Lesson 05
Lesson 05
Level: L3
Semester: 05
a close approximation to ST structure, often with scholarly footnotes. This type of translation
will often be used in an academic or legal environment and allows the reader closer access to
the language and customs of the source culture.
2.2.Dynamic equivalence
Dynamic, later ‘functional’, equivalence is based on what Nida calls ‘the principle of
equivalent effect’, where ‘the relationship between receptor and message should be
substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptors and the message’.
(Nida 1964a: 159).
The message has to be tailored to the receptor’s linguistic needs and cultural expectation and
‘aims at complete naturalness of expression’. ‘Naturalness’ is a key requirement for Nida.
Indeed, he defines the goal of dynamic equivalence as seeking ‘the closest natural equivalent
to the source-language message’ (Nida 1964a: 166, Nida and Taber 1969: 12). This receptor-
oriented approach considers adjustments of grammar, of lexicon and of cultural references to
be essential in order to achieve naturalness. The TT language should not show interference from
the SL, and the ‘foreignness’ of the ST setting is minimized (Nida 1964a: 167–8) in a way that
would be criticized by later culturally-oriented translation theorists.
2.3.Successful Translation According to Nida
For Nida, the success of the translation depends above all on achieving equivalent effect or
response. It is one of the ‘four basic requirements of a translation’, which are:
Making sense.
Conveying the spirit and manner of the original.
Having a natural and easy form of expression.
Producing a similar response.
Although dynamic equivalence aims to meet all four requirements, it is also a graded concept
since Nida accepts that the ‘conflict’ between the traditional notions of content and form cannot
always be easily resolved. As a general rule for such conflicts, Nida considers that
‘correspondence in meaning must have priority over correspondence in style’ if equivalent
effect is to be achieved.
3. Pym’s ‘Natural’ and ‘Directional’ Equivalence
Within a genuine approach to equivalence in translation that challenges traditional ideas
about “equivalence” as an essential standard for translation, Anthony Pym, an Australian
scholar and theorist in translation studies, introduced the concepts of “natural and directional
equivalence” to analyse different approaches to translation:
Course: Translation
Level: L3
Semester: 05
3.1.Natural Equivalence
Natural equivalence refers to a situation where two languages have expressions or structures
that can be considered "naturally equivalent," meaning that they convey the same meaning
directly, with little to no adjustment needed. It’s a focus on finding equivalents that feel
inherent to both languages, allowing the translator to work with terms or phrases that seem
“already equivalent.” Natural equivalence assumes that the same concept exists in both
languages and that it can be conveyed similarly without extensive changes, making translation
more direct and straightforward (Pym 2014:20-6). For example, translating “apple” as
manzana in Spanish, where a one-to-one equivalent exists.
3.2.Directional Equivalence
Directional equivalence, by contrast, acknowledges that translation often involves
directional or cultural adjustments to achieve equivalence. Here, translation flows in a
"direction" from one language to another, requiring context-based adaptations. This approach
accepts that natural equivalents might not exist for certain ideas, idioms, or structures, and thus
the translator must create a contextually equivalent expression in the target language (Pym
2014:38-24). For example, translating a cultural idiom like "like a bull in a china shop" may
require a different phrase to convey "clumsy, reckless or dangerous person / (adv.) recklessly,
clumsily" in languages, such as Arabic, where this specific image does not exist.
3.3.Key Differences
Natural equivalence is based on the belief that languages contain inherent equivalents,
so translation relies on finding pre-existing matches.
Directional equivalence sees translation as inherently transformative, where the goal
is not to replicate words directly but to guide meaning across linguistic or cultural
differences.
Pym’s distinction offers a way to think about the translator’s role in crossing between what
is "naturally" equivalent versus what requires deliberate choices to capture meaning accurately
across languages.
References:
1. Nida, E. A. (1964) Toward a Science of Translating.
2. Nida, E. A. and C. R. Taber (1969) The Theory and Practice of Translation.
3. Halverson, S. (1997) The concept of equivalence in translation: Much ado about something.
4. Pym, A. (2014) Exploring Translation Theories - Second edition.