Using Vladimir Nabokov as its “case study,” this volume approaches translation as a crucial avenue into literary history and theory, philosophy and interpretation. The book attempts to bring together issues in translation and the shift in Nabokov studies from its earlier emphasis on the “metaliterary” to the more recent “metaphysical” approach. Addressing specific texts (both literary and cinematic), the book investigates Nabokov’s deeply ambivalent relationship to translation as a hermeneutic oscillation on his part between the relative stability of meaning, which expresses itself philosophically as a faith in the beyond, and deep metaphysical uncertainty. While Nabokov’s practice of translation changes profoundly over the course of his career, his adherence to the Romantic notion of a “true” but ultimately elusive metaphysical language remained paradoxically constant.

Like previous collections based on congresses of the European Society of Translation Studies (EST), this volume presents the latest insights and findings in an ever-changing, ever-challenging domain. The twenty-six papers, carefully chosen from about 140 presented at the 4th EST Congress, offer a bird's eye view of the most pressing concerns and most exciting vistas in Translation Studies today. The editors' final choices reflect a focus on quality of approach, originality of topic, and clarity of presentation, and aim at capturing the most salient developments in the contemporary theory, methodology and technology of TS. As always in EST, the themes covered relate to translation as well as interpreting. They include discussion of a broad range of text-types and skopoi, and a diversity of themes, such as translation universals, translation strategies, translation and ideology, perception of translated humor, translation tools, etc. Many of the papers force us to take a fresh look at seemingly well established paradigms and familiar notions, while also making recourse to work being done in other disciplines (Semiotics, Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Contrastive Studies).

Like previous collections based on congresses of the European Society of Translation Studies (EST), this volume presents the latest insights and findings in an ever-changing, ever-challenging domain. The twenty-six papers, carefully chosen from about 140 presented at the 4th EST Congress, offer a bird's eye view of the most pressing concerns and most exciting vistas in Translation Studies today. The editors' final choices reflect a focus on quality of approach, originality of topic, and clarity of presentation, and aim at capturing the most salient developments in the contemporary theory, methodology and technology of TS. As always in EST, the themes covered relate to translation as well as interpreting. They include discussion of a broad range of text-types and skopoi, and a diversity of themes, such as translation universals, translation strategies, translation and ideology, perception of translated humor, translation tools, etc. Many of the papers force us to take a fresh look at seemingly well established paradigms and familiar notions, while also making recourse to work being done in other disciplines (Semiotics, Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Contrastive Studies).

In an age where art history’s questions are now expected to receive answers, Richard Shiff presents a challenging alternative. In this essential new addition to James Elkins’s series Theories of Modernism and Postmodernism in the Visual Arts, Richard Shiff embraces doubt as a critical tool and asks how particular histories of art have come to be. Shiff’s turn to doubt is not a retreat to relativism, but rather an insistence on clear thinking about art. In particular, Shiff takes issue with the style of self-referential art writing seemingly 'licensed' by Roland Barthes. With an introduction by Rosie Bennett, Doubt is a study of the tension between practicing art and practicing criticism.