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Note Theories of Translation (1)

The document outlines various theories of translation, including Text Type Theory, Translatorial Action Theory, Skopos Theory, Polysystem Theory, and Postcolonial Theory, each with its own characteristics, criticisms, and applications in translation studies. It discusses the importance of context, purpose, and the roles of different participants in the translation process. Additionally, it highlights the ideological implications of translation, particularly in postcolonial contexts, and critiques the power dynamics involved in translating literature from formerly colonized regions.

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4 views

Note Theories of Translation (1)

The document outlines various theories of translation, including Text Type Theory, Translatorial Action Theory, Skopos Theory, Polysystem Theory, and Postcolonial Theory, each with its own characteristics, criticisms, and applications in translation studies. It discusses the importance of context, purpose, and the roles of different participants in the translation process. Additionally, it highlights the ideological implications of translation, particularly in postcolonial contexts, and critiques the power dynamics involved in translating literature from formerly colonized regions.

Uploaded by

vjrnrjfdns
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Theories of Translation

Plan
Introduction
Definition/characteristics
Basic concepts
Test Type Theory /Text Functions
Characteristics/ Criticisms
Definition
Atheory is an explanation of a phenomenon, the •
perception of system and order in something observed.
It exists in the mind. .1
It has no tangible manifestation. •
It is an idea which constitutes the internal representation
of a phenomena
Main Characteristics of a Theory
Ideally, a theory must reflect the following four
particular criteria:
1. Empiricism It must be testable.
2. Determinism It must be able to predict
3. Parsimony It must be simple
4. Generality It must be comprehensive
1- Text type theory
This theory proposed by Katharina Reiss in 1970s. The theory focuses on the
translation of the text and text type. It is based on the concept of equivalence
but views the text , rather than the word or sentence as the level at which
communication is achieved and at which equivalence must be sought. Her
functional approach aimed initially at systematizing the assessment of
translations. It borrows from the (1934/1965) categorization of the three
functions of language by German psychologist and linguist Karl Bühler.
These functions are:
Text Functions: These functions are:

Informative function

Expressive function
Appellative function
Characteristics of Text Type:
1-informative text: Plain communication of facts
2-expressive text : Creative Composition
3-operative text : Inducing behavioural responses
4-Audio medial text: films and visual and spoken
advertisements
‘Specific translation methods according to
text type’
or referential full the transmit should text informative an of TTThe
conceptual content of the ST.

The TT of an expressive text should transmit the aesthetic and artistic form
of the ST.

The TT of an operative text should produce the desired response in the TT


receiver.

method, ‘supplementary’ the calls Reiss what require texts Audio-medial


supplementing written words with visual images and music.
Reiss also lists a series of intralinguistic
and extralinguistic
instruction criteria:
Intralinguistic criteria – semantic, lexical, grammatical
and stylistic feature

Extralinguistic criteria – situation, subject field, time,


place, receiver, sender and affective implication (humor,
irony, emotion, etc)
Criticisms
Why there should only be three types of language function.?

How Reiss’s proposed translation methods are to be


applied in the case of a specific text?

Business and financial texts in English contain a large


number of simple and complex metaphors.
2-Translatorial action theory
This theory was proposed by Justa Holz Manttari. It takes up
theory of communication and theory of action. It aims at creating
communication between people of different language and
cultutre. It views translation as purpose-driven and outcome-
oriented human interaction. It construes the process of
translation as ‘message-transmitter compounds" that involve
intercultural transfer. It views interlingual translation and
translatorial action from ST and as communicative process
involves a list of players and roles:
the initiator: the company or individual who needs the translation;

the commissioner: the individual or agency who contacts the translator;

the ST producer: the individual(s) within the company who write(s) the ST,
and who are not necessarily involved in the TT production;

the TT producer: the translator(s) and the translation agency or department;

the TT user: the person who uses the TT – for example, a teacher using a
translated textbook or a rep using sales brochures;

the TT receiver: the final recipient of the TT – for example, the students
using the textbook in the teacher’s class or clients reading the translated
sales brochures.
Each one of these players have a specific goal.
Moreover, this theory focus on producing TT
functionally committed to the TT user. Relevant
features have been considered in this theory:

Content: includes facture information and 1


communication strategy.

Form: includes terminologies, cohesive 2


elements.
Criticisms

The complexity of its jargon (for example message- ¾


transmitter compounds).
Fails to consider cultural difference ¾
3-Skopos theory

Vermeer. Hansby proposed was theory This


Skopos is a Greek word for aim or purpose. It is a
technical term for the purpose of translation.
Vermeer introduced the term "translatum" for a
target text. Vermeer believes that the translator
Vemeer translation. of function the define should
set five basic rules for translation:
A translational action is determined by its skopos.

