Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Series | Book | Chapter

206210

Absence and presence

translators and prefaces

Michelle Bolduc

pp. 351-375

Abstract

Based on Bolduc's experience of translating an "absent" preface—that is, the preface written by Chaïm Perelman to his Empire rhétorique (1977) but omitted from the English translation, Realm of Rhetoric (1982)—she explores here the play of absence and presence in relation to the genre of the preface and the practice of translation. Perelman's preface, and its absence in the English translation, raises questions not only about the nature of the preface in philosophical works, but also about the nature of the translator preface in philosophical translation. Moreover, Perelman's own definition of "presence" as essentially rhetorical offers both an elucidation of why his preface was not initially translated, and a means of evaluating, and even constructing, the presence of the translator.

Publication details

Published in:

Boase-Beier Jean, Fisher Lina, Furukawa Hiroko (2018) The Palgrave handbook of literary translation. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 351-375

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75753-7_18

Full citation:

Bolduc Michelle (2018) „Absence and presence: translators and prefaces“, In: J. Boase-Beier, L. Fisher & H. Furukawa (eds.), The Palgrave handbook of literary translation, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 351–375.