Translation in Society - Volume 4, Issue 1, 2025

Abstract

Travelling concepts have always been vital to, and welcomed by, translation studies. In fact, they have enabled the discipline’s formation. However, even though travelling concepts such as role, culture, and norms are of vital importance to translation studies, conceptual engagement has, paradoxically, not really been put centre-stage in the discipline. This introductory paper will delineate the (historical) reasons for this status quo, explain why increased engagement with concepts is important for translation studies, and highlight the various ways in which deepened conceptual engagement will benefit the discipline. This paper thus provides a framework for, and an introduction to, a total of five papers that all explore either travelling concepts that made their way into translation studies, or translation as a travelling concept in neighbouring disciplines or fields of research. All of the contributions underline the need to engage seriously with concepts and to undertake the demanding task of engaging with the disciplines that regard a given concept as foundational. The papers assembled in this special issue show the benefits of such conceptual heavy work, or, conversely, the detrimental effects that a lack of serious engagement with concepts can have for translation studies and beyond. Thus, this introduction also doubles as a manifesto for foregrounding the concepts we use and treating them as objects of research in their own right.

Abstract

It is common in translation studies (TS) to present research as a case study. Even though the phrase frequently figures in titles, the prominence of the case study label seldom corresponds to an explanation of required characteristics. Concerns regarding the bounding of cases, as well as reflections on the validity of particular interpretations, are often not subjected to explicit methodological reflection. This results in a discipline-internal complication, namely the impossibility of determining what is not a case study, and in a discipline-external lack of communicability: if the case study label is not predictive of an identifiable approach, this diminishes the incentive for researchers from other disciplines to productively engage with insights from TS. The article articulates those issues and concludes with suggestions for an enhanced meta-descriptive apparatus that can support transparent communication about the constitution and circulation of cases within the field and beyond.

Abstract

A historical turn has taken place in translation studies (TS) lately and this study aims to examine the existence of a translational turn within conceptual history (CH). To this aim, it seeks to comprehend the evolution of the concept of translation, which is prone to interdisciplinary migration, within the discipline of CH. A conceptual historian investigates past experiences or expectations, how they have been transformed into concepts, and situates them within their historical context. This type of research typically focuses on languages and necessitates temporal and spatial transferences within or between them, inherently involving the phenomenon of translation. Since the establishment of the discipline, numerous scholars have referred to the concept of translation as a metaphorical, philosophical and practical issue by discussing the task of historians, translatability or translation of concepts and historical materials. The objective of this study is to deepen interdisciplinary dialogue by offering a structured presentation of these references, which are predominantly scattered across CH.

Abstract

Despite longstanding calls for more transdisciplinary dialogue, there is still much to be gained from a closer collaboration between translation and organisation studies scholars. In this paper, we discuss how insights from translation studies can help advance cross-language research in organisation studies. We demonstrate how translation studies can provide valuable theoretical approaches, as well as concrete conceptual and methodological tools, to enrich the study of the movement and transformation of ideas and practices across cultures and languages. We also unpack how the nuanced approaches to translation developed in translation studies can be used to enhance what we call ‘translatorial awareness’ in organisation studies. This has significant implications for scholars, not only for designing, conducting and reporting cross-language research but also for theorising. We conclude by suggesting how translation studies scholars might seek motivation from our paper to engage in transdisciplinary work with organisation studies scholars and other social science disciplines.

Abstract

This paper explores the role of translation and mediation in bridging the gaps between medicine, health care and the social sciences. It considers translation in two complementary ways: (1) interlingual translation, focusing on linguistic and cultural equivalence as traditionally understood in translation studies (TS), and (2) intergeneric or heterofunctional translation, referring to the transfer of information across genres and disciplines, particularly in the context of knowledge translation (KT). Translation is essential in medical and health-care settings, facilitating communication between researchers, clinicians, patients, policy makers, and other stakeholders, especially in multilingual and multicultural societies. The paper draws on concepts from KT and TS, including genre, context and participants, to analyze the role of translation in two emerging fields: translational medicine (TM) and narrative medicine (NM). It argues that translation not only transfers knowledge, but also shapes and constructs it, in line with sociological perspectives on scientific writing as a representational and knowledge-constructing tool. By integrating insights from TS with the medical humanities, this study highlights the importance of translation as a means of knowledge mediation and social connectivity in health care. The discussion is conducted holistically, emphasizing the interconnectedness of translation, mediation and knowledge transfer in shaping medical and health-care practices.

Abstract

The concept of globalisation emerged in Translation Studies (TS) in the early 2000s, driven by works such as Cronin’s Translation and Globalization (2003) and Esperança Bielsa’s contributions (2005, 2007). However, despite a surge of initial interest, the discipline has not consistently engaged with recent globalisation theories or global studies, but has rather focused on the use of theories, such as Even-Zohar’s or Bourdieu’s, that were elaborated either before or outside discussions on globalisation. This article proposes integrating Arjun Appadurai’s cultural globalisation theory into TS, focusing on global literary translation flows. Appadurai’s theory introduces five scapes — ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, financescapes, and ideoscapes — that represent different dimensions of global culture and whose connections and disjunctures offer productive exploration sites in TS. This article identifies areas where Appadurai’s scapes can expand and invigorate translation research, such as the impact of technoscapes on book distribution in an algorithmic era, financescapes on translation promotion, and ideoscapes on institutional translation policies. By integrating these scapes this article aims to explore multifaceted translation processes and highlight new potential research avenues in TS.

This article reviews The Complexity of Social-Cultural Emergence

This article reviews Translation Flows: Exploring Networks of People, Processes and Products