Lecture Two: Translation Theories PDF

Lecture Two In this lecture, we are going to study two theories of translation. 1) Skopos Theory (German: Skopostheorie) Skopos is the Greek word for “aim” or “purpose” and was introduced into translation theory in the 1970s by the linguist Hans Josef Vermeer (or Hans J. Vermeer) in Germany....

Lecture Two In this lecture, we are going to study two theories of translation. 1) Skopos Theory (German: Skopostheorie) Skopos is the Greek word for “aim” or “purpose” and was introduced into translation theory in the 1970s by the linguist Hans Josef Vermeer (or Hans J. Vermeer) in Germany. It is also called a functionalist translation theory because it breaks with the equivalence paradigm by giving priority to the target-side function or purpose to be fulfilled by the translation. Hans Vermeer objects to the traditional equivalence-based theories, which speak of the source text, or its effects on the source text reader, or the purpose of the source text author as a decisive factor in translation and raises the Skopos of the translation action to the center. According to Skopos theory, the target text should not only “make sense” to its audience, it should also fulfill some communicative purpose, or rather: purposes or functions for the recipients. Functions are not inherent in a text or utterance, but it is the recipients who, in a particular situation fixed in time and space attribute a function or various functions to it, depending on their communicative needs or interests. They need not be the ones intended by the sender, i.e. the intended sense. Otherwise, we would not say sometimes “Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean it” if the receiver’s reaction is different from what we expected it to be. If, again, it is the receivers who make sense of the text and attribute some function(s) to it, it might be more efficient to translate (intended) functions. Note: Hans J. Vermeer calls the target text as the translatum. 1 The three primary rules governing Skopos Theory are as follows: 1. The Skopos rule (the function of the target text is paramount (i.e. essential)) 2. The Coherence rule (target text must make sense to its audience) 3. The Fidelity rule (target text must bear some relationship to the source text) 2) Narrative Theory It is a theory introduced by Mona Baker (2006). One of the techniques that Baker (2007) adopts from the narrative theory is the concept of reframing in order to highlight a translator's re-narration of the source text. It is also known as framing theory. This theory explains the relationship between Narration and translation. Translators make connections which are not present in the source text and socio-politically reframe the narrative for others. These connections are established by employing several textual techniques such as lexical, semantic, and syntactic changes, and paratextual ones, such as the insertion of images and captions (Baker, 2007, p. 165). Thus, the translator, through reframing, re-narrates the story to stimulate certain reactions from target-text readers (Dubbati and Abu Abudayeh, 2017, p. 3). Translators are not merely neutral conveyors of messages from one language into another. They function as ‘proxy journalists’ by highlighting certain aspects of a story and undermining others. Translation, thus, ‘does not reproduce texts but constructs cultural realities’ by interfering in the process of narration and renarration’ (Baker, 2013, p. 24). Translation, thus, forms a tool in translators' hands to change the world by promoting their own accounts of political and historical events and social constructions. 