The Margins of Translation in the East Asian Context
University of Mons (Belgium), 28 October 2025
This conference is the first of a biennial conference cycle launched by the ChinEAsT (Chinese and East Asian Languages, Translation and Cultures) laboratory of the University of Mons.
As one of the most significant topics to have emerged in the field of translation studies, the concept of “margins” is both intriguing and intricate. In its most fundamental sense, the term denotes the vacant spaces that encompass a text. In the figurative sense, however, it also symbolizes the scope for creativity and interpretation available to the translator during the translation process.
The act of translation is a complex, creative process that requires a keen understanding of cultural nuances, intertextuality, and contextual references (sometimes conveyed by idioms). This is all the more true in the East Asian context, since historically China, Japan and Korea, due to their relative isolation, have developed cultures that are markedly different from those of the West. Consequently, translators working with East Asian languages are frequently confronted with challenging decisions that may, at times, appear to deviate from the literal interpretation of the source text.
The concept of margins is indeed linked with the notions of fidelity and adaptation. As a matter of fact, it is often in the “margins” that ambiguity reigns, forcing the translator to navigate the complexities of stylistic and cultural choices and draw the line between fidelity to the source text and adaptation to the target culture. What is the role of the translator as an interpreter of the author’s intentions? By manipulating the margins of the translation, can a translator risk distorting the original message? This raises a crucial question: to what extent can a translator deviate from the source text without compromising the integrity of the translation? As we can see, the margins of translation encompass not only linguistic considerations, but also ethical and philosophical implications.
The margins of translation also address the question of how the text is received by its new audience. Each translation constitutes a discrete iteration of the text, shaped by the socio-cultural context in which it is produced. The way readers perceive the translation is contingent upon the decisions made by the translator in these margins, which can impact the interpretation and appreciation of the text. In this way, the margins become spaces for dialogue, wherein the translator, as an intermediary between the original author and the new target readership, can facilitate cultural transfers and exert influence over the meaning and effect that a text will have.
Essentially, the margins of translation thus represent a space for reflection and creation, in which linguistic, cultural, and ethical concerns converge. They permit an understanding of translation beyond the act of linguistic transfer, as a human activity replete with meaning and interpretation. The margins of translation also lead to think about the very nature of translation and the responsibilities incumbent on the translator. They can become channels of inventiveness, through which the translator becomes a true creator.
For this inaugural conference, we encourage researchers and translators working with East Asian languages and with an interest in the marginal aspects of translation to share their observations and research. No limit is imposed to the exploration of the margins of translation, and the list of areas of study below is purely indicative:
1. Geographical margins: the literature of minorities or those considered as such, as well as those of exile.
2. Textual margins: the role of peritext, paratext, and critical commentary in the process of translation.
3. Linguistic margins: translating interactions between the dominant language and its local and dialectal variants, or translating literature exclusively written in dialect.
4. Chronological margins: the impact of sequels or adapted texts on the choices made in translation.
5. Sexual margins: the specific considerations involved in translating texts that explore sexuality, including erotic literature and alternative sexuality (including those identified as LGBTQQIAAP).
6. Political margins: the translation of texts that express dissent or a militant commitment, and the ethical issues that arise in such cases.
7. Teaching margins: the translation of texts that are not included in the curriculum, or have become obsolete, for example, to contribute to the history of science.
8. Margins of the act of translating: texts that are deemed untranslatable.
9. Literary margins: the category of so-called paraliterature, which includes genres that are considered “minor” (SF, fantasy, mystery, horror, romance, comics, graphic novel…).
Contributors are encouraged to engage in reflection and discourse on the study of these margins in their multifaceted diversity.
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Abstracts (in English) of 300 words (excluding bibliography) should be submitted to chineast@alumni.umons.ac.be by 15 March 2025.
You will be informed of the outcome of your submission by early May.