Translation also is a matter of style. The case of Alexander von Humboldt’s translations of Cosmos

This paper illustrates a relative unconsidered aspect of Alexander von Humboldt’s life and work: translation. Humboldt was however very aware of the importance of translation as a way to diffuse geographical knowledge. If this question concerns many actors (translators, editors especially) and draws networks around Humboldt, it is also shaped by an epistemic, heuristic and stylistic issues. This paper will precisely focus on the stylistic aspect of the translation of the Cosmos, Humboldt’s masterpiece.