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 Offers of Opportunity: Function-Added Bible Translation and Language Promotion

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-49
Author(s):  
Andrew Maust
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Local Language ◽  
Extrinsic Value ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
To Come ◽  
Language Promotion

Bible translation presents local-language communities not only with “offers of information” but opportunities to promote the target language through adoption of advances in the fields of translation studies, exegesis, and biblical studies. Drawing on skopos theory, this paper encourages communities to include within their translation brief the explicit goal of taking advantage of such opportunities to the end that translators are freed up to transcend the exegetical and translational choices imposed by a language of wider communication. In so doing, the local language will add additional functions as well as intrinsic and extrinsic value to the target text. Finally, potential objections to such an approach are forestalled by addressing sociolinguistic factors with which translating communities will have to come to terms.

scholarly journals A History of Twentieth Century Translation Theory and Its Application to Bible Translation

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Andy Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Present State ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Profound Impact ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In ◽  
Theoretical Developments

This article studies the development of twentieth century translation theory. This was a period during which significant theoretical contributions were made in both secular and Bible translation circles. These contributions have had a profound impact on the practice of translation throughout the twentieth century and since. The individuals who contributed to the present state of translation theory worked in both secular and Bible translation circles and this article examines contributions from both. A select history of theoretical developments, focusing on the most important ideas relevant to Bible translation work is given in order to examine the impact of such theories in the practice of Bible translation. These include the philosophical approaches of the early twentieth century; the linguistic era of the 1950s and 1960s; the rise of functionalism and descriptive translation studies; and, finally, the emergence of postcolonial and related foreignising approaches.

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 Translation quality in English-Arabic translation of tourist texts: A product perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Mutahar Qassem ◽  
Lamis Ali ◽  
Nabil Muhayam
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Arabic Translation ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Translation Quality ◽  
Arabic And English ◽  
Main Ideas

Translation of tourist texts engenders textual, linguistic and cultural hurdles before achieving translation quality, which has not been given due account in translation studies. To bridge this gap, this study aimed to assess postgraduates' performance in translation of tourist texts from English to Arabic and vice versa, using a translation task (Arabic and English tourist texts) and a questionnaire. The questionnaire took a form of a 5-point Likert scale in which the students rated the texts they translated. Further, it retrieved information about translation time and postgraduates' translation experience. Findings revealed low translation quality and inappropriate use of translation procedures in rendering the tourist texts into English and Arabic. The postgraduates encountered hindrances in formulating the main ideas of the source text (ST), composing the target text (TT) and communicating the TT to the target language (TL) readers. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications have been discussed.

scholarly journals جوانب نصية في دراسات الترجمة الحديثة / Textual aspects in Modern Translation Studies

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majdi Haji Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Text Linguistics ◽  
Translation Quality ◽  
Text Types ◽  
Hermeneutic Approach ◽  
Traditional Language

ملخص البحث: يهدف هذا البحث إلى عرض بعض الجوانب النصية المستقاة من لغويات النص في دراسات الترجمة الحديثة على المستويين النظري والتطبيقي. ويبدأ بتقديم أهم الأسباب والدوافع وراء تحول دراسات الترجمة الحديثة من الاعتماد على النظريات اللغوية التقليدية إلى الاعتماد على النظرية التأويلية التي تدعو إلى اعتماد النص وحدة الترجمة الأساسية، ثم ينتقل إلى الحديث عن أنماط النص في الترجمة للتأكيد على ضرورة استيعاب كمالية النص الأصلي من أجل خلق كمالية النص المترجم. وأخيراً، يقدم البحث المعايير النصية التي اعتمدها روجر بيل من أجل قياس جودة الترجمة. وجدت الدراسة أن النظرية التأويلية في دارسة الترجمة اليوم أثبتت جدارتها وتفوقها على النظريات اللغوية التقليدية، من منطلق أن الترجمة لا توجد قبل النص، وعلى هذا الأساس فإن النص في عملية الترجمة يجب أن يكون وحدة الترجمة، وليست الكلمات والجمل المنفردة، وأن نظرية الترجمة بحاجة إلى ماسة إلى النظرية التأويلية.   الكلمات المفتاحية: المدخل التأويلي- أنماط النصوص-القصد- المقبولية – البينصية.   Abstract: The paper aims to present theoretically and practically some of the textual aspects derived from text linguistics in modern translation studies. It points out the impetus that led translation studies to turn to textual unit as the focus after relying sometimes on traditional language theories. It discusses text types in translation to ensure the absorption of every aspects of the source text to produce its reflection in the target text. Another textual aspect touched by the paper is the standards of textuality which became a foundation in Bell’s assessment scheme for translation quality. The paper concludes that the hermeneutic theory had managed to gain considerably solid footing in translation studies over the traditional linguistic theories, since there will not be a translation without a text, therefore text should become the focus of translation theory no single words or phrases.   Keywords: Hermeneutic approach – Text types – Intentionality – Acceptability – Intertextuality.   Abstrak: Kajian ini menumpukan secara teoretikal dan praktikal terhadap beberapa aspek tekstual yang dirumuskan daripada bidang teks linguistik dalam kajian penterjemahan moden. Ia menjelaskan tentang sebab yang mendorong kajian penterjemahan moden untuk berpaling kepada teks sebagai unit tumpuan kajian setelah beberpa ketika memberikan perhatian kepada dapatan teori-teori bahasa tradisional. Ia membicarakan jenis-jenis teks dalam terjemahan untuk memastikan pencernaan setiap aspek tekstual teks asal untuk dilahirkan semula dalam teks sasar. Aspek tekstual lain yang dibicarakan dalam kajian ini ialah piawaian tekstual yang menjadi asas kepada skima penilaian kualiti terjemahan yang dicadangkan Bell. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa teori takwili telah diberikan tumpuan yang lebih penting dalam kajian penterjemahan daripada teori bahasa tradisional memandangkan terjemahan itu sendiri tidak akan terhasil tanpa teks. Ini memberikan satu sebab untuk memberikan keutamaan kepada teks dalam terjemahan dan bukan perkataan atau frasa.   Kata kunci: Pendekatan takwili – Jenis-jenis teks – Tujuan teks – Penerimaan teks – Hubungan antara teks.

