Abstract

Translation and Hermeneutic PhenomenologyThe problem of translation has been reflected since the antiquity but it became a special field of research only later within the "traductorolgie" and the translation studies. Applying Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology, the author suggests that translation in the narrow sense is felt also at the level of translation in a broader sense, that is, of mutual understanding within the same linguistic community; thus, it could serve as a model par excellence for the European community. In accordance of Paul Ricoeur's conception of "originary affirmation" and language hospitality, he argues that translation has not only ethical but also political implications: Matured by its century-long history of conflicts and wars, Europe is called to become a translator and mediator of the world and to promote the encounter between cultures, religions and nations with an active peace-policy, especially in the Mediterranean region and the Balkans.