A Micro- and Macro-Level Descriptive-Analytical Study of Translation Criticism in Iran: Are We Moving within a Framework?

The present corpus-driven study addresses the current situation of translation criticisms published in print or online in the Iranian media. A sample of 17 criticisms (roughly 68,000 words altogether) from a variety of valid media outlets was compiled. Having been categorized into those with, and those without an explicit theoretical framework, the criticisms were examined on two levels: firstly, on a micro-textual level to ascertain their degree of subjectivity as well as the general features and secondly, on a macro-textual level, the aim of which was to find out the overall organizational pattern(s). The results showed that only 17 percent of the criticisms had been carried out within an explicit theoretical framework. The microtextual analysis indicated that, despite being unsystematic, the criticisms’ degree of subjectivity is relatively low: 0.81 percent in the first and 2.8 percent in the second category. The macro-structural analysis revealed interesting similarities and differences within and between the two categories, most strikingly the resemblance between the macro-textual structure of criticisms with an explicit framework and that of academic papers. The findings of this study might contribute to the literature on translation criticism and review in terms of both theory and practice.