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Article published In: Target
Vol. 22:2 (2010) ► pp.298–329

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Translation historiography in the Modern World

Modernization and translation into Persian

 | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Published online: 12 January 2011
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https://doi.org/10.1075/target.22.2.06aza
Nearly all scholarly works about the encounter of Iran with European modernity emphasize the role of translation not only in introducing new literary forms into the Persian literary system, but also in becoming the main engine of change and modernization of the culture. This paper concerns itself with this constructivist narrative of the available historiographical discourse and the translational environment between 1851 and 1921 in Iran. After describing the field of translation in the period in question, I challenge the uncritical conception of translation as a positive force by, on the one hand, investigating hypothetical cultural and linguistic implications, and on the other hand, questioning the power of translation per se, as ascribed to it in the above mentioned historiographical discourse, in socio-cultural modernization. This will prioritize the individual and cultural translational effects over the supposed institutional ones.
Résumé
Presque toutes les études consacrées à la rencontre entre l’Iran et lamodernité européenne mettent en relief le rôle de la traduction en tant quevecteur des formes littéraires nouvelles au sein du système littérairepersan mais aussi en tant que moteur principal du changement et plusprécisément de la modernisation de la culture. Cet article s’attachesuccessivement au récit constructiviste du discours historiographique encours et à l’environnement traductif entre 1851 et 1921 en Iran. Après avoirdécrit l’univers de la traduction pendant la période citée, j’interroge laconception peu critique de la traduction comme une force positive: d’unepart, il s’agit d’examiner de près les hypothétiques implicationsculturelles et linguistiques de la traduction ; d’autre part, il s’agit demettre en question l’impact de la traduction en soi sur la modernisationsocio-culturelle, un pouvoir qui lui est attribué dans le discourshistoriographique ambiant. Cette mise en question privilégiera les effetstraductifs individuels et culturels par rapport aux effets institutionnelssupposés.
Article outline
  • 1.Translation studies in Iran and the Persian language
  • 2.The unanimous agreement
  • 3.Problems and inadequacies
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (33)
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