translated several works from Italian, French, Spanish, and German into English. Some of her most influential and widely cited works are:
Translation Studies (1980), which is one of the first comprehensive introductions to the field of translation studies.
Comparative Literature: A Critical Introduction (1993), which explores the relationship between comparative literature and translation studies.
Constructing Cultures: Essays on Literary Translation (1998), which is a collection of essays on various aspects of literary translation from a cultural perspective.
Translation in Global News (2008), which examines how news is translated and disseminated across different media and languages.
Translation (2014), which is a concise overview of the main concepts and issues of translation studies.
The Main Themes and Topics of Translation History and Culture
Translation History and Culture is one of Susan Bassnett's most influential works. It is a collection of essays that she co-edited with André Lefevere, another prominent scholar of the cultural turn in translation studies. The book was published in 1990 by Pinter Publishers in London and New York. It consists of an introduction by Bassnett and Lefevere, followed by 12 chapters by different authors who explore various aspects of translation history and culture from different perspectives and disciplines.
The book aims to provide a new framework for studying translation history and culture that goes beyond the traditional approaches that focus on linguistic or textual aspects. It argues that translation history and culture should be understood as dynamic and interrelated processes that shape and reflect the evolution of human societies and civilizations. It also argues that translation history and culture should be studied not only from a synchronic or diachronic perspective but also from a systemic or polysystemic perspective that takes into account the multiple factors and agents that influence translation production, reception, evaluation, etc.
The book covers a wide range of themes and topics related to translation history and culture, such as:
Translation as a cultural phenomenon that involves the interaction or exchange of cultures or identities.
Translation as a historical process that changes over time and across contexts.
Translation as a political act that affects power relations and ideologies.
Translation as a creative practice that involves creativity and innovation.
Translation as a Cultural Phenomenon
Translation as a Historical Process
Another theme that the book explores is translation as a historical process that changes over time and across contexts. The book shows how translation history can reveal the social, cultural, political, and ideological transformations that have occurred in different periods and places. It also shows how translation history can illuminate the role and impact of translation in shaping and reflecting human history and culture.
The book provides various examples and case studies of translation history from different regions and eras, such as:
The translation of the Bible and its influence on the development of languages, literatures, and cultures.
The translation of Greek and Latin classics and their influence on the Renaissance and humanism.
The translation of Oriental texts and their influence on the Enlightenment and Orientalism.
The translation of modern literature and its influence on the formation of national and global cultures.
Translation as a Political Act
A third theme that the book examines is translation as a political act that affects power relations and ideologies. The book argues that translation is not a neutral or objective activity but a situated and motivated one that involves choices and consequences. It also argues that translation can be used as a tool or weapon for various purposes and interests, such as domination, resistance, manipulation, propaganda, censorship, etc.
The book analyzes various aspects and examples of translation politics, such as:
The power and authority of translators and their responsibility and ethics.
The role and function of translation in colonialism and postcolonialism.
The impact and implications of translation in feminism and gender studies.
The strategies and techniques of translation in ideology and discourse analysis.
Translation as a Creative Practice
A fourth theme that the book investigates is translation as a creative practice that involves creativity and innovation. The book challenges the conventional view of translation as a secondary or derivative activity that merely reproduces or imitates the source text. Instead, it proposes to view translation as a primary or original activity that produces or creates a new text. It also proposes to view translation as a dynamic or adaptive activity that responds or adjusts to different situations and demands.
The book explores various dimensions and examples of translation creativity, such as:
The aesthetics and poetics of translation and their relation to style, form, genre, etc.
The intertextuality and intermediality of translation and their relation to adaptation, rewriting, parody, etc.
The experimentation and innovation of translation and their relation to avant-garde, modernism, postmodernism, etc.
The hybridity and diversity of translation and their relation to multilingualism, multiculturalism, diaspora, etc.
The Impact and Relevance of Translation History and Culture
Translation History and Culture is a groundbreaking work that has had a profound impact and relevance for translation studies and other fields. It has been widely recognized as one of the founding texts of the cultural turn in translation studies. It has also been widely cited, reviewed, discussed, debated, criticized, praised, etc. by scholars from different disciplines and backgrounds. It has also inspired further research and publications on various topics related to translation history and culture.
The Reception and Criticism of the Book
The book has received mixed reception and criticism from different perspectives and disciplines. Some of the positive aspects and comments that have been made about the book are:
It is a pioneering and innovative work that opened up new horizons and possibilities for translation studies.
It is a comprehensive and diverse work that covers a wide range of themes and topics related to translation history and culture.
It is an interdisciplinary and dialogic work that bridges the gap between translation studies and other fields and disciplines.
It is a provocative and challenging work that raises important questions and issues for translation theory and practice.