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>

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.

In Pursuit of the Perfect Bible: Attitudes to Bible Translation in Hellenistic Judaism

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-379
Author(s):  
Carsten Ziegert
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
Literal Translation ◽  
Hebrew Scriptures ◽  
Respective Author ◽  
Hellenistic Judaism

This article investigates attitudes to Bible translation as mirrored in the Letter of Aristeas, Philo’s treatise On the Life of Moses, and the prologue to the book of Ben Sira. In each of these documents, its respective author reflects on the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. The author of the Letter of Aristeas was concerned about a possible revision of a translation that was highly esteemed and tried to preserve it by alluding to the “canon formula” (Deut 4.2). Philo considered the Greek Torah as divinely inspired, presuming a strictly literal translation which was the perfect image of its source text. The article mentions today’s followers of these two writers whose views can be criticized from the point of view of modern translation theory. The translator of the book of Ben Sira, on the other hand, showed a balanced opinion which can serve as a model for today’s Bible translators.

scholarly journals How Much “Translation” Is in Localization and Global Adaptation?

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Olaf Immanuel Seel
Keyword(s):  
Translation Studies ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Adaptation Studies ◽  
Skopos Theory ◽  
Methodological Tool

The aim of this article is to contribute to the discourse by clarifying the extent to which complex intersemiotic action can still be regarded as translation. This will be shown by two of its major representatives (i.e., localization and [global] adaptation), both of which constitute contested issues in translation studies research with regard to their conceptual belonging. Functional translation theory will be employed to achieve this aim. Employing functional translation theory will show that the decisive criterion for the conceptual affiliation of any intersemiotic action to translation is whether or not it constitutes a predominantly language-based text-to-text transfer. Finally, given its successful implementation, this paper proposes functionalist skopos theory as one possible interdisciplinary methodological tool for intersemiotic action that is not only useful for translation studies but could also be useful, if accordingly adapted, for other neighboring disciplines, such as, for example, adaptation studies.

Semiotics East and West: an aesthetic-semiotic approach to translating the iconicity of classical Chinese poetry

Semiotica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangxu Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Chinese Poetry ◽  
Semiotic Approach ◽  
Classical Chinese ◽  
Classical Chinese Poetry ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Sacrifice

Abstract For some Western translators before the twentieth century, domestication was their strategy to translate the classical Chinese poetry into English. But the consequence of this strategy was the sacrifice of the ideogrammic nature of these poems. The translators in the twentieth century, especially the Imagist poets and translators in the 1930s, overcame the problems of their predecessors and their translation theory and practice was close to that of the contemporary semiotic translators. But both Imagist translators and contemporary semiotic translators have the problem of indifference to the feeling of the original in their translations. For the problem of translating the classical Chinese poetry by the Westerners before the twentieth century and the Imagist poets and translators of the twentieth century, see Zhao and Flotow 2018. This paper attempts to set up an aesthetic-semiotic approach to the translation of the iconicity of classical Chinese poetry on the basis of the examination of both Eastern and Western translation studies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document