An overarching account of relevance-theoretic applications to the study of translation and interpreting

This introductory chapter aims to present a current snapshot of Relevance Theory (RT)–oriented works on the practice of translation and interpreting (T&I), and thus to illustrate the explanatory potential of Sperber and Wilson’s theory in providing a cognitively based account of interlingual communication in various settings. We begin by showing how the application of the theory has shed light on key issues in T&I Studies. Special attention is given to how Gutt’s notion of T&I as an act of interlingual interpretive language use – based on the concept of interpretive resemblance – has been espoused and challenged over the past 30 years. Overall, the discussion builds on the developments sketched out for T&I in an attempt to flesh out the theoretical and methodological implications of RT-informed approaches to T&I, as well as their applications in terms of training and practice. The concluding remarks include some thoughts on what the future might hold for work in the RT applications to mediated communications, with a view to sparking a debate and further investigations. Some of these potentially fruitful avenues in the quest for a unified account of the cognitive dimensions of T&I are included in this volume.