Revisiting the Cultural Turn in Translation Studies

Abstract

Abstract. This paper critically reviews the existing controversies over the cultural turn in Translation Studies by discussing the three major doubts cast onto this theory. The researcher begins by reviewing the background of the theory before analyzing the nature of the theory with an elaborate discussion on a religious translation dilemma. It is found that as a significant approach to Translation Studies, the cultural turn theory enables researchers to focus on the greater contextual factors influencing translatorial behavior rather than being myopic of the linguistic details. The paper thus contributes to a better understanding of the importance of using the theory as an analytical tool in translation research and an enhanced awareness of integrating text with context when studying translation.