Introduction

Translations, like the literature in any language, are also rooted in the particular socio-cultural context in which they are engendered. The choice of text to be translated, the translation strategy used, the purpose of translation – all are determined by the circumstances in which a translation is born. Another factor that plays an important role is the ideology of the translator herself. So, like literary trends, the dominant trends in translation practice can be linked to the socio-cultural contexts in which they are produced. Lawrence Venuti who discussed the ‘invisibility’ of the translator in Anglo-American culture has also discussed the various translation strategies that are used by translators at different points of time. He points out that the emphasis on fluency and transparent discourse are products of the dominant discourse of the times, which is a fact that most mainstream histories of translation would not mention. His argument is that the impulse to translate smoothly hides the desire to build up and preserve a ‘nationalist’ literature that is homogeneous and tends to downplay pluralities. Some of the questions that Venuti asks are: “What domestic values has transparent discourse at once inscribed and masked in foreign texts during its long domination? How has transparency shaped the canon of foreign literatures in English and the cultural identities of English-language nations?” (The Translator’s Invisibility 40). What Venuti is essentially doing is pointing out the strong connection that the translator has with the prevailing discourse of the times in which he writes, and how it influences the way in which he translates.

Venuti’s concepts of domestication and foreignization in translation form the basis of his argument. Domestication or adapting the source text to the target language readership ensures fluency. Foreignization or retaining the essential foreign qualities of the source text in the translation, allows the reader to understand the flavor of the original source text, but this would be at the cost of fluency. Venuti points out that these strategies have been used by translators at various points of time, not without a reason. An analysis of these strategies in the contexts they have been used will yield an alternative history of translation.