Strategies in Literary Translation: A Historical Overview

The monograph offers a systematic historical overview of strategies in literary translation, grounded in the fundamental dichotomy between literal and free methods as a key analytical framework. Starting from theoretical definitions and models of translation, the study traces the development of translation approaches from antiquity to the present day, highlighting the shifting dominance of methods depending on cultural, ideological, and aesthetic paradigms. Special attention is devoted to the role of translation as a rhetorical, theological, and cultural act across different historical periods, from the debates of Cicero and Saint Jerome, through medieval and humanist practices, to modern and postmodern theoretical concepts.
The second part of the study examines the development of literary translation in the South Slavic context, with a focus on its role in shaping cultural and linguistic identity. The concluding chapters comparatively analyze differences in developmental trajectories and dominant translation methods in European and South Slavic contexts, and address contemporary challenges, including the impact of globalization and digital technologies, as well as the redefinition of the translator’s role in the context of machine translation and artificial intelligence. The monograph aims to provide a coherent interpretative synthesis of the history of translation strategies and to contribute to their understanding in contemporary theoretical and practical contexts.