Western Translation Theory from Herodotus to Nietzsche offers the most comprehensive collection of translation theory readings available to date, from the Histories of Herodotus in the mid-5th century to the end of the 19th century. This work provides a rich panoply of thinking about translation across the centuries, covering such topics as the best type of translator, problems of translating sacred texts, translation and language teaching, translation as rhetoric, translation and empire, and translation and gender. This pioneering anthology contains over 140 texts with 30 new ones included in this edition. 21 texts by 18 authors appear here for the first time in English translation. Every entry includes a bibliographical headnote and footnotes. Intended for classroom use in History of Translation Theory, History of Rhetoric, or History of Western Thought courses, this anthology is also key reading for scholars of translation and those interested in the intellectual history of the West.
Douglas Robinson is Professor of Translation Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and author or editor of 13 Routledge books, including Becoming a Translator, Translation as a Form, Critical Translation Studies, Translationality, Priming Translation, and The Behavioral Economics of Translation.
Editor’s Preface to the 2026 EditionAcknowledgments for the 2026 EditionEditor’s Preface to the 1997, 2002, and 2015 Editions Acknowledgments for the First Three EditionsPhilosophersBiographies
"This revised and expanded edition of Douglas Robinson’s seminal anthology Western Translation Theory from Herodotus to Nietzsche is extremely welcome as the field of Translation Studies seeks to expand its conception of translation theory and of who is authorized to theorize. The inclusion of more women translator-theorists and of more translator-theorists from Eastern Europe make it an invaluable resource for researchers and educators alike." Brian Baer, Kent State University