The need for translation and the development of Traductology. History of its development
Abstract
The paper begins with an introduction which describes the double function of translation: the communicative function, as a means of comprehension between peoples and cultures; and the function of safeguarding one's own language when communication is impossible because the other language is unknown, or when one's own language is in a situation of inferiority. In this sense translation plays an important role in the normalization of minority languages: for this reason it is the responsibility of the authorities to promote it as a democratic instrument of communication and as a safeguard, as well as ensuring its quality, as poor translatins en d up causing problems to the target language.
After the introduction, the writer provides a historical overview of traductology and of its major achievements until the present time when it has expanded inmensely, with obvious consequences for the training of translation and for theoretical reflection on the activity of translating.
The article then reviews the various theories that have arisen through history, showing how they revived around two major discussion points: translatability (or lack of it) and faithfulness to the original, without solving the basic problems. Thus, it was not until the second half of the 20th century, coinciding with the growth in the world of translating, that the first systematic attempts at theonzing were to be found.
After a brief overview of these efforts, the author proposes to classify them depending on whether they treat translating as 1) an interlinguistic operation, 2) an intercultural operation, 3) an intertextual operation.
At the present time, a new way of analyzing the act of translating has been proposed, whereby all the elements involved int the act are taken into account on the basis of its textual nature.According to the author the starting point has to be the consideration that translating is a textual activity, but at the same time a communicative act and an activity of the subject. Thus, it is not only the mechanisms of textual change that have to be studied, but also the elements involved in the communicative act and the mental processes set in motion by the subject-translator.
The advances achieved over the last few years have brought about greater acquaintance with the act of translating and have led to the birth of a new discipline, traductology, in spite of the existence of different approaches. the development of this discipline is running parallel to the growing need for and development of translation in present-day society as a vital element of communication between peoples and to safeguard one's own language and culture.
