Week 6 Blog

In "Translation Studies," Venuti outlines the key problems that are faced by practitioners in the field of translation studies. These issues include equivalence and shifts, cultural systems and norms, and ethics and politics. Venuti’s article is broken down into sections focusing on each of these critical elements. He explores the works of prominent scholars in the field in order to provide a roadmap of further research that might take place in order to advance the field (Venuti, 308). He addresses his audience as scholarly kin in an attempt to forge a relationship founded on the appreciation of interdisciplinary research as it pertains to English Studies.

Venuti’s article struck me as posing a question of virtue. The process of trying to define what is virtuous or noble directly mirrors one of the challenges posed in this article: What is accurate/accessible/good translation? Neither argument has a concrete solution. Should good translations be accurate to author intent? True to spirit or word? Not to get too Derrid-ish, but can there even be such a thing as an accurate translation? If everything fluctuates based on how the centre interacts with the periphery and the periphery (society/norms/etc) can never be constant/defined, then what exactly are we looking for? How can we establish a criterion for what is virtuous or for what is an accurate translation? With all of the different factors at play in translation, even in just defining the term, Venuti’s call for an interdisciplinary approach to research seems logical. Human nature creates this need that we have to compartmentalize (or binar-ize) everything we read, see, do, and hear, but to what end? And through what means? Venuti’s directive to begin researching popular cultural mediums like film, advertisements, and video games is to begin again this never-ending process of attempting to attach language to something that we don't even have the capacity to name! I guess that's just what we do...How many other professions can you never really be wrong about anything and make a case for everything in?! I love it.