Absence of translation equivalence: A blessing in disguise

Against a variegated backdrop of pronouncements on translation theory, description and practice, the aim of the present paper is twofold. First, premised on a general definition of “research model” (Chesterman, 2000), it examines how the “instrumental model” of translation (Venuti, 2017) underpins the widely held view that the absence of cross-lingual equivalence poses problems for the translator. Second, it explores how the alternative “hermeneutic model” of translation (Venuti, 2017) engenders new ways of experiencing the absence of equivalence across the source and the target language, and raises awareness about the visibility and agency of the translator.