Urska P. Cerne
Sodobnost
Sodobnost
Eurozine
The slippery ground of translation criticism
Urska P. Cerne
It is clear that all translation criticism is merely interpretation, just as all translation is interpretation. Consequently, the assessment of quality simply cannot hold in general. The force of arguments is proportional to the social status of the proponent. Also because there is one further, essential presupposition: the critic and the translator are two aspects of the same competencies, harmonised by their diverse knowledge, priorities and risks. Dissatisfaction generated by translation criticism may also occur because there is little translation ciriticism. There are examples of translation critics who are concerned for the possible distress given to the translator, with an attentiveness not shown by any of the literary critics I know - for otherwise they would be considered as over-polite. In the field of translation criticism, however, quite different approaches prevail. Possibly because the translator and the critic are one, or else because of the special nature of the Slovene literary system.