Third Spaces, Mimicry and Attention to Ambivalence

Abstract

It has long been acknowledged that the disciplines of translation studies and cultural studies have much in common, yet little critical attention has been paid to the ways in which theorists from both disciplines borrow and adapt terms from each other in order to develop their own domains of enquiry. This paper focuses on the influence of cultural studies theorist Homi K. Bhabha on translation studies, outlining and critiquing current usage of concepts connected with ‘hybridity’ and the ‘in-between’. In particular, it examines Michaela Wolf’s exploration of the third space, contrasting her spatial interpretation of the term with Bhabha’s own emphasis on its temporal aspect, and suggesting a number of reasons why Wolf’s reading might be viewed as problematic. In addition, the paper outlines a variety of new modes of application of Bhabha’s theories to translation studies. These include imitating his mode of reading when studying source texts and translations, and exploring the relevance to the translation process of the notion of a time-lag between event and enunciation.

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