Liberating Translation III: Translating Liberty, Liberty in Translation

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

As the third panel in the “Liberating Translation” stream, this panel investigates the relationship between translation and liberty through theoretical and practical analyses of translators’ agency and the concepts of liberty and liberties in translation. Russel Scott Valentino’s paper establishes a theoretical framework by introducing the notion of a hierarchy of constraints in translation, reevaluating assumptions about the ease of translating into one’s native language. David Cooper explores non-altering translation, challenging traditional perspectives by examining instances where the essence of source language material is retained. Transitioning to practical challenges, Julia Trubikhina focuses on translating contemporary Russian poetry and fiction into English, introducing the “length of context” concept to explore the delicate balance between liberty and fidelity. In turn, Eugeniia Kelbert’s paper explores self-translation as a writing mode, employing theoretical and close reading strategies to studying the negotiation between translation and original composition. All four presenters address the creative potential of translation as a space where liberty and creative expression intersect and evolve.

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Hannu Kemppanen, U of Eastern Finland (Finland)

Papers

• Liberty and Hierarchies of Constraints: Explaining Why Translating into One’s L1 is So Much Easier - Russell Scott Valentino, Indiana U Bloomington

• Moving across without Altering: Forms and Strategies of Non-translation - David L. Cooper, U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Liberty and Its Limits in Translating Contemporary Poetry and Fiction: The Practical Issues - Julia Trubikhina, CUNY Hunter College

• Translingualism, Translation, and Original Writing in Self-Translation: Towards a Theoretical Approach - Eugenia Kelbert, Institute of World Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences