The Scandals of Translation

Provocative and controversial, The Scandals of Translation explores the anxious relationships between translation and the institutions that at once need it and marginalize it. Lawrence Venuti, a professional translator, argues that prevalent concepts of authorship degrade translation in literary scholarship and underwrite its unfavorable definition in copyright law. Exposing myriad abuses, Venuti provides stinging critiques of institutions such as the Modern Language Association for its neglect of translation, as well as publishers for their questionable treatment of translators. From Bible translation in the early Christian Church to translations of modern Japanese novels, Venuti reveals the social effects of translated text and works towards the formulation of an ethics that enables translations to be written, read and evaluated with greater respect for linguistic and cultural differences.

Lawrence Venuti is professor of English at Temple University, Philadelphia.