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Reflections on Socio-translation Studies
Abstract
Three questions are currently confronting the fast-developing sociological approach to translation studies, namely, “How must it be named?”, “How could it be defined?” and “How should its model of research be evaluated?”, which is involving the subject title, research type and research mode. Drawing on theoretical insights from sociolinguistics, literary studies and sociology, this paper argues that “socio-translation studies” should be adopted as the name for this emerging paradigm of research, that the paradigm should be understood as an inter-discipline with a comprehensive coverage in the study of translation, and that the model of research in translation studies typically associated with the sociological approach has both its advantages and its disadvantages. Further reflections on these issues are needed before there could be a more adequate conception of socio-translational studies.
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