Vladimir Nabokov as an Author-Translator

Abstract

tualizations of translation. As Susan Bassnett and David Johnston (2019) have suggested, TS is going through an “outward turn”, shifting towards greater inclusion of non-Western cultural perspectives and an increased focus on translation phenomena in traditionally “peripheral” regions. This includes research on translation between non-Western and minor languages, as well as a focus on translational activities in premodern times that have been overlooked by translation researchers. Joining this “non-Eurocentric” stream of research, the reviewed volume takes a step further by focusing on the long-neglected translations in the Sinographic sphere during premodern times, shedding new light on the future directions of establishing a “global translation history” (Roig-Sanz 2022). It also brings new insights to our understanding of the complexity of the Chinese language by arguing against the common view that Chinese is a single nation-state language, and instead highlights the “encyclopedic capacity” (10) of vernacular Chinese to mix diverse registers, as well as the impact of such capacity on language development and literary innovation in China’s neighbouring countries via these prismatic modes of translational rewriting. Overall, this volume illuminates a new space for translation research and inspires further exploration of the full richness of translation activities in all eras and regions.