Translation, an inescapable dilemma

Traduttore, traditore ; to translate is to betray.

In epistemology, we were commenting on Duhem’s paper, Physical Theory, Mathematical Deduction, Experience. A fellow student noted that the author’s use of the famous Italian proverb was probably due to its literary quality, as if the choice was made for academic flair. I raised my hand in rebuttal for two reasons. 

To argue this is to:

1. Suggest that we ourselves should not give credence to any author as they themselves do not give credence to their choice of words and therefore argument.
2. That this undermines the consequence of being uncritical of what passes itself as a specific author’s work while literally having been written by another author. 

The main point of my second argument lies in the words ‘to betray’. From our very first class on epistemology, we are brought to recognize that what we qualify as knowledge is nothing more than justified belief. Belief. More loaded of a word than we give it credit. For the moment we believe that a translation is exactly as it should be understood but in ‘another’ language - one which we have a grasp over - is exactly the moment we are betrayed. That we take the words in front of us as the original, as if languages were constructed side by side and therefore commensurable, that cultures do not divide how each signification is formed - in short, to reduce the richness of the diversity of thought, into one single medium, as if language meant nothing more than interchangeable symbols. 

Translation, the inescapable dilemma is a bilingual (EN/FR) one-page summary of Ricœur’s paper : Le paradigme de la traduction, which highlights how theoretically, practically and ethically the impossibility of fulfilling, what we call, the act of translation.

I thank you for your support and I hope you find this helpful!

wn x

* As always my deepest appreciation for Joshua M. and Jordan O.