Towards a more comprehensive theoretical framework for translator style

Abstract Translator style is one of the two major focuses of corpus-based translation studies, alongside features of translated language. A critical examination of existing definitions and studies of translator style reveals that two crucial dimensions of the concept tend to be neglected: (1) the potential for a translator’s way of translating to vary across their works and change over time, and (2) specific aspects of a translator’s style that are similar to those of other translators. This article discusses the extent to which the metaphors for translator style capture the characteristics of the concept. It proposes a revised definition of translator style that highlights changes over time as an important trait. The proposed definition also emphasises that shared stylistic elements among translators may constitute part of an individual translator’s overall unique style. In light of this definition, the identification of a translator’s style does not have to rely on comparing the works of different translators. This article demonstrates how this framework can be used to investigate a single translator’s style by analysing Howard Goldblatt’s translation style through explicitation and implicitation in his translations of reporting verbs in Mo Yan’s novels, both collectively and over time.