Edwin Gentzler
Encyclopedia
Edwin Gentzler is an American
Germanist, comparative literature
and translation scholar.
, Gambier, Ohio
in 1973. After studying Germanistics at the Free University of Berlin
, 1974-1977, Gentzler obtained his PhD
in Comparative Literature
in 1990 at the Vanderbilt University
, Nashville, Tennessee
. Since 1994 Gentzler works at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
, Department of Comparative Literature, where he lectures in Translation Technology, Translation Studies, Translation and Postcolonial Theory, General Education in Comparative Literature; he heads the Translation Center.
He has translated into English works of Manfred Jendreschik, Axel Schulze, Helga Novak and Eberhard Panitz.
He is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association
, polysystem theory, and deconstruction, all of which began in the mid-1960s and continue to be influential today. He explores the strengths and weaknesses of each method, tracing the connections among the different schools of thought. Illustrating the importance of translation theory to the current debates in cultural studies
, Gentzler raises theoretical questions challenging assumptions of the leading translation theories.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Germanist, comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
and translation scholar.
Biography
Gentzler first obtained his BA in English at Kenyon CollegeKenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
in 1973. After studying Germanistics at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
, 1974-1977, Gentzler obtained his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Comparative Literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
in 1990 at the Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Since 1994 Gentzler works at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
, Department of Comparative Literature, where he lectures in Translation Technology, Translation Studies, Translation and Postcolonial Theory, General Education in Comparative Literature; he heads the Translation Center.
He has translated into English works of Manfred Jendreschik, Axel Schulze, Helga Novak and Eberhard Panitz.
He is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association
Thought
In his work Contemporary Translation Theories (2001) Gentzler examines modern approaches to translation studies, such as the translation workshop, the science of translation, translation studiesTranslation studies
Translation studies is an interdiscipline containing elements of social science and the humanities, dealing with the systematic study of the theory, the description and the application of translation, interpreting or both these activities....
, polysystem theory, and deconstruction, all of which began in the mid-1960s and continue to be influential today. He explores the strengths and weaknesses of each method, tracing the connections among the different schools of thought. Illustrating the importance of translation theory to the current debates in cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
, Gentzler raises theoretical questions challenging assumptions of the leading translation theories.
Works
- Translation and Identity in the Americas: New Directions in Translation Theory. London: Routledge, 2008.
- Contemporary Translation Theories. London & New York: Routledge, 2001.