The Center

 

History of the Center for Translation Studies

The Center for Translation Studies was founded in 1980 at The University of Texas at Dallas to promote the visibility of the literary translator through Translation Workshops, world literature courses, scholarly publications, and conferences and symposia.  In 2014, the Center expanded its focus to include intercultural and non-verbal communication and changed its name to the Center for Translation Studies to reflect that expanded mission. 

 

Manifesto for Translation Studies

The future of the planet Earth is unthinkable without translation:

• All acts of communication are acts of translation; all acts of reading are acts of translation; and all acts of interpretation are acts of translation.
  
• Translation lets us understand the differences between cultures
  
• Translation opens the door to world literatures
  
• Translation establishes the dialogue with people from other countries 
  
• Translation initiates new forms of reading and interpretation
  
• Translation redirects research in the Arts & Humanities
  
• Translation erases the borders between disciplines, fosters interdisciplinary thinking and creates bridges between the Humanities, Art & Technology, and the Sciences
  

The Center promotes translation as an innovative foundation for the study of literature, the humanities, and new media- particularly as digital technology enables more nuanced interpretations of texts as digital tools offer new tools to explicate texts and reconstruct the complexity of their original forms.

What is Translation?
By Rainer Schulte

 

The Center’s Activities

The Center explores new avenues for the future of Translation Studies and in terms of research, publications, and teaching.

Publication of Translation Review
Publication of Annotated Books Received (ABR)
Publication of Translation Center Electronic Newsletter
Performance of bilingual poetry readings
Readings of international plays in translation
Design of new courses in conjunction with the program in Art and Technology
Organization of symposia to promote literary translation and the study of cross-cultural communication
Collaboration with international translation centers and universities