The 6th International Symposium on Eco-Translatology

October 26-28, 2018, School of Foreign Languages, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China

VISION OF CONFERENCE:

Eco-Translatology, with Neo-Ecologism¹ as its theoretical foundation, and with metaphorical sense and literal sense studies of eco-translation as its two research orientations, is a newly-emerging eco-paradigm of translation studies from ecological perspectives. The objectives and missions of Eco-Translatology are to explore and expound ecological ideas and ecological connotations in texts to be translated and in translation activities, so as to make eco-reason and eco-principles the ecologicalized world outlook and methodology as the general guidance of translation studies.

Eco-Translatology probes into textual ecologies, translator–community ecologies, and translational environment ecologies, thus respectively resulting in the three core concepts of Translation as Textual Transplants, Translation as Adaptation and Selection, and Translation as Eco-Balance. Studies of Eco-Translatology are conducted at three levels: at the macro level – an entire translational ecosystem; at the meso level – ontological translation theories; and at the micro level – textual transplant operation between the two source-text and target-text ecologies. Furthermore, Eco-Translatology can also be viewed as a paradigmatic shift of thinking mode to interpret the nature of translation in terms of“textual life”, namely, translation as keeping LIVING things in the source-text ecology continuously ALIVE in the target-text ecology. In the past 17 years or so, in the light of Neo-Ecologism, a complete theoretical discourse system of Eco-Translatology has been initially constructed focusing on interplays, characteristics, interrelationships, and mechanisms of textual ecologies, translator-community ecologies, and translational environment ecologies.

The previous symposiums have attracted several hundreds of scholars from different countries and regions to present their papers on translation from ecological perspectives. With a number of internationally-acclaimed leading scholars to be invited, this 6th Symposium, sponsored by the International Association for Eco-Translatology Research (IAETR) and Zhengzhou University, will offer another opportunity for more experienced professionals and younger scholars to discuss and share their new research findings regarding the emerging paradigm.

Note (1): The term Neo-Ecologism is a synergy of such three philosophical props as the “Eastern philosophy of eco-wisdom in ancient times” and “holism of Western ecological philosophy”, as well as “selective adaptation and adaptive selection of the Approach to Translation as Adaptation and Selection”.

CONFERENCE THEME:

Eco-Translatology: New Orientations and New Developments

TOPICS:

This symposium will include, but not be restricted to, the following topics:

• Links between Translation and Ecology

• Translation studies from ecological perspectives

• Eastern wisdoms and Western concepts in Translation Studies

• Eco-Translatology research in a new era of eco-civilization

• Development of the discourse system of Eco-Translatology

• Applications of Eco-Translatology in translation and interpreting

• Database construction and its utilities to facilitate eco-translation studies

• Language services & Translation Technology: an eco-translatological perspective

• Eco-Translatology in relation to other translation approaches /paradigms

• R & D of Eco-Translatology in relation to global trends in ecology

• Further studies on TRANSLATION AS ADAPTATION AND SELECTION

• Eco-Translatology-inspired MA theses /PhD dissertations

• Translation modes, paradigms, and schools of thoughts: an eco-translatological perspective
• Studies on eco-translation ethics in the light of Eco-Translatology

• Translation Concepts: from“Polarization”to“Ecologicalization”

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:

Each abstract should be no less than 400 words, including title, author, affiliation, research interests, country, telephone number and email address. Abstracts need to be submitted electronically as a WORD attachment to Mr. WANG Shou-ju at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.All abstracts are to be reviewed by the Paper Selection Committee. Authors will be notified of the acceptance of their abstracts by June 15, 2018, and at the same time, the official Letter of Invitation will be sent to the presenter whose abstract is accepted and who can submit his/her full text of paper.