Some of the negative aspects and comments that have been made about the book are:
It is a biased and ideological work that promotes a certain agenda or perspective on translation history and culture.
It is a vague and inconsistent work that lacks a clear definition or framework for translation history and culture.
It is a selective and partial work that ignores or overlooks other aspects or perspectives on translation history and culture.
It is a dated and outdated work that does not reflect the current state or developments of translation studies.
The Legacy and Influence of the Book
The book has left a lasting legacy and influence on the field of translation studies and beyond. It has become a classic and reference work that is widely used and taught in various courses and programs on translation studies. It has also become a source and inspiration for many scholars and researchers who have continued to explore and expand the themes and topics of translation history and culture. It has also become a catalyst and stimulus for many projects and initiatives that have aimed to promote and disseminate translation history and culture.
Some of the examples of the legacy and influence of the book are:
The establishment of the Centre for Translation Studies (CETRA) at the University of Leuven in Belgium in 1989, which was co-founded by André Lefevere and which organizes an annual summer school on translation studies.
The publication of the series Topics in Translation by Multilingual Matters in 1991, which was initiated by Susan Bassnett and which features various volumes on different aspects of translation studies.
The publication of the journal The Translator by St. Jerome Publishing in 1995, which was co-edited by Susan Bassnett and which focuses on various issues related to translation theory, practice, history, culture, etc.
The publication of the book The Routledge Companion to Translation Studies by Routledge in 2009, which was edited by Jeremy Munday and which includes a chapter by Susan Bassnett on translation history.
The Current and Future Challenges for Translation History and Culture
The book has also posed some current and future challenges for translation history and culture. It has highlighted some of the gaps and limitations of the book itself and of the field of translation studies in general. It has also suggested some of the directions and opportunities for further research and development on translation history and culture.
Some of the challenges that the book has raised are:
How to define and delimit translation history and culture in a clear and consistent way.
How to collect and analyze data and evidence on translation history and culture in a systematic and rigorous way.
How to deal with the complexity and diversity of translation history and culture in a comprehensive and balanced way.
How to account for the dynamics and changes of translation history and culture in a flexible and adaptive way.
Some of the opportunities that the book has opened are:
How to explore and integrate new perspectives and approaches on translation history and culture from other disciplines and fields.
How to incorporate and utilize new technologies and tools for studying and presenting translation history and culture.
How to engage and collaborate with different stakeholders and audiences for promoting and disseminating translation history and culture.
How to contribute and respond to the current and future needs and challenges of translation theory and practice in relation to translation history and culture.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed what Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett is about, why it is important, and how you can download it as a PDF file. We have also discussed the origins and development of translation studies, Susan Bassnett's contributions to the discipline, the main themes and topics of Translation History and Culture, its impact and relevance for translation studies and other fields, its reception and criticism, its legacy and influence, and its current and future challenges.
We hope that this article has given you a comprehensive overview of this seminal work on translation history and culture. We also hope that it has sparked your interest and curiosity to learn more about this fascinating and important topic. If you want to read the book yourself, you can download it as a PDF file from this link: https://www.academia.edu/379728/Translation_History_and_Culture. You can also find other works by Susan Bassnett and other scholars on translation history and culture on various online platforms and databases.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett:
Who is Susan Bassnett?
Susan Bassnett is a British scholar who is one of the leading figures of the cultural turn in translation studies. She has published extensively on various topics related to translation studies, such as comparative literature, literary translation, translation history, translation theory, translation criticism, translation pedagogy, etc. She has also translated several works from different languages into English.
What is the cultural turn in translation studies?
The cultural turn is a paradigm shift that occurred in translation studies in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It refers to the shift from a linguistic or textual perspective to a cultural or intercultural perspective on translation. It challenged the traditional views of translation as a linguistic or textual activity and proposed to study translation as a complex cultural phenomenon that involves history, politics, ideology, creativity, and power.
What is Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett?
Translation History and Culture is a collection of essays that Susan Bassnett co-edited with André Lefevere in 1990. It is a landmark work in translation studies, as it introduced the cultural turn in the field. It explores various aspects of translation history and culture from different perspectives and disciplines. It argues that translation history and culture should be understood as dynamic and interrelated processes that shape and reflect the evolution of human societies and civilizations.
Why is Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett important?
Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett is important because it is one of the founding texts of the cultural turn in translation studies. It has had a profound impact and relevance for translation studies and other fields. It has expanded the scope and object of study of translation studies, introduced new concepts and categories, raised new questions and issues, and generated new debates and controversies. It has also inspired further research and publications on translation history and culture.
How can I download Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett as a PDF file?
You can download Translation History and Culture by Susan Bassnett as a PDF file from this link: https://www.academia.edu/379728/Translatio