Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to reflect on processes of translation. To this end, it is divided into two parts. The first part provides an in-depth analysis of the central claims made by Walter Benjamin in his seminal essay “The Task of the Translator” (1986 [1968/1955/1923]), also known as “The Translator’s Task” (1997 [1923] & 2021 [2000/1923]), originally published in 1923 under the title “Die Aufgabe des Übersetzers” (1992 [1923]). The paper argues that these claims can be presented, and partially revised, in the form of twenty-five theses. The second part examines some controversial issues arising from the preceding theses. As demonstrated in this section, the careful evaluation of Benjamin’s perspective permits us to shed new light on key issues faced by philosophical and sociological approaches to translation. The paper concludes by suggesting that the critical engagement with the task of the translator illustrates that “trans-ineffability” (that is, the fact that not everything can be expressed “in” language just as not everything can be rendered intelligible “across” languages) is a challenging, but ultimately enriching and empowering, part of the human condition.