Memes of Translation is a search for coherence in translation theory based on the notion of Memes: ideas that spread, develop and replicate, like genes. The author explores a wide range of ideas on translation, mapping the “meme pool” of translation theory with chapters on translation history, norms, strategies, assessment, ethics, and translator training. The aim of the book is to search for a perspective from which the immense variety of ideas about translation can be related.

The unifying thread is the philosophy of Karl Popper. The book proposes the beginnings of a Popperian theory of translation, based on the fundamental concepts of norms, strategies, and values. A key idea is that a translation itself is a theory or hypothesis concerning the source text. This hypothesis is then subjected to testing, refinement, and perhaps even rejection, just like any other hypothesis.

Table of contents

Preface

Chapter 1. Survival machines for memes

Chapter 2. the evolution of translation memes

Chapter 3. From memes to norms

Chapter 4. Translation strategies

Chapter 5. Translation as theory

Chapter 6. The development of tranlational competence

Chapter 7. On translation ethnics

Epilogue

Appendix

References

Author index

Subject index

Andrew Chesterman, Professor of Multilingual Communication , Department of General Linguistics,

University of Helsinki.