Translation as Position: Emily Wilson's Translation of the Odyssey.

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University.

Abstract

The Odyssey is a classic text of undisputed importance and eternal relevance. It has been translated over and over into countless languages. Emily Wilson's translation of the Odyssey published in 2017 created a sensation for being the first translation of the classic epic into English by a woman. Wilson's version is different from the previous translations, all by men, in important respects such as references to slavery especially in relation to women. This article argues that the linguistic choices that Wilson made and which eventually made her translation standout are not related to her gender as a translator, but are rather related to the way she positions herself in relation to the language and culture of both target and source texts. The present article uses feminist translation as a critical approach to explore the cultural and linguistic dynamics at work in d Wilson's version. Sample extracts are provided to demonstrate the difference in trnslayion based on the difference in position.

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