Norme e natura nei Translation Studies

This essay highlights the theoretical tension between the concept of the norm and another notion which has recently generated interest within Translation Studies: the notion of universal. The tension between the concept of norm and the concept of universal arises because the existence of norms implies situations which allow for different kinds of behaviour, while the notion of universal in translation theory implies invariable behaviour. The essay is an attempt to establish what we mean by the terms "norm" and "universal" in Translation Studies, in order to identify the nature of "translation universals".