Summary

Even-Zohar's polysystem theory moves the study of translations out of a static linguistic analysis of shifts and obsession with one-to-one equiva­lence and into an investigation of the position of translated literature as a whole in the historical and literary systems of the target culture. Toury then focuses attention on finding a methodology for descriptive translation studies. His TT-oriented theoretical framework combines linguistic com­parison of ST and TT and consideration of the cultural framework of the TT. His aim is to identify the patterns of behaviour in the translation and thereby to 'reconstruct' the norms at work in the translation process. The ultimate aim of DTS is to discover probabilistic laws of translation, which may be used to aid future translators and researchers. The exact form of ST-TT comparison remains to be determined; scholars of the related Manipulation School led an interplay of theoretical models and case stud­ies in the 1980s, among which was Lambert and van Gorp's systematic 'scheme' for describing translations. Chesterman has later developed the concept of norms.

Further reading

For a summary of the influence of the Russian Formalists on polysystem theory, read Genztler (1993: 118-15). Selected writings in English translation are to be found in Matejka and Pomorska (1971). For further reading on polysystem theory see Even-Zohar (1978, 1990). For further discussion on norms, see Komissarov (1993), Hermans (1996), Nord (1997) and Pym (1998). For the Manipulation School and other descriptive approaches, see the collec­tion of papers in Hermans (1985a). Also refer back to chapter 4 to van Leuven-Zwart (1989, 1990). Related work by Lefevere is discussed in chapter 8.