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Article published In: FORUM
Vol. 22:2 (2024) ► pp.280–299

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Some coordinates for mapping a literary translation activism

ORCiD logo with link | Kent State University
Published online: 5 August 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/forum.23022.was
Abstract
Translation and activism have been closely linked in the scholarly discourse. It is hard to parse out, however, the goals and contours of a specifically literary translation activism (LTA), particularly as it may intersect with literary activism, literary advocacy, and other forms of praxis. What constitutes an act of literary translation activism? And what forms are literary translation activism taking, and how does a text become activist? The answers have implications for literary translators’ self-concept, agency, and identity construction as well as the ethics involved. LTA is manifested in prizegiving, framing, choice of language, adapting, choosing texts (or even refusing translation), translation strategy, memorializing, heightening status, ‘reinventing’ literary affiliation, and changemaking or awareness-raising for extraliterary causes. After taking stock of some of literary translation activism’s forms and even caveats, I draw some paths for a pedagogy of LTA, which can play a constitutive role in drawing the field’s boundaries.
Résumé
La traduction et l’activisme ont été étroitement liés dans le discours scientifique. Il est cependant difficile de définir clairement les objectifs et les contours d’un activisme de traduction spécifiquement littéraire (« LTA »), surtout lorsqu’il croise l’activisme littéraire, la défense de la littérature et d’autres formes de praxis. Qu’est-ce qui constitue un acte d’activisme dans la traduction littéraire ? Et quelles formes prend l’activisme en matière de traduction littéraire, et comment un texte devient-il activiste ? Les réponses à ces questions ont des implications sur le concept de soi, l’agentivité et la construction de l’identité des traducteurs littéraires ainsi que sur les enjeux éthiques. LTA se manifeste par la remise de prix, le cadrage, le choix de la langue, l’adaptation, la sélection des textes (ou même le refus de traduction), la stratégie de traduction, la commémoration, l’élévation du statut, la « réinvention » de l’affiliation littéraire et la promotion du changement ou la sensibilisation à des causes extra-littéraires. Après avoir examiné certaines formes du militantisme dans la traduction littéraire, ainsi que les points de vigilance qui y sont associés, je propose des pistes pour une pédagogie de la LTA, qui peut jouer un rôle constitutif dans la délimitation des frontières du domaine.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literary activism
  • 3.Literary translation activism
  • 4.Activist texts, source and target, choice and birthright
  • 5.A pedagogy for activism
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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