Abstract

The importance that Deleuze attributes to syntax, as that which tends towards the movement of the concept, along with his analyses of the different ways in which English and French relate to « becoming », form the basis on which this article investigates the question of whether a « theory of translation » can be found in Deleuze’s thought. In this perspective, we examine the intersection between several key concepts in Deleuze’s philosophy and theories of translation dealing with the comparative syntax of English and French. Analysis of the concepts of actualisation, virtual and actual, as used by both Deleuze and comparative syntax theorists, indicates that the internal temporality Deleuze attributes to language would play a critical role in translation.