Call for Papers

In 1921, Walter Benjamin wrote the essay “Die Aufgabe des Übersetzers” as an introduction to his translation of Tableaux parisiens by Charles Baudelaire. Published in 1923 and translated by Harry Zohn in 1968 as “The Task of the Translator,” it has since been widely circulated among scholars and become one of the most frequently cited works in the fields of translation, literature and cultural studies. The reading and interpretation made by Paul de Man and Jacques Derrida further ushered in “the cultural turn” of translation studies in the 1980s and 1990s, a theoretical and methodological shift in translation studies from more rigid equivalence-oriented theories to cross-discipline explorations. Translation studies has subsequently drawn upon and contributed to the fields of cultural studies, gender studies, post-colonial discourse, and so forth, yielding fruitful research results.

The year of 2021 marks not only the centennial celebration of Benjamin’s essay on the translator’s task, but also the 25^th anniversary of the International Symposium on Translation and Interpretation. Therefore, the conference theme is “the task of the translator,” on the one hand dedicated to salute and honor Walter Benjamin and on the other hand taken as an opportunity to encourage broader discussions on current translation and interpretation praxis, researches and teaching in a post-modern, post-colonial, post-global, post-humanist context today.

Over the past hundred years we have witnessed some of the most profound changes in human history. For instance, one hundred years ago, the term “computer” means a person performing the task of mathematical calculations, rather than a machine. Will one day the so-called “translator” no longer primarily mean “human translators or interpreters” but “machine translator,” as today’s translators are working in an era of the rapidly developing AI technology. What are their tasks or vocational callings? Technological impact also has a direct impact on the training of a translator and interpreter. Perhaps there is no better time than now for us to engage in a “kairotic” dialogue with Walter Benjamin about language, translation, interpretation and technology. We welcome any papers related to the conference theme. Possible topics of investigation may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

If you are interested in presenting your work in this conference, please submit an abstract (about 500 words) in Chinese and/or English with a filled Paper Submission Application Form (downloadable at http://english.scu.edu.tw/?p=3349&lang=en) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by March 1^st, 2021. Click here to download the application form.

Please note: This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures, a pre-recorded presentation will be provided by authors with accepted papers who are unable to attend the conference due to travel bans, home quarantine (either government-enforced or locally monitored), and self-health monitoring.

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: March 1^st, 2021

Abstract acceptance notification: March 15^th, 2021

Full paper submission deadline: May 1^st, 2021

Conference date: June 5^th, 2021

Contact Information

Willis Liao

Department of English Language and Literature

Address: No. 70, Linxi Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei City 111, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Phone: +886-2-28819471 extension 6486

Fax: +886-2-28817609