Translation as craftsmanship

Abstract

The paper provides new theoretical considerations on translation, with particular attention to translation of classical texts, and translation of ancient drama. In particular, the paper reviews the scholarly conundrum of “naturalizing” vs. “estranging” translations. The paper suggests to regard the question in Ferdinand de Saussure’s terms, separating langue and parole, and argues in favour of translations that preserve the poetic parole of the source text while respecting the contemporary langue of the target text.