Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the sub sequent chapters of this book. Translation negotiates difference. The larger the difference, the harder the work of translation. The book offers fundamental theoretical speculation about the nature of translation and its study, urging a rethinking of basic aspects of translation theory in the context of cultural difference and otherness. It investigates translation practices and concepts in a variety of contexts and traditions. The book interrogates the difficult transition from oral culture to written translated text. It is concerned with theoretical reflection by translators and creative writers, the use of translations and pseudotranslations as heuristic tools to probe particular poetics, and the complexities of translation on the Indian subcontinent. The book presents case studies focusing on cultural and historical continuities and discontinuities, epitomized in Egypt's unique cultural memory as stored in its multilingual libraries through the ages.