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Article published In: Target
Vol. 20:1 (2008) ► pp.135–149

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A missing link in Itamar Even-Zohar’s theoretical thinking

 | Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Published online: 26 May 2008
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https://doi.org/10.1075/target.20.1.08cha
According to Itamar Even-Zohar, for a large social entity to be maintained, a culture repertoire must be invented to create internal cohesion and external differentiation, and from this repertoire certain items are chosen to build a collective identity. In contrast, imported items, if regarded as threats to this identity, may meet with resistance. This theory may shed light on Even-Zohar’s hypotheses that the “normal” position assumed by translated literature in the literary polysystem tends to be a peripheral one, and that translation tends towards acceptability when it is at the periphery.
Résumé
Selon Itamar Even-Zohar, le maintien d’une large entité sociale réclame l’invention d’un répertoire culturel apte à créer de la cohésion interne et de la différenciation externe ; dans ce répertoire, certaines composantes seraient choisies en vue de la construction d’une identité collective. Par contraste, des composantes importées particulières pourraient se heurter à des résistances lorsqu’elles sont perçues comme une menace pour cette identité. Une telle théorie pourrait éclairer l’hypothèse selon laquelle la position “normale” de la littérature traduite dans le polysystème littéraire tend à périphérique, ainsi que l’hypothèse selon laquelle la traduction en position périphérique se rapproche du pôle de l’acceptabilité.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.Culture repertoire, cohesion and cultural identity
  • 2.Cultural resistance to imported repertoires
  • 3.Imported items as cultural goods and cultural tools
  • 4.Even-Zohar’s two hypotheses again
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Note
  • References
References (39)
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