ABSTRACT
In their introduction to their new journal, Translation, Arduini and Nergaard (2011, pp. 9-10) argue that, despite its apparent success, translation studies is facing a crisis. They define the nature of this crisis as one of epistemology, arguing that translation studies is caught up in a "repetition of theories and a plethora of stagnant approaches." They argue that new ways of "what we know and how we know" are on the cards and then make the point that these ways have to do with complexity and multiplicity, nonlinearity and hybridity (Arduini & Nergaard, 2011, pp. 9-10). Although I am hesitant about the rhetorical strategy of terming the problems I see as a "crisis," I do agree with them on their analysis that we need a new epistemology in translation studies, and I wish to take their argument further. To my mind, what these researchers are putting up for discussion is the "Western scientific program, in general, and reductionism, in particular, and the way in which it influences the nature of translation studies.
