Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship
Connecting Scholarship, Scripture, and Society

Translation and Cognition
3-5 June, 2010

Hosted by the University of Murcia in Murcia, Spain

With the cooperation of
United Bible Societies
SIL International
Society of Biblical Literature
University of Urbino

Conference Organizers
Stefano Arduini (University of Urbino)
Steve Berneking (Nida Institute)
Jose María Jimenez Cano (University of Murcia)
Juan Antonio Cutillas Espinosa (University of Murcia)
Robert Hodgson (Nida Institute)

Registration and Administration
Dulce Alvarado (Nida Institute)

Scientific Committee
Simon Crisp (United Bible Societies)
Edwin Gentzler (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Bryan Harmelink (SIL International)
Siri Nergaard (Universities of Bologna and Florence; Høgskolen i Vestfold in Norway)
Michele Prandi (University of Bologna)
Kent Richards (Society of Biblical Literature)
Ana Rojo (University of Murcia)
Phil Towner (Nida Institute)
Javier Valenzuela (University of Murcia)

Rapporteurs
Tomás Albaladejo (Madrid)
Jill Levine (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Phil Noss (Nida Institute)
Anthony Pym (Tarragona)

  Plenary Speakers
David Tuggy (SIL, Mexico)
Maria Tymoczko (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Javier Valenzuela (University of Murcia)

Theme of 2010 Conference
The theme of the Murcia Conference, “Translation and Cognition,” occupies a dominant place in the fields of Translation Studies, Linguistics, Brain Research, Psychology, and Cognitive Studies. This theme is indicated by the important research that the humanities and neuro-sciences are conducting on the relationship between mind, language and communication. The conference will explore multiple intersections of the fields of Translation and Cognition, including Meaning and Translation, Constructions of the Mind and Translation, Culture and Translation, Discourse Studies, Cognitive Linguistics, and the Neurological bases of Cognition and Meaning.  Following the conference, the Nida Institute will publish a collection of essays, as well as a DVD with interviews and video clips of the major presentation. The conference will also post video and audio on YouTube.com in rooms available to a worldwide public.

Beginning already in 2001, the American Bible Society, the University of Murcia, the Centre for Culture, Communication, and Translation (CETRA), the University of Urbino, and other academic institutions began a program of cooperation and collaboration at the highest level of research and didactics. This collaboration took the form of international conferences in 2001, 2004, and 2007, designed to explore vital and timely topics for the theory and practice of all forms of translation (literary, technical, technical, audio-visual, multimedia, interpreting).

The conference of 2001 convened in New York City around the theme of Similarity and Difference in Translation. The proceedings of this conference appeared under the same name, edited by Stefano Arduini and Robert Hodgson, and are available from Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura in a 2007 edition.  In 2004, the second conference took place in Rome, at the University of Rome, La Sapienza, and explored the theme of Technology and Translation. Select papers from this conference were edited by Steve Berneking and Scott Elliott and published in 2009 by Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura in Rome, under the title Translation and the Machine.

In 2007, the third conference took place in Lima, at San Marcos University. The theme of the Lima Conference, “Translation, Identity, and Heterogeneity,” has a special importance today because communication, language, and translation have found new frames of reference in a post-modern world characterized by globalization, immigration, and localization. The Lima Conference explored many aspects of this theme, including translation and minority languages, translation and the emergence of new languages (creoles, pidgins, street-languages), translation and boundaries, translation and inner cultural space, translation and cultural mediation, translation and the politics of language.  A collection of papers on this theme is presently being edited by Scott Elliott.

In conjunction with the 2010 Murcia Conference, the 2010 Nida School for Translation Studies will meet in an abbreviated format after the Conference itself concludes.  The dates for the 2010 Nida School are 6-12 June, 2010.  The theme of the School will focus on Translation and Meaning. Prof. Maria Tymoczko, one of the featured lecturers at the Conference, will also serve as a special guest lecturer for the School. Applications for the Nida School will be accepted beginning in the fall of 2009. Details on the application process and deadline will be announced.

The Murcia Conference is the fourth in this series organized and supported by the Nida Institute.

Call for Papers
The program will consist of three plenary addresses and small group lectures.  Please submit proposals for the lectures that meet the above criteria in Spanish or English by 31 March, 2010 to Steve Berneking (SBerneking@americanbible.org) as an email attachment in either MS Word or RTF.  Kindly limit your proposals to no more than 350 words.  The Scientific Committee will assess the proposals and return its decision by 15 April, 2010.  Early submissions are encouraged.

Registration Information
To register for the Conference send your name, institution, email, and phone to Dulce Alvarado (DAlvarado@americanbible.org).

The Conference Fee includes registration and conference materials.  Fees are as follows:
• 120 Euros for General Registration
• 65 Euros for Students