: Socio-Cultural Approaches to Translation: Indian and European Perspectives

28 - 30 October, 2009, Hyderabad, India

its socio-cultural dimension has been taken into account. It has been shown translation may bring new inputs into local cultures to the extent that it may even reshape them. It may develop national cultures to the detriment of more regional ones, or the reverse, or also play ambivalent roles. In contexts where many languages coexist, its role as a vehicle for mediation and communication is sometimes questioned as it may elevate one language to a higher status while downplaying the others. It may reinforce jingoism or enculturation, prejudices or awareness of differences. In other words translation modifies, or preserves, the perception of the other. Hence, translating as an activity and translation as the result of this activity are inseparable from the concept of culture. From this viewpoint words are not taken for themselves but for their communicative functions. Translation methods and strategies, different linguistic systems and their constraints in terms of meaning and construction, worldviews, etc. are still analyzed, but in so far as they reveal and contribute to a particular case of intercultural communication. Besides, translations never only affect words. Texts do not appear on their own but accompany or are accompanied by pre-textual elements such as book covers, figures, diagrams, colour, real products, etc. so that translation studies should analyze translations in their overall environments. As can be seen, the concept of translation that is developed here is all-embracing. Is translation only an inter-linguistic process or does it also constitutes an inter-semiotic activity across cultures and languages? The time has now come to analyze and estimate the socio-cultural value of translation in terms of its contribution to the receiving cultures, and also the translated cultures at times. One of the possibilities to understand a culture is to learn its language(s) and the sign systems operating within it. Another complementary one is to study what parts of it are preserved in translating. Besides being a daily activity, translation is thus a means for understanding and maybe improving inter-linguistic, inter-semiotic and intercultural communication. The question whether cultural synthesis can be achieved deserves attention. Aim of the conference This international conference would like to bring together Indian and non-Indian perspectives on translation with a view to setting up a platform for discussion, comparison and long-term collaboration. It aims to analyze how different cultures interact and interfere with one another through translation. Venue: University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India Organizers: Prof. J. PRABHAKARA RAO (University of Hyderabad, India) and Prof. Jean PEETERS (Université de Bretagne-Sud, France) Scientific committee Prof. J. PRABHAKARA RAO, University of Hyderabad, India. Prof. Pramod TALGERI, Vice-President, Inter-Disciplinary University, Pune Prof. B.R. BAPUJI, CALTS, University of Hyderabad, India Prof. Jean PEETERS, Université de Bretagne-Sud, France. Prof. Michel BALLARD, Université d’Artois, France Prof. Teresa TOMASZKIEWICZ, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland. Participants Scholars in the fields of Translation Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociolinguistics, Languages, Indology or with an interest in Intercultural Communication. No. of Participants 10 (from Europe) + 10 (from India) Paper Proposals The conference encourages paper proposals in relation with the above-mentioned topics. Studies between languages other than English will be favoured. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 31st May 2009. Participants intending to give a paper should email an abstract of 600 words maximum as an attached file (MSWord format or RTF) to pjandhyala1@gmail.com and jean.peeters@univ-ubs.fr The maximum number of papers is 20 (10 Indian and 10 non Indian). The proposals will be assessed by the scientific committee on the basis of their relevance to the conference’s topic. The scientific committee will return its decision by 30th June 2009. Paper duration The papers should be no longer than 25 mn and will be followed by 10 minutes for discussion. Working language: English Contact Details: pjandhyala1@gmail.com, jean.peeters@univ-ubs.fr Registration: Registration fee: Indians: Rs.2,500/-, Non-Indians: Rs.5,000/- The hosting Institution, i.e. Centre for Study of Foreign Languages, University of Hyderabad, will provide local hospitality to participants