The co-editor introduces the main topic of the monographic number of the journal entitled “Writing and translating” and publishing the contributions held during a symposium on 10th May 2004 in Trieste. The “writing scenery” (of the “author”) is set against the “translating scenery” (of the “translator”): What does to translate really mean? What happens when translators “write”? Is the translator a sort of double of the author? From a Romantic point of view, authors and translators are very close to each other. On the other hand the main translating concepts of the XX century are influenced by language scepticism and the aspiration to a pure language.
