old concePTs, new Ideas: aPPRoaches To TRanslaTIon shIfTs

This paper traces the development of the translation shift concept from its origins in the linguistics-oriented era of translation studies to its current revival in computer-based approaches: after a presentation of the traditional approaches by John C. Catford, Jean-Paul Vinay and Jean Darbelnet, Eugene A. Nida, and Kitty van LeuvenZwart, several recent studies that have integrated the concept of translation shifts are introduced and discussed. This comparison of old and new approaches reveals that the attitudes towards shifts have changed from mildly prescriptive to neutrally descriptive. The paper concludes with a general evaluation of the place of linguistic approaches in translation studies.