This article explores the relationship of truth and fiction through three case studies of imagined translation used to construct worlds. The first is The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, who presents the work as a translation of an ancient text. The second and third are both theological metaphors: imagining teaching as translation, and offering translation as a model for inter-religious dialogue. Comparing these cases extends the theory of world-building—most commonly associated with fantasy and science fiction—into a tool for reflecting on institutions and their structures. The case studies offer insights on negotiating relationships across difference, and on the fabrication of difference itself.

中文翻译：

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信仰转换：虚构的真相与世界建设，从指环王到神学机构

本文通过三个用于构筑世界的想象翻译的案例研究来探讨真理与虚构的关系。第一个是JRR Tolkien的《指环王》，他将这部作品呈现为古代文字的译文。第二个和第三个都是神学的隐喻：将教学想象为翻译，并提供翻译作为宗教间对话的典范。比较这些案例可以将世界建构理论（最常与幻想和科幻小说联系在一起）扩展到反思机构及其结构的工具中。案例研究提供了关于跨差异谈判关系以及差异本身构成的见解。