Iconic Features of Translation (Essay‪)‬

From a semiotic perspective the text is made of sign material. This means to say that the text, any text whatsoever, is already a translation in itself, is already an interpretation. Translation across languages is a specific case of translation across sign systems, internally and externally to the same historical-natural language. But translation across languages is possible on the basis of language understood as a modeling device, an a priori and condition for verbal language, speech which, instead, arises originally for communication and thanks to the predominance of iconicity in the relation among signs. With reference to literary translation, if we understand 'fidelity' in terms of creativity and interpretation, and not just of imitation, repetition, reproduction of the same, of the 'original' text, a literal copy in another language, the translatant text must establish a relation of alterity with the text object of translation. The greater the distancing in terms of dialogic alterity between two texts, the greater is the possibility of creating an artistic reinterpretation through another sign interpretant in the potentially infinite semiosic chain of deferrals from one sign to the next, to which belongs the so-called 'original.' With reference to Charles S. Peirce's general theory of signs, in particular his triad 'Icon,' 'Index,' and 'Symbol,' if a translation is to be successful in terms of creativity and interpretation, the relation between the text object of translation and the translatant text must be dominated by iconicity. A translation must be at once similar and dissimilar, the same other (see Petrilli 2001). This is the paradox of translation. Therefore a text is at once translatable and untranslatable. This is the paradox of language. 1. Per invisibilia visibilia: iconicity and evasion in the relation among signs and texts