Language Theory and Translation Practice

Abstract

The reason l chose the title "Language theory and translation practice" was to suggest, not that there is no theory of translation, but that the concept of translation theory is problematic: it means a different thing to a translator from what it means to us who work in linguistics. lf you are a translator, a theory of translation relates to how you ~ translate - how best to achieve a good and effective translation. lt tends to be normativa and evaluative; whereas what is referred to in linguistics as "theory of translation" is not about how you should translate but about what happens when you do translate. Specifically, what will interest us is the question of ~; and choice involves what is possible, and within what is possible, what is more and less likely. And the notion of choice has its own further implications.