Theory of Literary Translation

ltrad2700  2026-2027  Louvain-la-Neuve

Theory of Literary Translation
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5.00 credits
30.0 h
Q2
Teacher(s)
Marcipont Christian;
Language
French
Main themes
Présentation diachronique et synchronique de la théorie de la traduction littéraire.  
Analyse des différents courants et théories, avec confrontation des penseur·euses les plus connu·es dans ce domaine. 
Diachronic and synchronic exposition of literary translation theory. 
Analysis of different tendencies and theories, engaging with work by the most prominent thinkers in the field. 
In-depth analysis of a selected foundational text. Analyse approfondie de l'un ou l'autre texte fondateur. 
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Contribution of teaching unit to learning outcomes assigned to programme 
This unit contributes to the acquisition and development of the following learning outcomes, as assigned to the Master's degree in translation: 
  • acquire, develop and use thematic and domain-specific knowledge relevant to translation needs (mastering systems of concepts, methods of reasoning, presentation standards, terminology and phraseology, specialised sources etc.) (4 – Translation). 
Specific learning outcomes on completion of teaching unit 
On completing this unit the student is able to: 
  • distinguish between and explain the different translation theories (prescriptive, descriptive, adaptive); 
  • distinguish between and explain the different tendencies (literalist, translation-recreation) present in some of the above theories; 
  • identify major thinkers in the field of literary translation theory and associate them with the theories and tendencies mentioned above; 
  • place in perspective, comment on and critique several translations of a given text. 
 
Content
The course will put into perspective the various theories of literary translation and will be devoted, in a second part, to diachronic and synchronic analysis of  literary texts translations.
Teaching methods
Conferences
Evaluation methods
Written examination at the end of the semester, as for the August/September session.
Other information
If the health situation requires it, both the courses and the written tests may be held remotely.
Online resources
/
Bibliography
  • ETKIND, Efim, Un art en crise – Essai de poétique de la traduction poétique, Lausanne, L’Âge d’Homme, 1982
  • OSEKI-DÉPRÉ, INÊS, Théories et pratiques de la traduction littéraire, Paris, Armand Colin, 1999
Faculty or entity
> LSTI


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in French and Romance Languages and Literatures : French as a Foreign Language
FLE2M
5
Master [120] in Translation
TRAD2M
5