The translation landscape of Thessaloniki’s Kastra neighbourhood

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this article is to investigate several key sociolinguistic aspects of texts that have been translated from Greek into English in public spaces in the Kastra neighbourhood of Thessaloniki. It approaches these translations through a sociolinguistic lens, drawing from the ethnographic methodology used in studies of linguistic landscapes, whilst also taking into account the need to combine approaches from the sociological turn in Translation Studies, which have largely adopted Bourdieu’s concept of habitus in an attempt to place the translator at the centre of related academic enquiry. The qualitative findings derive from public texts that can be grouped into the following categories: Official signs and notifications, ad hoc signs and notices, and translated texts for businesses offering services. The analysis of the texts focuses on issues concerning superdiversity, social background, identity, and translation practices.