IS THE TRANSLATOR JUST A LANGUAGE MEDIATOR? THE ACTIVE (ACTIVIST) ROLE OF THE TRANSLATOR IN MODERN TRANSLATION STUDIES

For much of the 20th century, translation studies conceptualized the translator as an invisible, neutral conduit who faithfully transfers meaning from a source to a target language. However, the cultural and social turns of the 1980s and 1990s radically reshaped this view. Drawing on the work of Lawrence Venuti, Mona Baker, Maria Tymoczko, and others, this article argues that the translator is inevitably an active participant – and often an activist – in the production of meaning, identity, and ideology. Using a qualitative meta-analysis of key theoretical texts and case studies from conflict zones, postcolonial contexts, and gender studies, the paper examines how translators make visible choices that can reinforce or challenge dominant power structures. Results show that activist translation strategies include interventionist techniques such as resistive translation, paratextual commentary, and collaborative authorship. The discussion highlights the ethical tensions involved, especially when activist stances conflict with professional codes of neutrality. The conclusion calls for a more nuanced understanding of the translator as an ethical agent who navigates between linguistic fidelity and socio-political responsibility.