It is my aim in this paper to sketch the “somatic theory” of translation presented by Douglas Robinson. It is symptomatic, in my view, that the theory has not progressed far beyond general formulations and serves merely as a largely unspecified background, or “undercurrent” (Robinson’s phrase), in various case studies. I propose to show that this state of affairs does not result from Robinson’s negligence or theoretical narrowness (among translation theorists, he is surely one of the most productive and versatile authors). Rather, the very conception – based on the insights developed in phenomenological hermeneutics – does not allow of a straightforward development and application.
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