Science in Translation

Special Issue of The Translator, Volume 17, Number 2, 2011

Despite the crucial role played by translation in the history of scientific ideas and the transmission of knowledge, historians of science (with a few notable exceptions) are seldom interested in the translation activity which both enabled the spread of those ideas and exerted influence on structures and systems of knowledge themselves. Moreover, translation scholars have traditionally turned to literary texts in the development of theories of translation and in their empirical analyses, and have engaged little with studies of scientific language. Thus, there continues to be a dearth of research on the translation of science. A shift away from a notion of scientific knowledge as universal and neutral has led to diverse approaches which treat knowledge as locally contingent and socially constructed and to conceptions of science as public culture, as institution, as narrative, as rhetorical practice, as shifts of paradigm, etc. These perspectives on science, as well as the corresponding critiques of cognitive or epistemological relativism and the ensuing debates, encourage a fresh look at scientific translation and open the way for research on the translation of science to be informed by studies of discourse, rhetoric, narrative, ideology, etc. or to take conceptual and methodological inspiration from the sociology of science, the history of science, the philosophy of science and related fields. The editors invite contributions offering theoretical and empirical perspectives on any theme relevant to the translation and the translators/interpreters of science. These may include studies of: · the translation of science in a particular epistemological, social, cultural or historical context · issues of ideology, power or ethics in the communication of science and its translation · the reception and use of scientific translations · the translation of features of scientific discourse or scientific rhetoric · the imagery of science and its translation · interpreting in scientific contexts · the translation of science fiction or representations of science in other genres · the translation of popular science Abstracts of approximately 500 words should be submitted by 1 December 2009 to the editors (contact details below). Selected papers of 6,000 to 9,000 words will be required by 1 August 2010. Key Dates 1 December 2009: Deadline for submission of abstracts (500 words) 1 February 2010: Selected contributors notified of acceptance of abstracts 1 August 2010: Deadline for submission of papers (6,000-9,000 words) 1 December 2010: Confirmation of acceptance of papers 1 February 2011: Deadline for submission of final, revised versions of papers November 2011: Publication of volume Editors’ Contact Details Dr Maeve Olohan Centre for Translation and Intercultural Studies School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures University of Manchester M13 9PL maeve.olohan@manchester.ac.uk Professor Myriam Salama-Carr Centre for Translation and Interpreting School of Languages University of Salford Salford M5 4WT m.l.carr@salford.ac.uk