Retranslation per se is not a new phenomenon; it has, in fact, always existed but has been considered an epiphenomenon of translation. But the wave of retranslation occurring at the beginning of the 21st century has a different cast: retranslation is now motivated by translatorly concerns, reflecting translators' deliberate adherence to postulates developed over the history of translation and based on explicit knowledge of different ways of translating. These varied postulates – deeply rooted in the century – all find justification, although they may be contradictory.