Starting to Unask What Translatology Is About1

Target ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans J. Vermeer
Keyword(s):  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Secondary Importance ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Reception Aesthetics

Abstract The author presents his strictly functional theory ("Skopos Theory") of translation. Acting is primarily conditioned by a "purpose" and the nature of the intended addressees. The source text wording is of secondary importance. The functional skopos model allows the translator freedom to act as an expert and gives him responsibility for his approach. Modern research in reception aesthetics, neurobiology, philosophy and other disciplines confirms the contingency and relativity of all human behaviour. The author briefly discusses several new brain theories and Dawkins' "meme" concept and some of their implications for translating.

Skopos translation theory, text-types, and the African postcolonial text in intercultural postcolonial communication

Babel ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph N. Eke
Keyword(s):  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Text Types ◽  
And Function ◽  
Communicative Exchange ◽  
Single Statement

The Postcolonial text is a political and ideological text that is differentiable in translation. This is because of its location in the dialogic and discursive communicative exchange between former coloniser and former colonised cultures and societies. This communicative exchange takes place in the situation and condition of asymmetrical relations and relations of inequality and involves the contestation of histories, cultures, meanings, identities and representations. The functionality of the postcolonial text with its message is fixated on this dialogue and discourse; and each postcolonial text is a single statement directly and specifically responding to this dialogue and discourse in some way. This paper examines the African postcolonial text* and its communicative location in the light of postcolonial theory and the possibility offered by the skopos functional theory in translation to set aside the purpose and function of the source text intended by the author. Using Chinua Achebe’s texts, It would conclude that the mediatory role of the translator in the dialogic and discursive exchange between former coloniser and former colonised cultures and societies need not become interference in the application of the skopos theory.

scholarly journals SKOPOS THEORY: A PRACTICAL APPROACH IN THE TRANSLATION PROCESS

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ika Kana Trisnawati
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Practical Approach ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
Specific Guideline ◽  
Skopos Theory

Numerous criticisms have been addressed toward the application of Skopos theory within translation studies. Issues such as vague concepts of translation, ‘dethroning’ the source text, oversimplification and inapplicability to achieve equivalence for literary and religious texts are some of many critiques for Skopos theory. In addition, from a student’s perspective, it is argued that there is no specific guideline to carry out the theory. However, here, I would like to present my perspective as a student practicing translation as well as a brief overview of Skopos theory, its criticisms as well as its usefulness in actual implementation.

scholarly journals Verbal and verbal-visual logico-semantic relations in picturebooks: an English-Portuguese parallel corpus study

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-76
Author(s):  
Adriana Silvina Pagano ◽  
Flavia Ferreira de Paula ◽  
Kícila Ferreguetti
Keyword(s):  
Text Analysis ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
Semantic Relations ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Corpus Study ◽  
Visual Texts ◽  
Parallel Corpus ◽  
Visual Text

This article presents and explores a methodology to analyze verbal and verbal-visual logico-semantic relations (LSRs) in picturebooks originally written in English and their translations into Brazilian Portuguese. Drawing on systemic-functional theory (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014) and on Visual Grammar (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006), verbal and visual text in picturebooks was annotated and analyzed according to the LSRs identified in them. Results showed differences between the type of LSRs that tend to occur most frequently in verbal-visual texts and in clause complexes: while Expansion_Extension is the most frequent verbal-visual LSR in both the source text and the translated text, Projection_Locution is the most frequent LSR in clause complexes, in the source and translated texts as well. The study contributes a proposal to categorize LSRs in verbal text and LSRs in visual and verbal text that proves to be fully operational for annotation purposes and text analysis.

scholarly journals TRANSLATOR’S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM

2015 ◽  
pp. 107-111
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Original Text ◽  
Source Text ◽  
The Past ◽  
Translational Activity ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Stone Walls ◽  
Communicative Role

In a globalizing competitive world, the communicative role of the translator in the tourism sector as a mediator between cultures and languages is essential with respect to the presentation of country‟s remarkable attractions and heritage. This study aims to explore in what ways the production or rewriting of the original text, based on the purpose and the function of the translational activity, enables the full appreciation of the inestimable reminiscences from the past. Turkish texts on two of the historical masterpieces in Istanbul are chosen to compare with their English versions. This analysis is carried out within the frame of Skopos theory which views translation as a cultural act to reveal behavioral patterns specific to the culture under consideration. The validity of the translator‟s decisions depend on not only whether the source content is transferred or not but also the strategy applied, i.e. the skopos of the action in relation to the expectations and needs of the assumed audience precedes the mode of the action and a redefinition of the relevance of certain source textual elements becomes necessary so as to attain a functional transfer (Vermeer 2004; Reiss & Vermeer 2014). In the analysis, it is observed that the translator remains faithful to the source text which means to place the tourist audience on the periphery; for instance, he/she would find it interesting to be informed about the architectural design of the building mentioned in the Turkish text, but he/she would be even more eager to discover the real stories and secrets hidden behind the stone walls, which may be included in the translator‟s narration. One of the aims of translating tourism texts is to represent a country‟s distinctive cultural identity that offers new traditions and opportunities, so there is a leeway for the translator to move away independently from the source text and use his craft to reconstruct a target text more appealing to the tourist.

