Interdisciplinary exchange and multicultural complementarity of translation studies in the age of globalization: an interview with Professor José Lambert

Abstract

ABSTRACT Translation studies (TS) has undergone remarkable disciplinary expansion since the 1990s. However, this can be argued to question the identity of TS as an autonomous discipline due to the deviation from the ontology of TS. Interactions between TS and other disciplines have indeed generated new academic paradigms and research methodologies. In this regard, Professor José Lambert elaborates on the interdisciplinarity of TS from a global perspective and illustrates the intricate relationships among TS, comparative literature (CL), literary studies, sociology as well as world literature (WL). How TS has functioned in constructing a certain culture or cultural phenomena is also discussed in this interview. Concepts such as ubiquity and invisibility are explored in connection with the mobility of languages. These may contribute to a redefinition of the concept of translation in the context of globalization or “mass media age”. José Lambert also suggests that collective research can be an effective solution for scholars in TS to conduct their research in an efficient way.