The aim of this presentation is to argue for an approach to translation research integrating/bridging the divide between the descriptive, theoretical and applied branches of Translation Studies (TS). Based on a perspective of translation as crosscultural communication centered on language and as a professional activity where the translator makes decisions, the branch of Applied Translation Studies (ATS) is seen not just as an 'extension' of the 'pure' branches of TS (Theory and Description), or one where theoretical statements based on the results of descriptive studies are transmitted in a unidirectional way (Toury 1995: 17-19). Rather, the applied strand of TS covering translation teaching and practice, translation quality assessment, the development of translation aids, etc., is effectively incorporated in the disciplinary core of TS, providing a site for testing theoretical statements, identifying problems and providing explanations to be fed into the theory.
Angliciste à l’Université de Trieste, Federica Scarpa est professeure titulaire à l’École supérieure des langues modernes pour interprètes et traducteurs. Elle y enseigne la traduction spécialisée de l’anglais vers l’italien au sein de la Section langue et traduction du Département de sciences du langage, de traduction et d’interprétation. Auteure de nombreux articles, elle publie en 1999 La traduzione specializzata. Le lingue speciali e la mediazione linguistica, chez Hoepli (Milan), puis La traduzione specializzata. Un approccio didattico professionale, dont la version française (La traduction spécialisée. Une approche professionnelle à l’enseignement de la traduction) paraît en 2010 aux Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa.
