The Ethics of Subversion in Translation

Abstract

Subversive translation violates the normative view of translation in order to resist dominant readings of a work. The normative view of translation prescribes that a good translation should exactly transmit the meaning, style, and effect of the text it translates. However, even if a translator aims for this, there is always an inescapable ambiguity in the process of translation. In resisting and disrupting this normative view, subversive translation strategies reject one or more of these norms. The normative view presents a unified and authoritative account of meaning, which obscures translation’s role in stabilizing meaning. I argue that subversive translation can play an important role both linguistically and politically. The instability of meaning of important texts can pose a threat to institutional authority, which wishes to impose a fixed narrative that aligns with their control. Institutions, therefore, have incentive to solidify systems of meaning, rather than acknowledge its inherent instability. The value of subversive translation lies both in the manner in which it resists the ideology of normative translation, and in the choice of which narratives it chooses to contest.