Review of Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Pathways of Translation: Issues of Language and Communication, by Piotr de Bończa Bukowski

Abstract

This critical review presents and comments on the Polish work Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Pathways of Translation: Issues of Language and Communication, written by Piotr de Bończa Bukowski. The publication takes a chronological and interdisciplinary perspective on the work of Friedrich D. E. Schleiermacher (1768-1834), pointing out translation paradigms and their interfaces that were problematized by the theorist in his texts. Bukowski identifies Schleiermacher as a fundamental scholar for any theory of translation, not only for his specific contributions on translation methods, but also for his broader reflections on philology, hermeneutics, dialectics, and the philosophy of religion. The multidisciplinary appreciation of the German theorist's work allows us, as translators, to understand the construction of modern translation theories. It also reveals that multiple areas of knowledge are involved in the act of translation, providing a retrospective view of the construction of the field and offering a rearticulated perspective on current translation practice.