The translator’s social environments: an interdisciplinary coexistence of Translation and Sociological Studies

Abstract

Sociological approaches to translation have been developed on the theoretical basis that translation is an activity that is closely affected by social parametres. Gambier, in his article “Pour une sociotraduction” (2006) stresses that the problem regarding the interrelationship between Translation and Sociology dates back to the establishment of Translation Studies as a scientific field. In addition, Toury (1999) claims that translation is mostly a socio-cultural activity stressing the nature of norms as social categories that are crucial factors in the socialization process of translation. The aim of this paper is to examine the connection between the scientific domain of Translation with Sociology and its impact on the practice of translation. In other words, it intends to offer a framework of reflection on the applications of sociological theories to the translation process and pose basic questions on the nature of translation as “a socially - oriented activity” (Hermans, 1997). Such an approach aims at investigating the implications of the social role of the translator for translator training. At first, the interdisciplinary nature of translation is discussed, mainly in relation to Sociological Studies. Within this framework, some basic sociological theories that had an impact on Translation Studies and the translation phenomenon are briefly analyzed. The research also touches upon the issue of how to integrate the social dimension of translation into translator training programs so that students get sensitized regarding the translator’s role as a “social mediator”. More specifically, some methodological approaches on how to teach the notion of socialization of translation in a translator training program have been suggested. The main conclusion that is drawn is that the social element cannot be regarded as detached from the translation phenomenon. This implies that if we neglect social practices, the branch within Translation Studies called “Sociology of translation” will simply outsource the problem of methodology.