Impact of the theory
What is the influence of post-structuralist theories on translation? The major influence was felt in the rethinking about the concepts of text, author and meaning. If translation theory is not very obsessed about fidelity, then it is in part due to the post-structuralist theories that swept the literary world. However, it also gave rise to the feeling that a text can yield multiple meanings, and that any far-fetched meaning is relevant. The meticulous detailing of translation methodology given by Derrida above, is also an answer to those who criticize him and his theory for allowing too much freedom for interpretation. It demonstrates that it is wrong to assume that one can interpret a text in far-fetched and outlandish ways using the theory of deconstruction and get away with it. If this is true, then translation would mean a free-for-all where texts can be translated in whichever way one wants. However it is clear that Derrida’s concepts do not allow for such anarchic freedom. It just liberates the word from the tyranny of a fixed meaning and allows it to play out its possibilities, but within certain limits. With the help of this theory, the translator does not have to be a menial who has to be in bondage to the source text, but can be a creator who samples, chooses and uses words to create another text with a life of its own.
Assignments
- What was the contribution of poststructuralist theories to the concepts of language and meaning?
- How do these theories alter the traditional concepts of translation?
References
Derrida, Jacques. “What is a “Relevant” Translation?”. Trans. Lawrence Venuti. Critical Inquiry.Vol. 27, No. 2 (Winter, 2001), pp. 174-200.
Gentzler, Edwin. Contemporary Translation Theories. Second revised edition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2001. |
