- Translation Studies -

Zolog Teodora
Nealco Maria
Modern Applied Languages
Year: 3
Introduction
Translation
Studies
Katharina
Reiss
Hans-Josef
Vermeer
The 1970s and the 1980s = a shift from the static
linguistic typologies of translation to a functionalist
and communicative approach to the analysis of
translation

Katharina Reiss and Hans J. Vermeer are the
representatives of the German functionalist theory
who opened up a new perspective to translation
studies
Katharina Reiss

born in 1923
German linguist and translation scholar

A defender of Skopos Theory along with Vermeer
Her work in the 1970s builds 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 borrows Karl Bhlers three-way
categorisation of the functions of the language (informative-
Darstellung, expressive Ausdruck, imperative/vocative
Appell), adding one more function (audio-medial). She links
these four functions to their corresponding language
dimensions and to the text types or communicative
situations in which they are used
1) Informative designed for the relaying of fact. The TT
of this type should be totally representative of the ST,
avoiding omissions and providing explanations if
required.

2) Expressive a higher level of literary text such as
poetry in which the TT should aim at recreating the
effect that the author of the ST was striving to
achieve. In this case Reiss says the poetic function
determines the whole text (Reiss in Venuti p.172).

3) Operative designed to induce a certain behavioral
response in the reader, such as an advertisement that
influences the reader to purchase a particular product
or service. The TT should therefore produce the same
impact on its reader as the reader of the ST.

4) Audio-medial films, television advertisements etc
supplemented with images and music of the target
culture in the TT (de Pedros p.32).

Translation methods
informative texts: translation in plain prose (with
expansions and explanations where necessary)
expressive texts: an identifying translation
method, where the translator aims at empathy with
the original writer
operative texts: an adaptive translation,
determined by the way the intended TL receivers are
assumed to react to the text
audio-medial texts: translated in a suppletory way,
supplementing what is expressed by the pictures,
music etc.
Prof. Dr. Hans Josef Vermeer
(September 24, 1930 February 4, 2010)

German linguist and translation scholar
Fields of interest: General Translation Studies
(translation and interpreting), Historical-Comparative
Linguistics, German Mediaeval texts, Indology,
Portuguese
Translations from French, Portuguese and Basque
Lectures, workshops, seminars

Prof. Dr. Hans Josef Vermeer

He was appointed Professor of General and Applied
Linguistics at the University of Mainz in Germersheim
He held the chair of Translation Studies with special
reference to Portuguese at Heidelberg University
He was also a visiting professor at Leopold Franzens
University in Innsbruck, Bosphorus University and
Okan University in Instanbul
He established the Skopos Theory
Prof. Dr. Hans Josef Vermeer
Aufstze zur Translationstheorie. Heidelberg, 1983.
(with Katharina Reiss) Grundlegung einer allgemeinen
Translationstheorie. Tbingen, Niemeyer, 1984.
Skizzen zu einer Geschichte der Translation. Frankfurt,
1991
Publications in German and English
Reviews, articles and books regarding the German
language, the German literature, Portuguese,
Linguistics, Translation Studies, Foreign-Language
Teaching and Literary translation
The Skopos theory = the end justifies
the means

The Skopos Theory (German: Skopostheorie) is a concept from
the field of translation studies
Skopos is the Greek word for purpose or aim

The idea that translating and interpreting should primarily take
into account the function of both the source and target text
This theory focuses on translation as an activity with an aim or
purpose


TO TRANSLATE = to produce a target text with a target
purpose in target circumstances


The Skopos Theory

This theory was crucial to the development of the
functionalist school of thought in Translation Studies

The foundations of the theory were laid in Vermeers
lectures at the FTSK (School of Translation and
Interpreting Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies
of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz) in
Germersheim over thirty years ago

The Skopos Theory
The source text = offer of information, which the
translator turns into an offer of information for the target
audience
Paul Kussmaul: the functional approach has a greater
affinity with Skopos theory. The function of a translation is
dependent on the knowledge, expectations, values and
norms of the target readers, who are again influenced by the
situation they are in and by the culture. These factors
determine whether the function of the source text or
passages in the source text can be preserved or have to be
modified or even changed.


The Skopos Theory


The fundamental principle of the theory
determining the reasons of the translation and the
function of the TT in the target culture (this is done in
order for the translator to decide upon which methods
will be employed in the production of a suitable TT =
Vermeers translatum)

The basic rules of the Skopos theory as
laid down by Vermeer and Reiss (in
their order of importance):

The final version of the TT is determined by its skopos and
the role it will play in the target culture.
The role of the ST in the source culture may be different as
compared to the role of the TT in the target culture.
The TT must take into account the receivers situation and
background knowledge it must be internally coherent.
The TT must be faithful to the ST coherent with the ST.
Here the translator is the key, as the information provided
by the ST must be determined, interpreted and relayed to
the target audience.
The Skopos Theory
This theory tries to liberate the translation from the
confinement of the source text
There are also two subordinate rules in this theory: the
coherence rule and the fidelity rule
Coherence rule => the target text must be comprehensible
to the receivers in the target language culture the
translator should also take into consideration the
communicative situation in which the target text is to be
used
Fidelity rule => there must be an inter-textual coherence
between the source text and target text, which is similar to
the fidelity to the source text


The Skopos Theory

The emphasis of the skopos theory lies firmly on the
TT, with the ST playing a role of secondary importance

The major advantage of this theory lies in the fact that
the same ST can be translated in different ways
depending on its role and purpose in the target culture

The Skopos Theory
If the translator is unable to produce the best possible
TT, Vermeer offers four definitions of the term
optimal translation:

one of the best translations possible in the given
circumstances
one of those that best realize the goal in question
as good as possible in view of the resources available
(as good as possible) in view of the wishes of the
client
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