The Translator’s Hand

Abstract

The study of the works translated by Belleforest during a quarter of a century reveals, unsurprisingly, a lack of reflection on the crucial question of “fidelity”. On the other hand, he is very eloquent on the reasons for this practice and its objectives. This is because his conception of the role of translator goes far beyond a conveyor of texts and ideas. His escort speeches in particular reveal that he conceives the translator as a collaborator of the foreign author or even a second author, whose authority is asserted in many ways until to imagining himself as an author of full exercise.