Introduction: Journal Publication and Translation Studies

Abstract

Translation studies has developed exponentially over recent years, particularly since the 1980s, and journals on translation have played a critical role in shaping and promoting the discipline as we know it today. A plethora of new journals devoted to publishing research findings in this field have sprung up, and perhaps what is less apparent is the fact that many other journals on humanities, social sciences, management, and even clinical medicine also publish articles related to translation. Translation studies has developed so rapidly because scholars of other disciplines are, in various ways, engaged in discussing issues related to translation, due to its interdisciplinary nature and strong theoretical relevance to other related felds. Translation has always influenced other disciplines, but only in recent years has translation studies developed and expanded its scope and also been greatly enriched by borrowing from other disciplines; as a result, it has gradually become increasingly interdisciplinary. However, translation studies can be the victim of its own success. The very identity of the discipline can be endangered so as to raise questions about its legitimacy and validity. While scholars of diferent backgrounds talk about translation, there seems to be insufficient genuine dialogue between them, and mutual understanding is yet to be established.