Science Development and the Role of Translation in the Process of Knowledge Exchange

Abstract

The present article is dedicated to the development of science, its spread from Europe to other countries of the world, knowledge exchange and the role of translation. In these processes, translation was one of the important factors, thanks to which it became possible to spread scientific achievements, which originated mainly in European countries, from Europe to other regions of the world, in which translation played one of the main roles. In order for scientific achievements to become accessible to other nations, all this had to be presented in a language they could understand. The article presents an interesting model of scientific progress and knowledge spread proposed by the researcher George Basalla. The article discusses the scholar’s three-phase model of knowledge spread, where it is described how, in what way and by whom scientific achievements were transferred from Europe to other continents. It is also discussed how colonial science became an independent science in different countries, which ultimately, made these countries advanced. The achievements of European science were translated into the language of those nations where these innovations reached in different ways. This is where the great role of translation lies in the process of science development and knowledge exchange.