Document Type : Translation Studies

Authors

• Ali Arjmandi ¹
• Samar Ehteshami ²

¹ MA Student in English Translation Studies, Translation Studies Department, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Translation Studies Department, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The ecological turn in translation studies subverts anthropocentric perspectives and redefines translation as a multispecies, semiotic process that transcends human language. Eco-translation, a central concept within this turn, extends the field of translation to include non-human actors and ecological networks, allowing for a more inclusive description of meaning-making. Yet this turn has also brought academics a sense of disorientation and solastalgia as scholars have to grapple with the tension between preserving traditional disciplinary boundaries and embracing the expansive horizons of transdisciplinary approaches. The current article traces the ecological turn using Doris Bachmann-Medick’s three-stage model of disciplinary turn: thematic expansion, metaphorical application, and methodological refinement. It maps the evolution of eco-translation from narrowly defined practices focused on ecological themes to a broader, inclusive framework that challenges the field’s traditional foundations. The article also examines the emotional and intellectual consequences of this turn, particularly the solastalgic experience of scholars experiencing the loss of familiar disciplinary contours while adapting to new paradigms.

Keywords

• Eco-translation
• ecological turn
• solastalgia
• paradigm shift
• transdisciplinary approach
• translation studies