The deadline for abstract submission is May 20, 2018

Language Studies: Mother of All Employability

Feb 22-23, 2018, Amity Campus, Lucknow

Click here to download conference brochure

Constitution Day, November 26, 2017

12 October 2005 marked the beginning of an era of empowerment of a special kind in India. It was the day on which the Right to Information Act 2005 came into force in India that empowered every citizen of India to question the acts and omissions of public servants and government bodies and take the legal course if they are not convinced with the explanations given. In fact, way back in 1975, the Supreme Court of India recognized the right to information to be a fundamental right of every citizen of India under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. This was followed by a series of progressive decisions by the Supreme Court elaborating this right. Yet, realistically, citizens could not really enjoy this right. An archaic colonial law known as the Official Secrets Act 1923, reinforced by a bureaucratic mindset which had been conditioned over decades that it was accountable to no one, ensured that the right to information remained an illusory concept for the people of India. It was as a result of years of campaigning at the national and regional level that the right to information gradually started taking a real form – first through legislation passed by certain states and then by the Centre through the Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI Act).

Since its inception, the RTI has been used by several citizens, workers, and activists to the advantage of millions of common masses of India. However, there still exists a huge gap at its implementation stage between government officials and common masses. On one hand, government officials tend to maintain secrecy of information and try their level best not to disclose the right information to the general public as they risk losing their faces on account of inefficiency at work, corruption and overspending of taxpayers money and many officials have learnt the fine art of how to confuse the applicant, provide misleading information or claim that the requisite information is exempt from the RTI. On the other hand, common citizens awakened by their rights and under the influence of the internet, mobile phone and social media boom continue to empower themselves through increased connectivity among themselves, and continuous use of RTI, the tool that helps in maintaining the check on the government officials. 

With above in mind, Legal Translation Hub conducted a virtual seminar on November 26, 2017, to celebrate the constitution day in India. More than 100 participants presented their talk on the following themes:

1. Training and generation of awareness about the Act
2. change in the mindset of the ‘information-holders’
3. Increased suo moto disclosure of information
4. Resources to respond to information requests in a timely fashion
5. Strict action for violation of the provisions of the Act
6. Protection for ‘whistleblowers’
7. Efficiency and effectiveness of the appellate mechanisms provided under the Act
8. RTI Act 2005 and deepening of Democracy
9. RTI Act 2005 and role of Media
10. RTI Act 2005 and Role of Legal Translators and Interpreters
11.  RTI Act 2005 and disparity in the society

Adaptation has long had a negative reception within the discipline of Translation Studies. It is quite normal to be confronted with negative perceptions of adaptation - long since regarded as "the extreme limit of translation" (Vinay and Darbelnet 1958, Vázquez-Ayora 1977, among others), a distinctive translation operation, and even an "act of betrayal" or "a lack of respect" (Bensoussan 1988) - whenever matters concerning equivalence, fidelity or primacy of the source text are raised. And this, notwithstanding calls by numerous authors for it to be considered an integral part of the translation operation (Hurtado 1990, Bastin 1990, Gambier 1992, et al.) and demands by others for it to be established as an independent field of study (Hutcheon et O’Flynn 2006, Raw 2012, Cattrysse 2014).

All of which gives rise to two crucial questions. a) Is adaptation, strictly speaking, a part of the translation operation? b) Should adaptation, as a field of study, extend to adaptation-translation?

1. a) The ubiquity of the adaptive influence in modern professional translation is undeniable, be it in advertising or in broadcasting, or in the localization of software, video games and telephony. Does this imply the existence of a translational process or approach? Adaptation practices are equally at work in literature, fiction, poetry, and theatre. Should this be seen as a denial of the Other or merely as a modern-day imperative? Is adaptation essentially ethnocentric? Where does one draw the line between adaptation and appropriation?

1. b) Adaptation Studies is, in fact, well established today. The Adaptation Studies Association will hold its 12^th Annual Conference this September. There is a growing stream of conferences and, with every passing day, a new publication: Hutcheon and O’Flynn (2006), Sanders (2006), Raw (2012, 2013) and Cattrysse (2014), among others. From its Film Studies and Art History beginnings, Adaptation Studies has grown to span numerous other fields (Translation Studies included?). How can each enrich the other? Can adaptation be described as cultural, technological, linguistic?

