May 2, 2024

Beyond the Translator’s Invisibility

Critical Reflections and New Perspectives

Peter J. Freeth and Rafael Treviño

Hosted by Ibrahim Fawzy

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Summary

The question of whether to acknowledge a text as a translation and thereby bring attention to the translator’s role has been a central topic in discussions on translation throughout history. While the concept of translator visibility has gained significant prominence in translation studies, it has been criticized for its vagueness, adaptability, and focus on literary contexts. Peter J. Freeth and Rafael Treviño’s Beyond the Translator’s Invisibility: Critical Reflections and New Perspectives (Leuven University Press, 2024) draws on concepts from sociology, the digital humanities, and interpreting studies to address these criticisms and expand the theoretical understanding of translator visibility. It aims to develop and apply theoretical frameworks that go beyond the existing limitations.

Beyond the Translator’s Invisibility employs empirical case studies covering various topics, including social media research, reception studies, institutional translation, and literary translation. These case studies demonstrate the significance of understanding the translator’s visibility as a multifaceted concept. By examining the diverse ways translators and translation are made visible, the volume introduces much-needed nuance to a concept that has been pervasive, polarizing, and imprecise within translation studies.

In this episode, Ibrahim Fawzy interviews Peter J. Freeth and Rafael Treviño about the process of co-editing this book.

Ibrahim Fawzy is a literary translator and academic based in Egypt. His interests include translation studies, Arabic literature, ecocriticism, and disability studies.