últimas corrientes teóricas en los estudios de traducción - Gredos ...

MARÍA T. SÁNCHEZ–LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION: A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP?
The relationship of linguistics to translation can be twofold: one can apply the
findings of linguistics to the practice of translation, and one can have a linguistic theory of
translation, as opposed, say, to a literary, economic or psychological theory of translation.
(Fawcett 1997: 2)
In the first instance, and as Peter Fawcett says, we do know that different
branches of Linguistics provide different kinds of approaches, enabling the translator to
deal with problems which need different solutions. Thus, when translators are faced with
a particular translating problem, Linguistics can contribute useful findings taken from
within one of its branches. It then appears that Linguistics is not really seen as a totally
independent discipline but rather as a general discipline with many branches which can
offer solutions to be applied to translation. In the second instance, Peter Fawcett
proposes the creation of a general linguistic theory to be applied not just to an individual
element within the text to be translated but as a general principle, applicable to the
concept of translation as a whole and, moreover, having an impact not just on the
translation process but on the translated product as well.
Several conclusive points can be made from the ideas presented here. First of all,
one should refer to the problems related to terminology which, as is well known and
especially in the case of translation, affect not just Translation Studies but also
Linguistics. In the case of Linguistics and, in order not to fall into an inflexible way of
thinking, one has to clarify the term of reference for the recipient to understand exactly
what is meant by it. Does the term “linguistics” refer to General Linguistics or do we by
the term “linguistics” refer to Applied or Contrastive Linguistics? If we clarify our terms
of reference, we shall not create misunderstandings which can only lead, in the end, to
disagreements amongst scholars. Secondly, Linguistics must be included in any discussion
about translation as it is one of the various ways of focusing and explaining the process of
translation. The scope of Linguistics has widened immensely in recent years, to the point
that some would even say that it has gone beyond its initial aim – the study of language,
and also beyond the study of individual sentences in any language, exerting an influence
in other fields such as translation teaching methodology, so that any translation problem
related to the lexical or grammatical categories is best studied from a linguistic
perspective. And thirdly, one should not forget that Translation Studies, from the point of
view of what we may call its theory, is an interdisciplinary undertaking relying on more
than one field of study. According to Mona Baker:
Translation scholars must recognize that no approach, however sophisticated, can
provide the answer to all the questions raised in the discipline nor the tools and methodology
required for conducting research in all areas of translation studies. There can be no benefit in
setting various approaches in opposition to each other nor in resisting the integration of
insights achieved through the application of various tools of research, whatever their origin.
Fortunately, more and more scholars are beginning to celebrate rather than resist the plurality
of perspectives that characterizes the discipline. While critical of certain aspects of specific
approaches, such scholars are still able to see the various frameworks available as essentially
complementary rather than mutually exclusive. […] Fragmentation and the
compartmentalization can only weaken the position of the discipline in the academy and
obscure opportunities for further progress in the field. (Baker 1998: 280)
One could not agree more with Mona Baker on the question of interdisciplinarity
in Translation Studies and how translator scholars should approach the field, aiming at
not ruling out any of the disciplines which contribute, above all, to the enriching of the
different theoretical frameworks. If we consider translation as a discipline in its own right,
we should begin by forgetting any differences and tensions that have occurred in the past
between Linguistics and Translation. They should both be considered fundamental
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