Humanities in the World I (210-0-40)

Topic

Translating the World

Instructors

Sarah Jacoby
8474671304
Department of Religious Studies, Crowe Hall 4-134, 1860 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Office Hours: Wed 1-3pm, Crowe 4-149

Laura Brueck
847/467-4746
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Office 4-427
Office Hours: Varies quarter to quarter, please check with instructor.

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

NOTE: This course is only open to first-year students selected into the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program.

"Without translation, we would be living in provinces bordering on silence." - George Steiner

"Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world." - Italo Calvino

"An act of translation is always an act of betrayal." - R.F. Kuang

"The language of languages is translation." - Ngugi Wa Thiong'o

The world is made of the stories we tell of it, of ourselves, and of each other. To translate, or to retell another's story, in another language, form, or idiom, is at once an act of love and an act of violence. Translation gives us a window into ancient worlds. Empires are built on the backs of translations. Translations can also combat the fragmentation of the world into tribes and nations and point us back towards our common humanity. In this course we will explore the world-shaping force of translation as history, as practice, as art, as power, and as technology. How do translations, in the shape of retellings, continue to shape our understanding of the premodern world? Why was translation so central to the consolidation of power in the age of European colonialism? How have translations of sacred texts participated in and emerged from colonial encounters, and how have we inherited these complicated legacies? How might translation help us decolonize, and to build up an individual and collective politics built on empathy? Is translation gendered? What does a feminist translation practice look like? How is translation changing in the era of AI? Readings and discussions will range from ancient poems written by Indian Buddhist nuns in the centuries prior to the common era, to the Hindu epic the Ramayana, to contemporary speculative fiction. The class will also feature accessible and fun workshops and activities that invite students to explore the art and adventure of translation. Students are not required to have facility with any language other than English.

Registration Requirements

This course is only open to first-year students selected into the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program.

Class Notes

This course is only open to first-year students selected into the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area