Translation is a human activity par excellence insofar as we are always in search of meaning, either when speaking to others or within our own internal thought processes, so much so that the Mexican poet and diplomat, Octavio Paz (1914–1998), famously remarked that ‘learning to speak is learning to translate.’ (Burke and Hsia 2007, 11). This process requires, however, that we build bridges over cultural and linguistic divides that may appear impassable at first glance. At the same time, it presupposes that communi- cation is possible even across that divide. This implicitly acknowledges a universal horizon of meaning that all cultures, peoples and languages share in some way. As Giulia Falato comments in her essay, it begins with the dis- covery of the ‘Other’ and the very practical need to conduct ‘negotiations’ to enable that dialogue.