Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (Paperback)

The second section of the encyclopedia is novel and interesting because it examines traditions of translation in several different languages and countries. Translation itself has been treated differently depending on the target language, receiving more respect in some cultures, less in others. Different cultural expectations are presented: some cultures demanding more literal translations, others have a history of promoting more conceptual translations that are not necessarily verbatim. The latter accept that the translation must be the translator’s interpretation, and translators even compete with the original authors in some traditions.

With this encyclopedia, one may easily familiarize oneself with the different aspects of translation studies as well as acquaint oneself with major figures in translation studies and pick out interesting topics to examine more in-depth. Baker has brought together such impressive names as Umberto Eco, Theo Hermans, Louis Kelly, and Judith Woodsworth to essentially define this new discipline and give it greater legitimacy by presenting it in some coherent fashion. Not surprisingly, since more than 90 authors from over 30 countries collaborated on this project, the articles demonstrate variety in style; however, each entry in both sections is highly readable, of manageable length, and convenient for either skimming or reading thoroughly. Information is super-simple to find because the index is extensive and all entries are highly crossed reference, making acquaintanceship with this new field a pleasure. Those already working in the field will be pleased with the suggestions for future research and the ample 55-page bibliography. Categorization, alphabetization, and illumination all make the book and thus the field accessible to neophytes while simultaneously serving the needs of professionals.

Although, particularly in the west, translation has often been regarded as one of the more lowly academic professions associated with the simplicity of the grammar exercises employed in language acquisition, translation studies is not only helping to get more respect for translators, but also to improve understanding of cultural differences and both the methods and effects of colonialism. This reference book, essential for any academic library supporting studies in the fields of comparative literature, linguistics, of course, translation studies, is a thorough introductory source to almost every aspect of the field.

The best aspect of the book is the fact that the original authors have not been allowed to write synopses of their own studies, but they've been written by others. This yields two positive results: a) the discourses are far straighter this way, and intelligible b) the reader gets two authorities in the same package (or two "voices"), porque in an open debate two authorities only tend to argue against each other.

Read the book if you aspire to do something in the field of translation studies. Read especially Michael Cronin's contribution on Game Theory. That will be the undercurrent of the future of the discipline. Jirï Levý rules , or ruled. Or started something that he couldn't finish (!).