translation studies - Facultatea de Litere - Dunarea de Jos

Foreword
confront with and which determine their ideological choices and their models. Hence, the
focus in the paper on the twentieth-century “masters” who, from Kirkegaard to Nietzsche
or to Heidegger, created the theoretical systems favouring the movement of literature and
of all arts towards problematic representations of human ideas. (Doinita Milea, Ph.D. is a
professor in Romanian and comparative literature; she works at the “Dunărea de Jos”
University of Galaţi; contact: doinita.milea@ugal.ro)
In Strategii comunicaţionale subversive în vremuri de cenzură. Parodierea
clişeelor, Gina Necula starts from the premise that it is a trite to say that the political
discourse makes use of language for persuasive and manipulative purposes. Looking back
at the communist discourse, she underlines its tendency to forcing language into patterns
meant to hide a terrible reality and notices that the only way language could defend itself
against excessive use of cliché is by means of an ironical approach of reality. Thus, she
aims to prove that literature has a significant role in exposing the policy of the communist
wooden language in its attempt to manipulate people’s thought and behaviour. In this
respect, parody proves to be an appropriate instrument of communication and collaboration
between the author and the reader, as parodic contexts help to de-construct this particular
kind of discourse, showing up its phoniness. (Gina Necula, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer and
she works at the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi; contact: ginanec@yahoo.com)
Through their paper, Zbor deasupra… postmodernismului ca sală a oglinzilor,
Steluţa Stan and Ioana Mohor-Ivan wish to provide a guide through the true Babel tour
of the new “permanently contemporary” culture, in which voices are connected
dialogically, in simultaneous consensus and disagreement, to trace the intricate paths of a
journey crossing the land of structuralism, post-structuralism, semiotics and
deconstructivism, in the famous and disconcerting company of such postmodern (quasi-)
idols such as Lyotard, Jameson, Eagleton, Callinicos, Harvey, Berman, Graff or Kipnis.
Theirs is an indispensable guide for whoever is fascinated, puzzled or exasperated with the
mirror chamber that we got used to calling postmodernism. (Steluţa Stan, Ph.D. is a senior
lecturer and she works at the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi; Ioana Mohor-Ivan,
Ph.D., specialist in Irish studies, is an associate professor; she works at the “Dunărea de
Jos” University of Galaţi; contacts: stelutastan@yahoo.com, ioana_mohor@yahoo.com)
All in all, the second edition of the International Conference on Translation
Studies: Retrospective and Prospective Views – TRAS.RE.P. 2 enjoyed the participation of
academics, first and second year master students and professional translators from
Romania and from some of the neighbouring countries in south-eastern Europe who,
through their presentations, have explored various zones in the scope of translation studies
and have shared their opinions regarding a wide range of topics to a larger community of
researchers holding similar concerns.
The project director and conference manager, Professor Floriana Popescu, PhD, and
the conference co-manager and conference volume editor, Senior lecturer Gabriela Iuliana
Colipcă, PhD, express their gratitude towards the ANCŞ, the agency sponsoring the
publication of the current volume, towards professor Viorel Mînzu, the rector of the
“Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi, towards professor Nicolae Ioana, the dean of the
Faculty of Letters and, last but definitely not least, towards professor Elena Croitoru, the
director of the research centre for their permanent support in the endeavour of initiating,
organizing and unfolding of the conference programme.
Galati, November 2007
Gabriela Iuliana Colipcă
Conference co-manager and conference volume editor
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