Traduction et traductibilité chez Jacques Derrida.

Abstract

We are presenting here, in three chapters centered around the notions of sign, translatability and context, a synthesis of Derrida's ideas about the theorization of translation. His thorough reading sheds light on the metaphysical, rather than purely scientific, ground of linguistics and semiotics, as well as on the fundamental role the idea of translatability plays in Western thinking. The two theological models of translatability are also considered, i.e., the logocentric and the Babelian approach, which opens up a paradoxical perspective, where translation appears to be at once necessary and impossible. This paradox emphasizes the intrinsically human dimension of translation, which then becomes a tool for knowledge, human exchanges, responsibility and creativity in attributing meaning and direction. We are finally presenting the new conceptual tools Derrida offers in respect to sign, reading, and writing, tools which reveal the complexity of the subject, but, conversely, position the translator's decision making and responsibility at the heart of the issue.