ABSTRACT
The notion of adaptation has often been discussed, supported or severely criticized in the field of translation studies. Bastin offers a comprehensive definition of adaptation applied to texts used for teaching purposes and in handbooks, but the concept continues to be part of a fuzzy metalanguage used by translation studies scholars. Adaptation is considered only one type of intervention on the part of translators, with a distinction being drawn between deliberate interventions and deviations from literality. By comparing adaptations with the texts on which they are based it is possible to elaborate a selective list of the ways in which adaptations are carried out, the motivations for the decision to adapt, and the limitations on the work of the adapter. The study of adaptation encourages the theorist to look beyond purely linguistic issues and helps shed light on the role of the translator as mediator, as a creative participant in a process of verbal communication.
