ABSTRACT
In contrast to high-brow literary translation work held in lofty esteem, garbage is Lina Mounzer designation for the genres she translates from Arabic and French into English from corporate, institutional and governmental clients, as well as what her describes as poor-quality, vacuous artwork descriptions and artist statements. Mounzer’s translation experiences have not been particularly positive, and her description of them has prompted other translators who enjoy translation to call for her to quit. Practice theory provides a conceptual apparatus that enables us to attend to and give expression to those aspects and to learn more about how they figure in and shape translation practice. In exploring translation through the lens of practice theory, it aims to show the usefulness of a practice-theoretical approach in dealing, conceptually and empirically, with some of the challenges that the professional world of translation is currently facing. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
