The New Tasks of the Translator: The West-Eastern Divan and the problematic legacy of translation theories from Goethe to Benjamin

Abstract

In this article, Stefan Weidner examines the origins of the theory of translation in German context, especially concerning the translation of Oriental literature. He carries us across several experiences of translations of Oriental literature, examining the ideological assumptions behind each one of them in detail. His final objective is to discover a new contemporary approach, which diverts completely from the past heritage and the domination of the Orientalist dimension.