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Target
Vol. 20:1 (2008) ► pp.135–149

A missing link in Itamar Even-Zohar’s theoretical thinking

| Lingnan University, Hong Kong
According to Itamar Even-Zohar, for a large social entity to be maintained, a culture repertoire must be invented to create internal cohesion and external differentiation, and from this repertoire certain items are chosen to build a collective identity. In contrast, imported items, if regarded as threats to this identity, may meet with resistance. This theory may shed light on Even-Zohar’s hypotheses that the “normal” position assumed by translated literature in the literary polysystem tends to be a peripheral one, and that translation tends towards acceptability when it is at the periphery.
Keywords: culture repertoire, cohesion, resistance, polysystem, translated literature, centre, periphery, adequacy, acceptability
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.Culture repertoire, cohesion and cultural identity
  • 2.Cultural resistance to imported repertoires
  • 3.Imported items as cultural goods and cultural tools
  • 4.Even-Zohar’s two hypotheses again
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 26 May 2008
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https://doi.org/10.1075/target.20.1.08cha
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