Investigating the Contributions of the Linguistic Theory to Translation Studies

Abstract

This paper provides a theoretical grounded framework for the effect of the linguistic theory in the overall process of autonomizing translation as an independent discipline of research. It discusses the mainly linguistics-based early attempts to scientize translation studies, through an investigation of the linguistic approaches applied at this early stage. It reveals how the early attempts incorporate such approaches in their core processing of translation, both in theory and practice, and how they actually contribute to the formulation of the translation theory. These approaches gave rise to a set of pioneering concepts to prevail in translation studies, among which were the two key concepts of correspondence and equivalence which the early attempts were mainly relying upon and which contribute to the building up of contemporary translation studies. This paper also discusses the applicability of the linguistic theory in contemporary translation studies, amid the prevailing cultural descriptions. It argues that linguistics should have an integral part in this cultural trend to help applying its concepts while translating, using the fact that it is language that is the key to processing cultural aspects in translation. This paper concludes providing supporting arguments for the applied linguistics as an active branch to browse and investigate in contemporary translation studies