Translation history is sometimes presented solely as the history of translation theory, but this leaves large areas of territory unexplored and unaccounted for. Ideally it combines the history of translation theory with the study of literary and social trends in which translation has played a direct or catalytic part. It is the story of interchange between languages and between cultures and as such has implications for the study of both language and culture. It pays attention to the observations made by those who were involved in translation processes and by people whose brief it was to comment on the finished product or the context of the translation activity. Closely allied to literary history, translation history can describe changes in literary trends, account for the regeneration of a culture, trace changes in politics or ideology and explain the expansion and transfer of thought and knowledge in a particular era. It may also be used as a tool to open up the study of similar texts across cultures, or of the same text through time. It is surprisingly relevant to many areas of literary study, and absolutely central to some.

It goes without saying that each culture will have its own particular translation history according to the historical and political events that have shaped it. What we should be discussing here perhaps are translation histories, since the term in the singular suggests that there is a fixed sequence of events from which we can draw universally applicable conclusions, and this is not the case. There are of course periods in history featuring translation that are common to many cultures. The expansion of the Roman empire, for example, the Ottoman empire, the invention of printing or the Reformation all had impact on most areas of Europe and its translation activities. Other continents will have experienced other invasions, other advances in technologies, other religions. Events like these are always good points of departure for research, but their effect on an individual culture varies according to the local context. The problem is to find a way through the maze of historical material and emerge triumphant with specific information relating to case studies in translation. Before attempting to navigate the way, it might be a good idea to ask what exactly is the purpose in studying translation history.

责任编辑：admin