May 2-4, 2014
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
The graduate students in the Comparative Literature and Translation Studies Programs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are pleased to announce the second biennial UMass Amherst Graduate Student Conference in Translation Studies, to be held on May 2-4, 2014.
This conference aims to provide a forum for emerging translators and researchers from diverse backgrounds and academic fields united by a common interest in translation and its broader applications.
We invite submissions of 200-300 word abstracts addressing topics in translation studies, taking into account the interface of text and context, language and culture. Our aim is to blur disciplinary lines and foster dialogue concerning the question of translation and its role in other fields, such as history, sociology, philosophy, communications, information technology and the natural sciences. Translation is a tool for exchanging ideas, whether they be artistic, linguistic, cultural, technical or theoretical. No discipline can escape the use of translation, and every discipline can benefit from it.
Key questions we hope to address include, but are not limited to:
1. Where do we experience translation in our daily lives?
2. What role does translation play in shaping public opinion and cultural discourses?
3. To what extent do translators act as cultural migrants?
4. What can other disciplines offer us in the way of developing theories of translation?
- How does our prior knowledge and personal experience influence how we translate?
- What role does technology play in shaping the role of the translator?
We invite presentations of either ten or twenty minutes. Proposals are due February 20, 2014. Please submit by email to umasstranslationconference2014@gmail.com and please include the title of your presentation, your name, affiliation, and contact information. Participants will be notified of their acceptance in early March.
For more information, please contact Chris Schafenacker at chris.speaks@gmail.com
