Translating transition: The role of translator’s prefaces as mediative paratexts in philosophical translations in 1990s Estonia
Translating transition: The role of translator’s prefaces as mediative paratexts in philosophical translations in 1990s Estonia

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes the function of translators’ prefaces as mediative paratexts within the Estonian cultural and literary context of the 1990s, in the so-called transition period, concentrating on translations of philosophical texts published in the Avatud Eesti Raamat (Open Estonia Book) series from 1994 to 1999. The emergence of translated texts from diverse cultural contexts necessitates a process of mediation, as these texts acquire new and distinctive significance within the target culture. Consequently, the study focuses on paratexts, particularly in relation to prefaces, with the objective of revealing how translators have expressed concerns regarding terminology, fidelity, and cultural positioning within the framework of Estonia’s post-Soviet transition. The analysis indicates that translators’ prefaces mediated access to global philosophical discourse and preserved and innovated Estonian scholarly thought during a time of linguistic and cultural reconfiguration.

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