scholarly journals Translation of Corporate Promotional Materials in View of Skopos Theory

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Jing Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Formal Equivalence ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Promotional Materials ◽  
Equivalence Theory

<p>Chinese businesses have realized the importance of publicity in foreign markets. However, the translation of Chinese corporate promotional materials is not of high quality so far. Problems in the translation may be caused by multi-facet factors, but the influence of formal equivalence theory on translators can be a big cause. Skopos theory shift translators’ attention from loyalty to the source text to the purpose of the target text, shedding a new light to translation studies. This paper discusses the application of Skopos theory in the translation of Chinese corporate promotional materials and explores the strategies and methods of translating corporate promotional materials from Chinese to English.</p>

scholarly journals Faithfulness in the Translation of the Holy Quran: Revisiting the Skopos Theory

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401987301
Author(s):  
Noureldin Mohamed Abdelaal
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Level ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Holy Quran ◽  
Primary Meaning ◽  
The Holy Quran ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The One ◽  
Definition Of

Faithfulness and equivalence are two issues that gained the attention of many scholars in the translation field. It has always been presumed that a faithful translation is the one that could achieve equivalence at its maximum level. However, one theory of translation, namely, the Skopos theory, suggests that the aim or Skopos of a translation should be the target of a translator. Adopting such a theory, equivalence does not mean sameness; it rather means achieving the least dissimilarness. In relation to this, a translation of the Holy Quran is supposed to target conveying the primary meaning of the source text (ST) and its function rather than unachievably aiming at rendering its stylistic features. This study aims to highlight the problems faced in the translation of some verses of the Holy Quran and how they can be handled from a different theoretical and practical perspective and in regard to the Skopos theory. To this end, six verses ( ayahs) from the Chapter of the Heights and the Chapter of Cattle were purposively selected and analyzed. Frequent problems and loss in translation were found in the translations of Abdel Haleem, Pickthall, Shakir, and Sarwar. This study, guided by the Skopos theory with some modifications, suggests a new perspective in the translation of the Holy Quran. It also provides a more applicable definition of faithfulness in the translation of the Holy Quran.

scholarly journals Function + Loyalty: Theology Meets Skopos

Open Theology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Nord
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
God's Word ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Main Ideas

AbstractBible translation is traditionally in the hands of theologians, whose focus is on the meaning of the source text rather than on what modern readers are able to understand. This paper attempts to show where translation theory, or more specifically, the Skopos theory of translation, may help Bible translators to produce texts that “work” or “function” for the intended audience without betraying their trust that they are reading God’s word in their own language. After a brief overview of the development of Translation Studies, we shall take a quick look at some guiding principles of Bible translation, as explained in prefaces of modern versions, before presenting the main ideas of Skopos theory and illustrating them by a few examples from the New Testament. The conclusion will sum up the fundamental hypotheses of the skopos-theoretical concept “Function + Loyalty.”

scholarly journals Qur’anic Allusions in Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley: Comparing Two Arabic-English Translations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najla R. Aldeeb
Keyword(s):  
Arabic Literature ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Holy Quran ◽  
English Translations ◽  
Egyptian Culture ◽  
The Holy Quran

The Holy Quran is a crucial text in the Arabic culture, and hence the Arabic literature uses it extensively. As a hypertext, the Quran transcends its function in the Arabic culture, and Qur’anic verses and phrases serve in literary works as pieces of advice and expressions of wisdom. This paper aims to compare the two English translations of Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley (1947), by Trevor Le Gassick (1966), and Humphery Davies (2011). The paper examines the rendition of allusions to Quran and explores the strategies deployed by the translators. The language used in the source text reflects the culture in which it is born and determines the ideologies of its users. Before Mahfouz won the Noble Prize in 1988, the Westerners were prejudiced “against Arabs and Islam,” and they considered Arabic literature as embargoed (Said, September 17, 1999). The paper hypothesizes that the purpose of the two translations of Midaq Alley is to transfer the Egyptian culture to the target reader (TR). The underpinning approach is skopos theory, whose principles are: skopos, coherence, and loyalty (Nord, 2018). The paper queries how loyal each translator is to the ST and ST author to achieve functional adequacy. One finding shows that Le Gassick renders the Quranic allusions literally ignoring the SC; however, Davies either uses cultural equivalents or resorts to paraphrasing, reducing the image to its sense. Second, the new translation of Davies transfers the Qur’anic culture-specific images feasibly. Finally, not recognizing the pictures and their functions in the ST affects their interpretations negatively.

Doping effects on the geometric and electronic structure of tin clusters

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (44) ◽  
pp. 24478-24488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Gleditzsch ◽  
Marc Jäger ◽  
Lukáš F. Pašteka ◽  
Armin Shayeghi ◽  
Rolf Schäfer
Keyword(s):  
Density Functional Theory ◽  
Electronic Structure ◽  
Density Functional ◽  
Beam Deflection ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Doping Effects ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Trajectory Simulations

In depth analysis of doping effects on the geometric and electronic structure of tin clusters via electric beam deflection, numerical trajectory simulations and density functional theory.

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