Too late to trans-late? On belatedness and translation

ABSTRACT The paper investigates the specific temporal modality of translation identified in the phenomenon of belatedness or delay. As the departure point, it takes Walter Benjamin’s claim that a translation comes later than the original, proposing a literal reading (translation) of the term ‘later’, später. Firstly, I argue that translation cannot be reduced to a mere chronological posteriority and that only a focus on its structural lateness and an intensification of such a lateness can offer an insight into the historical nature of translation. Embracing the Benjaminian perspective, the paper tackles various issues entangled with the theme of belatedness, such as the transformation of the original, anticipation of the future and retroaction on the past. In the final part, the paper shortly discusses the affinity between philosophy and translation through discourse of belatedness.