A Comprehensive Approach to Translation. Reconciling Antagonistic Orientations in Contemporary Translation Studies

Contemporary Translation Studies are characterised by the dominance of two key antagonistic approaches. Although the application of each approach has generated fruitful research, their theoretical positions persist in a mutual exclusivity. To contrast this antagonism, this paper proposes the first theoretical steps in a constructive junction between the two orientations. The focus derives from a personal translating experience of contemporary poems and from the related rationale for the possible ways of solving translation problems. The standpoint is grounded on Umberto Eco’s notion of negotiation between two main contemporary trends, the source-oriented and the target-oriented approaches. The perspective is thus proposed using a double-bound relationship—to the ST and its factors, and to the TT and its communicative conditions.