The transfer of a written work to film is undoubtedly a form of adaptation and, by the same token, a type of translation (Gambier 2003; Gambier 2004). Lastly, adaptation will, at times, cater to the linguistic peculiarities of a group; for example, by way of simplified literary classics targeting a youth audience or through the use of regionalisms in translated works destined for readers in a specific geographic locale.

Addressing such a complex and wide-ranging subject in the context of the conference will, hopefully, signal the foundations of an interdisciplinary approach to adaptation and, concomitantly, lead to the proposal of new problematics and perspectives.

References

Bastin, Georges L., 1990. « Traduire, adapter, réexprimer ». Meta, vol. 35, n° 3, pp. 470-475.

Bensoussan, Albert, 1988. « El placer de la traducción ». Sobre la traducción literaria en Hispanoamérica. Santiago: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, pp. 27-36.

Cattrysse, Patrick, 2014. Descriptive Adaptation Studies: Epistemological and Methodological Issues. Antwerp, Apeldoorn: Garant.

Gambier, Yves, 1992. « Adaptation : Une ambiguïté à interroger ». Meta, vol. 37, n° 3, pp. 421-425.

Gambier, Yves, 2003. “Screen Transadaptation: Perception and Reception”. The Translator, vol. 9, n° 2, pp. 171-189.

Gambier, Yves, 2004. « Tradaptation cinématographique ». Topics in Audiovisual Translation, Pilar Orero (éd.). Amsterdam et Philadelphie: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 169-181.

Hurtado, Alvaro, 1990. La notion de fidélité en traduction. Paris : Didier.

Hutcheon, Linda et Siobhan O’Flynn, 2006. A Theory of Adaptation. Londres et New York: Routledge.

Raw, Lawrence, 2012. Translation, Adaptation and Transformation. New York: Bloomsbury.

Raw, Lawrence, 2013. The Silk Road of Adaptation: Transformations across Disciplines and Cultures. Newcastle-upon-Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Sanders, Julie, 2006. Adaptation and Appropriation. Londres et New York: Routledge.

Vázquez-Ayora, Gerardo, 1977. Introducción a la traductología: curso básico de traducción. Washington : Georgetown University Press.

Vinay, Jean Paul et Jean Darbelnet, 1984 [1^re éd. 1958]. Stylistique comparée du français et de l’anglais : méthode de traduction. Paris: Didier.

 Suggested topics for discussion:

Translation and adaptation

Leaving aside book-to-film adaptations (the most typical example), how does the shift from one semiotic system to the next compare with translation? What are the points of contact and divergence between Translation Studies and Adaptation Studies? Are equivalence, loss, and compensation still of relevance today? If not, by what have they been superseded? In developing such lines of research, how should we define translation and adaptation? How does the transition from one semiotic system to another take place?

An Interlinguistic Perspective

Can one properly describe as ‘translations’, adaptations destined for new audiences, such as a child-targeted simplification of a beloved literary classic or legal documents written in plain language? How do such adaptations impact the culture of their new audiences, assuming that every language conveys a distinctive culture?

An Intralinguistc Perspective

Are there discernible boundaries between what is considered translation and what is termed as adaption? Do rewriting, pastiche, and parody go hand-in-glove with translation and adaptation? What about plagiarism? What are the potential ethical issues raised in such cases?

Papers should not exceed 20 minutes. Your proposal (in English, French or Spanish) should include the two following documents:

• A 300-word abstract in Word format, which will be included in the conference program
• A completed form (below). The information you provide in the form will not be used to evaluate the quality of your proposal; rather, it will be included in the grant application that CATS will submit to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Please send your proposal to the organizers, Valérie Florentin and Georges L. Bastin, to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  by September 30, 2017.