Rethinking translation through relational theories : Chinese classics meet feminist new materialism
Marín Lacarta, Maialen (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Data:	2026
Descripció:	18 pàg.
Resum:	This article develops a relational theory of translation by bringing classical Chinese philosophy into dialogue with feminist new materialism, thereby opening new ground for (feminist) translation studies through the creation of innovative connections across geographically and chronologically distant epistemologies. Drawing on the foundational Daoist philosophical text Zhuangzi and Karen Barad's agential realism, it introduces the co-action paradigm (inspired by Mercedes Valmisa, 2021, Adapting: A Chinese Philosophy of Action, New York: Oxford University Press), a set of relational concepts that reframe translation as an adaptive, ethically charged process. Each concept (including adapting, things' powers, entanglements, intra-action and no-method) is contextualised through examples from paratextual analysis, fieldwork with translator collectives and secondary literature, therefore illustrating its relevance to translation practice. The co-action paradigm emphasises adaptability and shared agency between human and nonhuman actors. By reversing the usual epistemological direction critiqued by Dipesh Chakrabarty (2000, Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference, Princeton: Princeton University Press) - using classical Chinese thought as a starting point - the article advances a framework attentive to the entangled powers of texts, tools, and other agents. It positions translation as a co-active process shaped by context, materiality, and ethical responsibility. The proposed concepts are a starting point and call for further development through empirical application and theoretical refinement.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Matèria:	Relational theories ; Classical Chinese philosophy ; Feminist new materialism ; Feminist translators ; Translation process ; Agency ; Ethics
Publicat a:	Feminist Translation Studies, 2026 , ISSN 2994-0443

DOI: 10.1080/29940443.2026.2645550

Disponible a partir de: 2027-03-24 Postprint 19 p, 443.4 KB

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