Translation Studies Diary of June 14, 2024

I would like to talk about Jacques Derrida's influence on translation studies.

He was a French philosopher who gave a significant turn to the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, linguistics, and literature. He promoted a philosophy of 'Deconstruction', which questioned assumptions of the Western philosophical tradition.

In translation studies, he rejected Saussure's clear distinction between 'signified' and 'signifier', that is 'what is signified' and 'what signifies'. The notion of deconstruction suggests that meaning is at some uncertain point. The term 'Différance' is perhaps the most significant, which plays on the two meanings of the French verb différer (defer and differ). With this term he expressed that meaning is always shifting and ambiguous. The relationship between words and meanings is not always clear, but is subject to transitions and delays.

This is also at odds with the assumption in translation practice, namely that there is a clear writer's intention behind the text, and that the translator can express that intention in another language. Deconstruction suggested that there are no clear guidelines for translation. They need to take risks and experiment in translation.