Impact of translation trends
This trend towards English books that we see in the Anglo-American world indicates a smug belief in the superiority of English and an unwillingness to acknowledge or receive different cultures. Even as Anglophone readers read the English translation of a foreign work, the emphasis on the quality of fluency makes sure that they are not made aware of the ‘foreignness’ of the work they are reading. As Venuti puts it, these fluent translations “invisibly inscribe foreign texts with English-language values and provide readers with the narcissistic experience of recognizing their own culture in a cultural other” (15). Irritating differences are smoothed over and readers are made to feel that they are reading a work in their own language.
Perhaps the strategy that a translator can adopt to counter the domesticating trend is ‘foreignization’ or the strategy that Schleiermacher advocated. This would carry over the peculiarities of the foreign language to the target reader, without letting her forget that she is reading a translation. But this will not result in smooth and readable texts, and does not agree with the profit motive behind book publication and selling.
Publishers driven by the logic of the marketplace encourage the publication of ‘smooth’ translations. The translation like all other books becomes a commodity to be sold. Unfortunately the logic is dictated by the Anglo-American world and works to the disadvantage of other languages. The translator becomes an invisible figure in this power play which has English as the dominant language. As Venuti points out: “Behind the translator’s invisibility is a trade imbalance that underwrites this domination [of English], but also decreases the cultural capital of foreign values in English by limiting the number of foreign texts translated and submitting them to domesticating revision” (17). Translation here becomes a replication of global power politics at play
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