It is an offer of information in a target culture and TL concerning an


offer of information in a source culture and SL.
A TT does not initiate an offer of information in a clearly reversible way.

A TT must be internally coherent.

A TT must be coherent with the ST.

The five rules above stand in hierarchical order, with the skopos rule
predominating
Functional adequacy:

the coherence rule, linked to internal textual coherence; and (a)

the fidelity rule, linked to intertextual coherence with the ST. (b)

The coherence rule states that the TT must be interpretable as 1


coherent with the TT receiver’s situation.
The fidelity rule merely states that there must be coherence 2
between the TT and the ST
Criticism:
What purports to be a ‘general’ theory is in fact only valid for non-literary
texts.

Reiss’s text type approach and Vermeer’s skopos theory consider different
phenomena and cannot be lumped together.

Jargon such as Translatum does little to further translation theory where


workable terms (e.g. target text) already exist.

Skopos theory does not pay sufficient attention to the linguistic nature of
the ST nor to the reproduction of micro-level features in the TT.
4- Polysystem theory
Polysystem theory was developed in the 1970s by the Israeli scholar
Itamar Even-Zohar borrowing ideas from the Russian Formalists of
the 1920s and the Czech Structuralists of the 1930s and 1940s, who
had worked on literary historiography and linguistics.

For the Formalists, a literary work was not studied in isolation but as
part of a literary system, which itself is defined as ‘a system of
functions of the literary order which are in continual
interrelationship with other orders’.

Literature is thus part of the social, cultural, literary and historical


framework and the key concept is that of the system.
Even-Zohar emphasizes that translated literature operates as a system
in itself:

¾in the way the TL culture selects works for translation;

in the way translation norms, behaviour and policies are influenced by


other co-systems.

The term polysystem. This is defined by EvenZohar as:


a multiple system, a system of various systems which intersect with
each other and partly overlap, using concurrently different options, yet
functioning as one structured whole, whose members are
interdependent.
Even-Zohar gives three major cases when translated literature occupies
the primary position:

When a ‘young’ literature is being established.

When a literature is ‘peripheral’ or ‘weak’ and it imports those literary


types which it is lacking.

when there is a vacuum in the literature of the country.

If translated literature assumes a secondary position, then it


represents a peripheral system within the polysystem. Gentzler (2001:
118–20 and 123–5) stresses the way polysystem
theory represents an important advance for translation studies.
The advantages of this are several:

literature itself is studied alongside the social, historical and


cultural forces; Even-Zohar moves away from the isolated study
of individual texts towards the study of translation within the
cultural and literary systems in which it functions; the non-
prescriptive definition of equivalence and adequacy allows for
variation according to the social, historical and cultural situation of
the text.
Criticism
Gentzler (ibid.: 120–3) also outlines criticisms of polysystem theory. These
include:

overgeneralization to ‘universal laws’ of translation based on relatively little (1)


evidence;

an over-reliance on an historically based Formalist model which, following (2)


Even-Zohar’s own model of evolving trends, might be inappropriate for
translated texts in the 1970s and beyond;

the tendency to focus on the abstract model rather than the ‘real-life’ (3)
constraints placed on texts and translators;
the question as to how far the supposed scientific model is really objective. (4)
5-Postcolonial Theory
This theory was proposed by Edward Said/Spivak.
It focuses on translating literature after the era of
colonialism. The colonialism concept refers to the
conquest made by the European Empires to many
countries around the world including Africa,
America and Asia.
Post-colonialism is generally used to cover studies
of the history of the former colonies, studies of
powerful European empires, resistance to the
colonialist powers and, more broadly, studies of the
effect of the imbalance of power relations between
colonized and colonizer.
Spivak indicates the ideological
consequences of the translation of ‘Third
World’ literature into English and the
distortion this entails.
Spivak has addressed ‘The politics of translation’:

Feminist 1

Post-colonialist 2

Poststructuralist approaches. 3
Tensions between the different approaches are
highlighted, with Spivak speaking out against
western feminists who expect feminist writing
from outside Europe to be translated into the
language of power, English.
What is translatese?

According to Spivak’s view, ‘translatese,’


eliminates the identity of individuals and cultures
that are politically less powerful and leads to a
standardization of very different voices:
Criticism
There is a power imbalance between different languages;

The concepts underlying much of western translation theory are flawed (‘its
notions of text, author, and meaning are based on an unproblematic,
naively representational theory of language’);

The ‘humanistic enterprise’ of translation needs to be questioned, since


translation in the colonial context builds a conceptual image of colonial
domination into the discourse of western philosophy.
Niranjana’s recommendations for action,

In general, the postcolonial translator must call into


question every aspect of colonialism and liberal
nationalism.

Specifically, Niranjana calls for an ‘interventionist’


approach from the translator.
Good Luck

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