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tion is an intelligent activity re- tors, it is also a very readable book quiring constant growth, learning for those who are new to the field and self expression.” of translation. Robinson uses real Becoming a Translator will life examples in his study and help students learn how to trans- shows how translation is an inte- late faster and more accurately as gral part of intercultural relations well as how to deal with potential and the transmissions of scientific problems. An invaluable resource knowledge. for novice and practicing transla- Jesús Ruiz St. Lawrence University

and authors from around the world, including Eugene A. Nida, Susan Petrilli (ed.). Translation Thomas A. Sebeok, Ubaldo Translation. Amsterdam/New Stecconi and Terry Threadgold. York: Rodopi, 2003, 660 pp. All contributors recognize the importance of translation in meet- ing new and emerging community Translation Translation, compiled needs as well as in the international and edited by Susan Petrilli, is a context of globalization. Petrilli, collection of thirty-six articles of- Associate Professor of Semiotics fering an interdisciplinary ap- at the University of Bari, Italy, proach to the topic of translation, author and editor of several other moving beyond simply the disci- works on the topic, and a prolific plines of literary criticism, linguis- translator herself, hopes to con- tics, and semiotics to include ar- tribute further to translation with eas such as philosophy, social sci- this interdisciplinary volume. ences, biology, and the medical This work begins with a pref- sciences. Contributing authors ace by Augusto Ponzio and an in- were invited to address the issue troduction to translation and of translation as it relates to their semiosis by Petrilli. The volume own areas of expertise and inter- is then divided into the following est. Articles were contributed by nine sections: “Translation Theo- well known scholars, researchers ries and Practices,” “Peircean Resenhas 259

Semiotics from the Viewpoint of man world, and that translative Translation,” “Translation from processes permeate the entire liv- the Viewpoint of Peircean ing world and biosphere. Thus Semiotics,” “Intersemiotic and translation does not only belong Intersemiosic Translation,” to the sphere of anthroposemiosis, “Biotranslation,” “Translation but also extends to the area of between Organic and Inorganic,” biosemiotics. “Translation and Cultural Trans- Petrilli distinguishes between fer,” “Translation, Literary Writ- several types of translation, and ing and Multimedial Communi- discusses these using the terminol- cation,” and “Translation, Other- ogy proposed by Roman ness, Foreignization.” Jakobson: intralingual translation In this book, Petrilli in- (the interpretation of verbal signs tends to go beyond the traditional, by means of other verbal signs limited perception of translation belonging to the same historical- as the relationships between vari- natural language); interlingual ous historical-natural languages. translation (the interpretation of Each individual historical-natural verbal signs from one historical- language contains its own unique natural language by means of ver- plurilingualism, or a plurality of bal signs from another historical- languages that relate to each other natural language); and through processes of translation. intersemiotic translation (the in- Translation also exists between terpretation of verbal signs by verbal and nonverbal languages as means of nonverbal signs and vice well as among different nonver- versa, as well as nonverbal signs bal languages. As such, transla- from one sign system with non- tion simply cannot be constrained verbal signs of a different sign to the realm of linguistics but also system). Using these ideas, Petrilli inevitably involves the science and expands her discussion of transla- theory of signs, or semiotics. The tion and introduces several new editor argues that the act of trans- terms and ideas. In the introduc- lation “is to interpret,” and thus tion, Petrilli also provides a vi- occurs wherever signs exist. If this sual schema to facilitate an under- is the case, she contends, then standing of the established termi- translation must be understood as nological apparatus used through- concerning more than just the hu- out the volume. This figure pro- 260 Resenhas

vides definitions of each term and of adequacy that characterize the illustrates its place within the original-text. In order to be an ad- schema, thus providing a very equate translation, the translation- useful reference for the reader. text relates to the original-text by Another point of focus in this means of an answering compre- book is the relationship between hension, and not simply by repeat- author and translator and original ing the original. Petrilli also warns and translated text. Petrilli argues translators to avoid the temptation that in these relationships, the au- of surrendering to learned aes- thorial voice of the translator is thetic rules, especially with regard erased or made transparent in such to the urge to simplify (something a way that it is the voice of origi- she calls the “synonymization re- nal author that reaches the audi- flex”) when translating a work ence. Petrilli refers to the transla- with repetition or long passages. tor as another mask worn by the She makes her case with the pow- author, a mask “of a faithful erful statement: “If rather than mouthpiece that neither critically transgress the text the translator/ interprets, nor analyzes, nor dis- interpreter aims at establishing an cusses, nor takes a stand, but sim- effective dialogic otherness rela- ply reports faithfully”. The trans- tionship with it, a necessary con- lator, according to the editor, is dition is posited for competent and merely reporting the words of the creative translation.” original author, and interpreting Petrilli’s final argument in her them so as to be understood by a introduction concerns the issue of new audience. In this way, a trans- translatability. She affirms that “to lation may be deemed an example translate… is always possible”. She of indirect discourse. For Petrilli, attributes this to the existence of a the main processes at work in trans- “common speech,” or the under- lation are interpretive and explana- standing that the relationship be- tory, and do not take a critical tween the original-text and the position with regard to the text. translation-text is one of homol- In terms of the relationships ogy and not isomorphism or su- between the texts, Petrilli states perficial analogy. As such, a re- that the overall configuration of formulation of what has been said the translation-text is influenced is always possible, whether within in its attempt to reach the forms or between different languages, Resenhas 261 and that, thanks to “common dent, though its advanced level speech,” translatability is inher- may preclude its usefulness to stu- ent in anything verbal. Included dents at the introductory level. here is the understanding that the The various articles illustrate how translation of a text remains open, and where translation is present in and can be translated indefinitely. everyday life and the world around The various sections of the us. As Susan Petrilli states at the book following Petrilli’s introduc- opening of the book: “To trans- tion expand on her points and ar- late is not to decodify, nor to de- guments. Detailed discussions in- cipher, but to interpret. There- volving translation theory, cul- fore, translation theory should be tural translation, translation grounded in sign theory, and, pre- among and between the human cisely, semiotics of interpretation. and biological spheres, and the To this end…translation… may be study of translation as it relates to further developed and extended to semiotics comprise the majority of semiosis in its entirety, to the bio- this volume. This book is an in- sphere, and not simply limited to dispensable resource for the seri- the human world.” ous translator and translation stu- Kelly Goonan St. Lawrence University

ous translators of nineteen differ- Paula Burnett. The EmLit Project: ent minority languages, which European Minority Literatures in qualify as such based on their clas- Translation. London: Brunell Uni- sification as either ancient or mi- versity Press, 2003, 503 pp. grant. These translators have taken the initiative to translate select works of European minority lit- erature, including plays, poetry The EmLit Project: European Mi- and prose, into five major respec- nority Literatures in Translation, tive national languages: English, edited by Paula Burnett of French, German, Italian and London’s Brunell University, is a Spanish. Burnett has organized this compilation of the work of vari- anthology of translated works with