On the afternoon of October 28, Professor XIAO Weiqing and Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor from the School of English Studies at Shanghai International Studies Universitywere invited to conduct a special workshop titled “Venuti’s New Ideas about Translation” for the faculty and students of the Translation major from Zhejiang University’s School of International Studies. The workshop, which was moderated by Professor FENG Quangong from the Institute of Translation Studies at Zhejiang University, attracted a large number of participants.
1. Selection of Efficient Reading Strategies
The workshop began with a task focused on reading academic literature. Professor XIAO Weiqing first introduced how to approach intensive reading of texts, distinguishing between skim reading, close reading, critical reading, and guided reading strategies, and explained the advantages of each. In translation teaching, guided reading plays a crucial role in gaining a deeper understanding of the text. This strategy emphasizes an analysis of the historical context of the text with the audience, observing the development of academic ideas, understanding the author’s background, and interacting with the author—all of which contribute to a deeper understanding of the literature.
The workshop adopted a guided reading approach, with Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor citing Lawrence Venuti’s recent work Contra Instrumentalism: A Translation Polemic as an example. He conducted a detailed analysis on Venuti’s concept of translator “invisibility”, explaining the two core concepts of “foreignization” and “domestication”. Dr. Byrne-Taylor traced these ideas back to their theoretic origins and extended the discussion to the concepts of “instrumental translation” and “hermeneutic translation” put forward by Venuti in 2019.
2. Complementary Relationship Between Translation Theory and Practice
Translation practice facilitates the construction of translation theory, while translation theory upgrades translation practice. Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor emphasized that the evolution of translation theory is not necessarily limited to an individual’s translation practice; historical retrospection of translation activities also contributes to theoretical construction. The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation, Venuti’s seminal work, critically examines Western translation practices since the 17th century. In this book, Venuti argues that the labor and contributions of translators are often “invisible” in literary production because traditional translation practices frequently aim to make the translated text as if it were originally written in the target language—this strategy is known as domestication. Venuti believes that by preserving the cultural characteristics of the source text (i.e., through foreignization), translators can help target language readers better understand and appreciate the source text, thereby promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding.
3. Evolution of Translation Theory in Social Transformations
Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor traced the origins of Venuti’s theories on domestication, foreignization, and Contra Instrumentalism, pointing out that they are rooted in the ideas of 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher, particularly his work On the Different Methods of Translating and his hermeneutics. Dr. Byrne-Taylor then provided a detailed introduction to Schleiermacher’s theories and their social context. Schleiermacher’s hermeneutics broke free from theological constraints and extended into the literary field, exerting a profound influence on translation with his concept of the hermeneutic circle. When understanding and interpreting a text, readers are expected to move back and forth between its different parts and overall meaning, constantly comparing and adjusting their understanding until a comprehensive grasp of the text is achieved—this is the hermeneutic circle. This idea later provided the theoretical foundation for Venuti’s concept of hermeneutic translation.
Besides, Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor explained the historical context behind Schleiermacher’s advocacy for foreignization. The German Campaign of 1813 helped awaken a sense of national identity among Germans. To counter French Neoclassicism and its domestication strategy of translation, and to revive national spirit, foreignization became the optimal strategy for Germany. As Venuti pointed out, Schleiermacher’s foreignization strategy can even be seen as one of Germany’s cultural survival tactics in resisting French influence at the time.
4. Translation Strategies and the Exploration of Cultural Translation
In 1813, Schleiermacher’s major academic paper “On the Different Methods of Translation” was published, in which he raised a question about translation choices: “Either bring the reader closer to the foreign text (foreignization), or bring the foreign text closer to the reader (domestication)”. Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor cited Haruki Murakami’s works as an example to analyze how Murakami adjusts his works for an international audience. Meanwhile, faculty and students engaged in a lively discussion on related issues, covering topics such as the distinction between foreignization and literal translation, balance between domestication and foreignization, relationship between cultural differences and domestication/foreignization, the impact of translation purposes on the degree of translator invisibility, and the influence of text types on the choice of translation strategies.
5. From Instrumental Translation to Hermeneutic Translation
After tracing the theoretical perspectives of Venuti, Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor introduced the concepts of “instrumental translation” and “hermeneutic translation” from Contra Instrumentalism:A Translation Polemic. He began by sharing his academic journey and an unexpected connection with Venuti, expressing that Venuti’s views on hermeneutic translation have had a profound impact on him.
Dr. Byron Byrne-Taylor said that the theoretical origins of “domestication” and “foreignization” highlight the subjectivity and creativity of the translator in the translation process, underscoring the cultural connotations carried by translation activities and the creativity they entail. Venuti maintains this perspective in his book Contra Instrumentalism:A Translation Polemic, expanding the notion of translation activities. Based on the hermeneutic circle, Venuti argues that every text can be translated; while translations may differ from the source text, they are equally valuable, and the creativity in translation is often triggered by the role of the translator as an interpreter. Venuti points out that for a long time, translation activities have been viewed as mechanical reproductions of texts, referred to as instrumental translation, which assumes that the meaning of the source text is fixed and unchanging. This viewpoint neglects the interpretative space of texts; in reality, the meaning of a text is infinite and influenced by time, culture, and individual experiences and knowledge structures. Therefore, introducing hermeneutic translation into translation practice helps clarify the fluidity of meaning and emphasizes the creativity inherent in translation.
Finally, Professor XIAO Weiqing summarized the workshop, clarifying the sources of Venuti’s thoughts and analyzing the important role of translation in cross-cultural communication. She summed up the intrinsic significance of hermeneutic translation further and underscored its focus on creativity is an important aspect of humanistic education.
This workshop, with a model of co-teaching by Chinese and foreign instructors, emphasized the audience’s preparation through pre-reading related to the workshop theme. It was distinctive and lively, not only expanding new models for translation teaching but also deepening the understanding of translation activities among faculty and students present.
Text/Photos: WANG Yating/LU Qiaodan
Reviewed by: FENG Quangong
The Chinese Academy of Translation and Translation Studies
Institute of Translation Studies, Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University Translation Major Grassroots Teaching Organization
Zijin Club, School of International Studies, Zhejiang University
Translated by HAN Yaohui, Proofread by XU Xueying
