Since the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for...Show moreSince the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for the stylistic features of the source text, and these are therefore largely lost. For a text which relies heavily on stylistic features, such as poetry, this means that a word-for-word translation can actually be an impediment to a full appreciation of the text. Philology and its translation methods originated in the nineteenth century, but more recently, starting from around the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the field of translation studies has given rise to alternative ways of thinking about translation. Translation theory has concerned itself with such matters as how best to maintain stylistic features and which word choice might be the most appropriate given the text as a whole. Thus, it seems that there is an opportunity here for a productive cooperation between philology and translation studies. This thesis summarises translation theory which is relevant to the translation of Old English poetry, and directly demonstrates the relevance of translation theory to philology by putting it into practice in the translation of the Old English poem, Deor.Show less
