Although academic discussions of translation have been radically reshaped by recent theoretical developments, questions of ‘right or wrong, ’ ‘better or worse, ’ continue obstinately to crop up, especially in cultural settings where there is room for opinion and debate. This timely collection, which brings together celebrated translators, eminent figures from translation studies, and new researchers, offers an interlocking range of contexts, purposes, focuses, and media within which general claims of translation quality can be re-examined. The book covers several related areas, including: a strong focus on the translator as a writer and as a person * a critique of translators’ moral and political choices * an exploration of historical forces that impinge on the translation process * accounts of new developments in technical translation, audience reactions, new technologies * some ingenious ways of handling profane and taboo languag