Abstract
Taking my cue from a combination of sources, such as the characterisation of translation as human-computer interaction by O’Brien (2012), the work of O’Hagan (2011, 2016) on online collaborative translation, the incorporation of actor-network theory (Latour & Woolgar, 1986; Latour, 1996, 2005) into the analysis of the TED Talks translation community (Kung, 2021) and, most importantly, the contention of St. André (2017) that, given the theory-constitutive role of metaphors in science (Ortony, 1979), metaphors play a significant part in re-conceptualising the translation process as a collaborative one, this article responds to St. André’s (2017) call for fashioning actor-network theory into a new metaphor of translation. In so doing, it explores the extent to which the many digital spaces of translation, including those newly created by AI-powered technologies such as ChatGTP, could be accommodated by what I would call the ‘actor-networking’ metaphor. It is argued that this metaphor is particularly suited to capturing the complexity and dynamism of the translation network because both human and non-human entities are treated equivalently as ‘actors’ participating in the process of producing social artefacts through the creation and expansion of a network. Furthermore, it is suggested that, because of the intimate relationship that nowadays exists between technology and translation, attempts to rethink translation with metaphors in the 21st century would benefit from considering the social context, affordances, and impact of technology (cf. Feenberg, 1990, 1991, 2005, 2017).
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 8 Dec 2023 |
| Event | The Centre for Translation Technology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Presents an International Conference: Translation Studies and Digital Humanities - The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Duration: 8 Dec 2023 → 9 Dec 2023 http://dh.tra.cuhk.edu.hk/ (Conference website) http://dh.tra.cuhk.edu.hk/forms/booklet.pdf (Conference booklet) |
Conference
| Conference | The Centre for Translation Technology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Presents an International Conference |
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| Country/Territory | China |
| City | Hong Kong |
| Period | 8/12/23 → 9/12/23 |
| Other | The final decades of the twentieth century witnessed the birth of the digital age. Now, almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century, we are still only beginning to grasp the full meaning of this revolution in information storage, retrieval, and analysis. In particular, the advent of groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies such as ChatGPT have the potential to transform the way we approach translation studies as a field of research and pedagogy. This conference on Translation Studies and Digital Humanities, organized by the Centre for Translation Technology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, aims to explore the extent to which translation studies has already embraced the digital, showcase exciting and original research, expand our digital horizons by learning about the work of practitioners in other areas, and discuss possible pitfalls and shortcomings of digital approaches, as well as potential benefits and opportunities. |
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