From translation zone to sacrifice zone

Abstract

Abstract One of the most extreme challenges facing humanity at present is the climate crisis. Responding appropriately to this crisis requires a fundamental re-examination of received ways of thinking about translation, among other things. Contrasting the eco-minor with the eco-major mode of representing ecological crisis, we argue for the importance of minority perspectives in developing an expanded remit for translation studies in the context of the climate emergency. The concepts of relational and situational minority are advanced to explore how indigenous translation hermeneutics can inform climate debates. In line with environmental debates around the importance of ‘thinking outdoors’, we advocate for a notion of ‘translating outdoors’ and seek to incorporate this line of enquiry into the development of the concept of the city as more-than-human translation zone. In the coming age of extreme climate conditions, no socially responsible understanding of translation can afford to ignore ecological perspectives on the practice.