Reiss and Vermeer

Reiss and Vermeer- Translation Studies -Zolog TeodoraNealco Maria Modern Applied LanguagesYear: 3Introduction 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 Reissborn in 1923German 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 used1) 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 scholarFields of interest: General Translation Studies (translation and interpreting), Historical-Comparative Linguistics, German Mediaeval texts, Indology, PortugueseTranslations from French, Portuguese and BasqueLectures, workshops, seminars

Prof. Dr. Hans Josef VermeerHe was appointed Professor of General and Applied Linguistics at the University of Mainz in GermersheimHe held the chair of Translation Studies with special reference to Portuguese at Heidelberg UniversityHe was also a visiting professor at Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck, Bosphorus University and Okan University in Instanbul He established the Skopos TheoryProf. Dr. Hans Josef VermeerAufstze zur Translationstheorie. Heidelberg, 1983.(withKatharina Reiss)Grundlegung einer allgemeinen Translationstheorie. Tbingen, Niemeyer, 1984.Skizzen zu einer Geschichte der Translation. Frankfurt, 1991Publications in German and EnglishReviews, articles and books regarding the German language, the German literature, Portuguese, Linguistics, Translation Studies, Foreign-Language Teaching and Literary translationThe Skopos theory = the end justifies the meansThe Skopos Theory (German: Skopostheorie) is a concept from the field of translation studiesSkopos 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 TheoryThis 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 TheoryThe source text = offer of information, which the translator turns into an offer of information for the target audiencePaul 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 TheoryThe 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 TheoryThis 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 ruleCoherence 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 usedFidelity 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 TheoryThe 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 TheoryIf 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 circumstancesone of those that best realize the goal in questionas good as possible in view of the resources available(as good as possible) in view of the wishes of the clientTHANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !