Notes from our class discussion on mapping ideas

General Observations:
1. Challenges of reading theory; usefulness of concrete examples of translations to help illustrate theoretical problems.
2. Utopian Theorists of Translation and mystical notions of language: Benjamin; Gasset y Ortega
3. Anthropological views of language; cultural influences in languages (how do we link study of culture and study of language/translation?)
4. What is and isn't translateable? Meaning of words; emotional content
5. What gets translated is the 'gaps': see Benjamin 756 'underneath language are intentions' and 'pure language comes from harmony of various modes of intention'); Ortega & Gasset 104 'translating silences' and the secrets of those silences.
6. Translation across cultures: "Treacherous Translation" (Suh, 172) and Benjamin (81)
7. Purpose of language: Paz 157; Rabassa 4; Ortega y Gasset 101; Innis 110
8. 'Spirit' vs Literal translation... which is more important? Benjamin 71; Ortega y Gasset 110; Bonnefoy 188; Sheer 239 and footnote on 243;Xuanmin 47; Nabakov 127 and 134-5
9. Can everything be translated? Paz 155; Ortega y Gasset 102; Benjamin 72; Derrida 178; Innis 113; Bonnefoy 186
10. Translation as cultural change: Xuomain and Suh
11. Purpose of Translation: Benjamin 80; Paz 158
12. Things to consider: Nabokov 137; Rabassa 10; Wang 410; Felstiner 100
13. Deficiencies of language: Rabassa 2-3; OyG 103; Innis
14. Translation is possible and desireable: OyG 108; Schleiermacher 52 vs Translation is not possible: Schogt 194
15. French is a terrible language: OyG 112
16. Good translation warps the target language.
17. Analyzing Understanding through not understanding (radical translation and interpretation (Chinese authors); unspeakable or unsaid; concrete ideas v abstract
18. Cultural lens of translation (examples from reading: Merchant of Venice, Korean play into Japanese; translating phrases from Craft)
19. Shiloh's themes: General Translation; spriritual transl; philosophy of transl; linguistics in transl.
20. Big picture themes: Purpose of transl; culture and transl;
21. Understanding transl through examples that we don't really understand
22. Failures or deficiencies of language.


Specific Authors:

Vigorito: How much would this book be different if these words weren't used?; Can the mind alter language, does language alter the mind (101); people learning slang terms; slang terms becoming commonplace and falling into general use by everyone (208)

Pinsky

Schleiermacher

Derrida

Luo

Scherr (on Gasparov): Balance or dichotomy between literal and figurative language; index of exactness and index of freedom (245)

Benjamin: page 756 'underneath language are intentions' and 'pure language comes from harmony of various modes of intention'; Translation across cultures (81); What is translation for? (71); quote from Pannwitz, "The basic error of the translator is that he preserves the state in which his own language happens to be instead of allowing his language to be powerfully affected by the foreign tongue."; "Rather, all suprahistorical kinship of languages rests as a whole -- an intention, however, which no single lanugage can attain by itself but which is realized only by the totalit of their intentions, supplementing each otehr: pure language" (75); who is translation for? (71;

Ortega y Gasset: Translating silences (104); We think in a certain language O&G 107; Stretching target and original languages O&G 108, 112; Diggability/creative style creates problems in translation OyG 96

Paz

Felstiner

Nabokov

Bonnefoy

Rabassa: Dog does not equal Cobaka or Cane or perro or chien

Innis: quote from Gadamer on page 112; Translation as a moving horizon 112

Wang & Zhang;

Suh: Translation across cultures (172);

Jakobson: Language and culture (144)

Schogt

Tokowicz & Kroll