This is the first English translation of Andrei V. Fedorov's classic
1953 text Vvedenie v teoriiu perevoda / Introduction to Translation
Theory. Fedorov was the first to argue that translation theorizing
should be based on linguistics, due to the fact that language is the
common denominator of all translation. In addition, this text offers a
concise but thorough comparative overview of thinking on translation in
Western Europe and Russia.
The detailed annotations and substantial introduction by the leading
scholar and award-winning translator Brian James Baer inscribe Fedorov's
work in the political and cultural context of the Soviet Union,
highlighting the early influence of Russian Formalism on Fedorov's
thinking. This volume is a model of scholarly translation that fills a
major gap in our understanding of Soviet translation theory, which will
compel a rethinking of current histories of the field.
Contributing to the important work of internationalizing and generating
new histories of translation studies, this volume is key reading for
scholars and researchers of the history, theory, and politics of
translation studies; comparative literature; and Russian and Slavic
studies.