ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a discussion of how myths are created, starting from Barthes’ ideas. As we begin to see, myths and fake news appear to be accepted more readily than facts, and become established within a languaculture’s model of the world. Examples of these myths are given, and reference is made to the interculturalists’ view. Regarding translation, patronage, as discussed by Lefevere, capitalizes on stereotypical myths of other (exotic) cultures, effectively gatekeeping what literature is translated and how – to satisfy the myths.
The chapter then moves on to orientations. The concept, taken from anthropologists (such as Kluckhohn) and interculturalists, is introduced first with regard to the local/global orientation discussed previously. This orientation is further discussed in terms of Gestalt Theory and pattern forming. The final part of the chapter is a detailed introduction to the cultural orientations that form the hidden, out-of-awareness part of the iceberg. A list of the orientations, taken from a variety of interculturalist scholars, most likely to affect language, discourse and translation are described in detail. Practical examples of significantly different cultural orientations and how they transpire in discourse are presented with a focus on translation issues and solutions.