2  Exercises Exercise I: Applying the translation notion of Skopos theory, how can you translate the following: 1. (At the end of a speech) ‫وتقبّلوا فائق االحترام‬ 2. ‫ أعددت شعبًا طيب األعراق‬,‫ األم مدرسة إذا أعددتها‬:‫َرحِ م هللا شوقي حين قال‬ 3. (On Christmas day) ‫كل سنة وأنت طيب‬ Exercise II: Applying the translation notion of Skopos theory, which translation of the following renders the function of the rhetorical question: َ ‫( َو َما ِت ْلكَ بِيَمِ ينِكَ َٰيَ ُمو‬ )17 ‫ اآلية‬:‫س َٰى) (سورة طه‬ Pickthall's translation: And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses? Ali's translation: "And what is that in the right hand, O Moses?" Arberry's translation: What is that, Moses, thou hast in thy right hand?' Ghali's translation: And what is that in your right hand, O Musa?" ِ ‫(أَهُ ْم يَ ْق‬ )32 ‫ اآلية‬:‫س ُمونَ َر ْح َمتَ َربِكَ ) (الزخرف‬ Pickthall: Is it they who apportion thy Lord's mercy? Ali: Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? Arberry: What, is it they who divide the mercy of thy Lord? 3 Ghali: Is it they who divide the mercy of your Lord? Al-Ghazi, Muhammad F. (2009) A Study of the Rendering into English of the Appellative Function in the Quranic Text (Doctoral dissertation, Cairo University, Egypt). Exercise III: Applying Larson's theory, how can you translate the underlined word in the following verse: ‫س ِبيلَهُۥ‬ َ َٰ ‫ش ْي‬ َ َ‫ط ُن أَنْ أَذْك َُرهُۥ َوٱتَّ َخذ‬ َ ‫ص ْخ َر ِة فَ ِإنِى نَسِيتُ ٱ ْل ُحوتَ َو َما ٓ أَن‬ َّ ‫س َٰىنِيهُ إِ ََّّل ٱل‬ َّ ‫(قَا َل أَ َر َءيْتَ إِذْ أَ َو ْينَا ٓ إِلَى ٱل‬ )‫ع َجبًا‬َ ‫فِى ٱ ْلبَح ِْر‬ 63 ‫ اآلية‬:‫(سورة الكهف‬ He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the..........: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!" (Yusuf Ali's translation) Exercise IV: Applying Larson's theory, which of the following translations does not convey the proper meaning of the word "‫"يُفتنون‬: " َ‫علَى ٱلنَّ ِار ُي ْفتَنُون‬ ِ ‫سـألُونَ أَ َّيانَ ي َْو ُم ٱلد‬ َ ‫ ي َْو َم هُ ْم‬.‫ِين‬ ْ ‫ َي‬. َ‫ساهُون‬ َ ‫ٱلَّذِينَ هُ ْم فِى‬ َ ‫غ ْم َر ٍة‬ (11-13 :‫(الذَّاريات‬ Pickthall (1976: Ali (1987: Arberry (1996: Assami, 169): 'Who are 265): 'Those 312): 'Perish the Bantley, and careless in an who [flounder] conjecturers Kennedy (2004: abyss! They heedless in a who are dazed 525): 'Who are ask: When is flood of in perplexity within a flood the Day of confusion: asking, 'When [of confusion] Judgment? (It They ask, shall be the Day and heedless. is) the day "When will be of Doom?' They ask, when they will the Day of Upon the day "When is the be tormented Judgment and when they shall Day of at the Fire.' Justice?" [It be tried at the Recompense?" will be] a Day Fire.' [It is] the Day 4  when they will they will be be tried [and tormented over tested] over the Fire.' the Fire!' Abdel-Aal, Gamila A. (2023) A Pragmatic Study of the English Translation of Empathetic Deixis in the Holy Quran (Doctoral dissertation, Assiut University, Egypt). Exercise V: Write short notes on the following theories: Larson's theory Vermeer's Skopos theory Exercise VI: Complete: 1. The word "skopos" is of............... origin. 2. The word "translation" is of.............. origin. 3. "Skopos" means......................................... 4. Skopos theory is also known as................................................ 5. Narrative theory is also known as............................................... Exercise VII: What are the three primary rules governing Skopos theory?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Exercise VIII: Why Skopos theory is called a functionalist translation theory?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Exercise IX: Show how the following words can be translated differently according narrative theory: Hebron Ashkelon Jerusalem........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ References.‫ وبركة العلم عزوه‬,‫إنما العلم العزو‬ The main reference in our lectures is professor Muhammad Fawzi Al- Ghazi. He is a professor of translation at Alexandria University. Never hesitate to ask him if you have any inquiry about translation. This is his facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/198uBstM2F/. Other References https://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol02/10/27.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042816311752 https://www.word-connection.com/post/skopos-theory-in-translation https://web.usd.ac.id/fakultas/sastra/sasing/f1l3/Translation%20Trends% 20simplified.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402200144X 6