ABSTRACT
The chapter explores directionality in translation, discussing it from historical, social, professional, research and educational perspectives. Central to the professional and academic debate on directionality is the (non-)acceptability of translation into a foreign language, known by a plethora of terms including non-native translation, and increasingly in recent years, L2 translation. Although L2 translation has been unavoidable since Antiquity, the need for this practice became even more pronounced in the second half of the 20th century, especially with the rise of English as the lingua franca of business, science, technology and media. The high frequency of non-native translation is suggested by a number of recent surveys mapping the translation markets primarily in countries with languages of limited diffusion such as Croatia, Czech Republic and Poland. However, L2 translation appears to be in equally great demand in countries where major languages are spoken (Germany, Spain, Russia, China), including some English-speaking countries (Australia). The practice appears to attract a diversity of views. While most translation clients may see no difference between native and non-native translation, professional organizations and major institutions relying on translation tend to insist that translators should always translate into their mother tongue. The Translation Studies community has paid increasing attention to directionality by investigating, among other aspects, how directionality is related to product quality, translators’ habits and attitudes as well as cognitive effort, revision strategies and reliance on information sources. As the growing body of research has been adding to our understanding of the peculiarities of native and non-native translation, the debate now seems to have shifted from whether or not the latter is a desirable practice to under what circumstances one can and should translate into a foreign language. However, contrasting with this changing paradigm inside the academia and the ubiquitous presence of L2 translation in the translation market is a remarkable absence of this practice in university curriculum policies.
