Price, Joshua (2008). "Translating social science". Target. Vol. 20, No. 2. pp. 348 - 364.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.mut.6258Keywords:
traducción, ciencias sociales, crítica del universalismoAbstract
Insufficient attention has been paid in Translation Studies to the challenges particular to translating social scientific texts. Of the few who have taken up the topic, Immanuel Wallerstein has argued that one of the distinguishing char-acteristics of social scientific texts is that they traffic in concepts. Wallerstein wants the translation of social science to further the possibility of a universal conversation in the social sciences. I argue that a universal conversation in the social sciences is neither possible nor desirable. Instead, this article proposes that translating social science can contribute to conceptual clarification and elabora-tion. In this way, the translation may complement and further the flowering of the ‘original' concept. The essay concludes with an extended example - how ‘bewilderment' might be translated into Spanish.
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Résumé :
Les études de traduction n’ont pas accordé assez d’attention aux défis particuliers posés par la traduction de textes sociologiques. Parmi ceux — peu nombreux — qui ont traité de ce sujet, Immanuel Wallerstein estime qu’une des caractéristiques distinctives des textes relevant de la science sociale est leur trafic de concepts. Wallerstein vise, en stimulant la traduction des scien-ces sociales, à créer la possibilité d’une conversation universelle au sein de celles-ci. Je soutiens la thèse qu’une telle conversation n’est ni possible ni souhaitable. Au contraire, j’entends, dans cet article, défendre l’idée que la traduction des sciences sociales peut aider à préciser et à éla-borer des concepts. De cette façon, la traduction encouragerait l’essor du concept « original ». Je conclus mon essai en fournissant une analyse détaillée de la façon dont on peut traduire ‘bewilderment’ en espagnol.
Mots clé : traduction, sciences sociales, critique de l’universalime.
Author’s address
Joshua M. Price
Program in Philosophy, Interpretation, and Culture
State University of New York at Binghamton
BINGHAMTON, NY 13902-6000
USA
jmprice@binghamton.edu
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