Introduction to Translation LESSON 2

Reiss’s Text Types (1/4) Katharina Reiss (1977) TEXT-LEVEL EQUIVALENCE Three functions of language (by Karl Bühler): Informative function Expressive function Appellative function  that she will call “operative”

Reiss’s Text Types (2/4) Reiss links these functions to the corresponding language “dimensions” and to the text types or communicative situations in which they are used Munday, 2001: 112

Reiss’s Text Types (3/4) For each text type, Reiss gives examples of text varieties (Textsorte) associated with them - which we would now call genres 7 Munday, 2001: 113

Reiss’s Text Types (4/4) The transmission of the predominant function of the ST is the determining factor by which the TT is judged (Reiss, 1976: 20) A specific translation method for every text type INFORMATIVE TEXT  “plain prose”, without redundancy and with the use of explicitation EXPRESSIVE TEXT  “identifying method”, trying to transmit the aesthetic and artistic form of the ST OPERATIVE TEXT  “adaptive method”, the TT should produce the desired response in the TT receiver

Reiss’s Instruktionen INSTRUCTION CRITERIA to assess the adequacy of a TT (with varying importance according to the text type!) LINGUISTIC COMPONENTS Semantic equivalence Lexical equivalence Grammatical and stylistic features NON – LINGUISTIC COMPONENTS Situation Subject field Time and place Receiver Sender “affective implication” (irony, emotion, etc.)

The TT – called the translatum – has to be fit for PURPOSE Skopos Theory (1/3) Katharina Reiss & Hans J. Vermeer’s Grundlegung einer allgemeine Translationstheorie (1984) The TT – called the translatum – has to be fit for PURPOSE The TT has to be “functionally adequate”, therefore knowing why a ST is to be translated and what the function of the TT will be is crucial for the translator (Munday, 2001: 122)

Skopos Theory (2/3) SKOPOS THEORY’S RULES: A translatum (TT) is determined by its skopos A TT is an offering of information (Informationsangebot) in a TC and TL concerning an offering of information in a TC and TL 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 (Reiss and Vermeer, 1984: 119)

Skopos Theory (3/3) RULE 4 and 5 – “A TT must be internally coherent” and “A TT must be coherent with the ST” - concern how the translation has to be judged, that is, on its FUNCTIONAL ADEQUACY RULE 4 – COHERENCE RULE The TT must be translated in such a way that it makes sense for the TT receivers, given the circumstances, knowledge and needs RULE 5 – FIDELITY RULE There must be coherence between the translatum and the ST or, more specifically, between: 1) the ST information received by the translator; 2) the interpretation the translator makes of this information; 3) the information that is encoded for the TT receivers

References HOLMES, J. S. 1970. “The name and nature of translation studies”, in L. Venuti (ed). 2004. The Translation Studies Reader. London and New York: Routledge. MUNDAY, J. 2001. Introducing Translation Studies. Theories and Applications. London and New York: Routledge. REISS, K. 1976. Texttyp und Übersetzugsmethode: Der operative Text. Kronberg: Scriptor Verlag. REISS, K. and H. J. Vermeer. 1984. Grundlegung einer allgemeine Translationstheorie. Tübingen: Niemeyer.

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! PROF.SSA LAURA LIUCCI laura.liucci@gmail.com