Article in:
Translation Spaces
Vol. 10:2 (2021) ► pp. 329–348

Maze-walkers and echoborgs

Reflections on translator metaphors

| York University
The article fills a gap in the existing array of translation metaphors by introducing maze-walkers as a metaphor for translators at work. Ten similarities and five dissimilarities between translating and walking through a hedge maze are discussed. Translators’ control over their actions is compared to that of maze-walkers and of four other metaphorical agents: stage and musical performers, puppeteers, echoborgs and ghost-writers. Most existing metaphors convey attitudes toward translations and translators, whereas the maze-walking metaphor captures the varied actions of a translating translator. The metaphor may be of value to anyone explaining translation to students.
Keywords: mazes, metaphors, choice, voice, pedagogy
Published online: 02 September 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.21001.mos
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