Ecotranslation : a journey Into the wild through the road less travelled

Abstract

How and when are ecological values born? Which is the human perspective of the natural world and how is this conveyed through language? How are current environmental issues represented and subsequently transmitted through translation into new cultural spaces where other values prevail? As a cultural construct, ecology is an interdisciplinary aspect of environmental studies, which have gradually pervaded and affected various (if not every) domain in culture over the past fifty years. This same period has witnessed the development of translation studies and their subsequent shift towards the cultural studies. Considering that translation is in itself the epitome of cultural transference, and it is thus a crucial discipline in the realm of the ecological movement, this paper aims at looking into the complexities of transnational environmental relationships established by translation and exploring how established models can be torn down and rules can be rewritten through paradigm shifts generated by means of translation. Thus, we have structured our work in four main sections: ecological thought throughout history, the language of nature, ecocriticism, and ecotranslation. The latter, as a linguistic ecological practice, is illustrated by three case studies. Our objectives arise from the fact that we have surveyed much literature where, owing to different reasons including the historic period in which the translation was made, mistranslations have silenced the voice of nature. We believe that uniting ecology and translation may present a new approach to translating, contribute to foster debate on ecological issues, and eventually raise awareness and generate change.