Translating for progress #137080

In the last decade or so translation handbooks have increased their visibility and today they are featuring prominently in publishers’ catalogues all over the world. A basic Google search makes available dozens of titles, ranging from theoretical or methodological readers1, applied works on practical aspects of translating addressing more or less specialised areas and domains2, language-specific manuals adopting a contrastive approach with a didactic outlook3, and volumes on professional translator training and translation practice developed from a vocational perspective4. The present handbook belongs to the third category, although it does not appear to be entirely geared towards a contrastive approach: rather, it seems to be more informed by a functionalist perspective, which will be discussed shortly. The text has been designed to be used as course book on a one-year translation exam in a postgraduate curriculum offered at the Faculty of Modern Languages at Università Cattolica. Students enrolled in this course do not typically have any background knowledge in translation studies, apart from having being exposed to translation as a language-learning activity in their previous academic career.