Abstract

This volume deals with Translation Research (TR) and Interpreting Research (IR). In the main contribution, Daniel Gile from the Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France) explores kinship, differences and prospects for partnership between the two. He gives an overview of the history of research into translation and interpreting, explores commonalities and reviews differences between translation and interpreting, and discusses implications for research. He comments critically on the foci and paradigms in both TR and IR and on the epistemological and methodological problems they raise. He concludes by saying that Translation and Interpreting Studies are gaining both social cohesion and some weight as an academic identity.

The contributions by Jan Cambridge, Andrew Chesterman, Janet Fraser, Yves Gambier, Moira Inghilleri, Zuzana Jettmarová, Ian Mason, Mariana Orozco, Franz Pöchhacker and Miriam Shlesinger focus on translator and interpreter behaviour, research methodology, types of research, disciplinary autonomy and interdisciplinarity, theory and practice, research training, and institutional constraints. There is general agreement that in view of commonalities and differences between translation and interpreting, each step in the investigation of one can contribute valuable input towards investigation of the other.

The collection is rich with suggestion for translation and interpreting researchers due to its focusing primarily on the sociological dimension of TS and also because it keeps suggesting a necessary collaboration between translation (in its generic sense) researchers and all the disciplines related to translation studies.

Christina Schäffner is a Reader in Translation Studies (German) in the School of Languages and Social Sciences at Aston University (Birmingham, UK). Her main research interests are translation studies, political discourse, textlinguistics, and metaphor research. She has published widely in these fields.

This inspiring and thought-provoking book is likely to prove instrumental in the beneficial process of increased interaction and collaboration within Translation Studies, and I do not hesitate to recommend it to colleagues and students who are interested in Translation Research and /or Interpreting Research.