Translating for progress

In the last decade or so translation handbooks have increased their visibility
and today they are featuring prominently in publishers’ catalogues all over
the world. A basic Google search makes available dozens of titles, ranging
from theoretical or methodological readers1, applied works on practical aspects of translating addressing more or less specialised areas and domains2,
language-specific manuals adopting a contrastive approach with a didactic
outlook3, and volumes on professional translator training and translation
practice developed from a vocational perspective4.
The present handbook belongs to the third category, although it does not
appear to be entirely geared towards a contrastive approach: rather, it seems
to be more informed by a functionalist perspective, which will be discussed
shortly. The text has been designed to be used as course book on a one-year
translation exam in a postgraduate curriculum offered at the Faculty of
Modern Languages at Università Cattolica. Students enrolled in this course
do not typically have any background knowledge in translation studies, apart
from having being exposed to translation as a language-learning activity in
their previous academic career.