Indeterminacy of Translation

Understanding the Indeterminacy of Translation

The indeterminacy of translation is a philosophical concept proposed by Willard Van Orman Quine. It suggests that it is impossible to uniquely determine the correct translation of a sentence from one language to another, even with complete knowledge of the languages and the physical world.

Key Concepts

At its core, the theory argues that observable evidence is insufficient to fix the meaning of words and sentences. Quine uses thought experiments, like the hypothetical linguist encountering a foreign language, to illustrate this point.

The Argument

Quine’s famous example involves the word ‘gavagai’ (a rabbit in the fictional language). A linguist observing a rabbit and hearing ‘gavagai’ might translate it as ‘rabbit’. However, it could equally mean ‘undetached rabbit part’, ‘rabbit stage’, or ‘rabbit-simulacrum’. All these translations are consistent with the observed evidence. This highlights the underdetermination of meaning by data.

Implications

The indeterminacy of translation has profound implications for:

• The nature of meaning in language.
• The possibility of objective knowledge about language.
• The relationship between language, thought, and reality.

Challenges and Misconceptions

A common misconception is that it implies all translations are equally valid or that meaning is arbitrary. Instead, it suggests that while multiple translations might be empirically indistinguishable, this doesn’t preclude practical communication or the establishment of useful translation manuals.

FAQs

Q: Does indeterminacy mean translation is impossible?
A: No, it means there isn’t a unique translation dictated solely by evidence. Practical translation is still possible.

Q: What is ‘underdetermination’ in this context?
A: It refers to the idea that the available evidence does not uniquely support one theory (or translation) over others.