Skopos theory was developed by Hans Vermeer and is an expression of the functionalist approach to translation adopted in the 1970s and 1980s. Within the framework of this theory, translation is seen as a way to convey to TT the original purpose of the ST (Alimardani & Vahid, 2021). The theory also implies that the translation should be recipient-oriented, and the methods should vary depending on the type of recipient. This paper aims to discuss the pragmatic value of the Skopos theory, its implied meaning and fundamentals, and how it guides translation practice.
Interestingly, scholars widely discuss the benefits of the Skopos theory. Song and Lyu (2020) note that the theory was evolutional in way that it “uses functional and communicative methods to analyze the translation” (Song & Lyu, 2020, p. 40). Noteworthy, the founder of the theory of functional translation, Katharina Reiss, outlined its three main functions, depending on the types of text – informational, expressive, and operational (Song & Lyu, 2020). Within the framework of the theory, two or more functions can be applied simultaneously. The main advantage of the theory is that it focuses on the goals that the author of the text pursues regarding the reader. The translator can use the tools of transliteration, explanation, amplification, free translation, and omission to implement this function. Therefore, the translator has the freedom and flexibility to use a wide range of strategies in the translation.
There is also a scientific opinion about the importance of the consistency principle in Skopos’s theory. Fang (2018) notes that the consistency principle is “more important than the principle of loyalty,” which is the principle of understanding (p. 280). Typically, the consistency principle is applied using methods of free translation or paraphrasing, “, especially for the translation of hints of great cultural significance”, and considering the culture of the target language (Fang, 2018, p. 280). This approach is more reasonable than the polarization between the principles of domestication and foreignization, as it allows for conveying semantic equivalence more directly.
Scholars emphasize the danger of literal translation, even if it is justified by the goal of understanding. Mousa and Ismail (2020) note that without the cultural component, the text may completely lose its authenticity and semantic content. In particular, Mousa and Ismail (2020) give an example of the novel “Girls from Riyadh,” when cultural markers, dialectal and idiomatic expressions, were not regarded. The scholars emphasize that because of this omission, the novel was deprived of its purpose – to tell about the real life of Saudi girls and “turned into monotonous prose, devoid of the soul of Saudi life” (Mousa and Ismail, 2020, p. 137). It is also noted that the novel lost its “cultural value, ethical and traditional message” which could be valuable for the Western reader (Mousa and Ismail, 2020, p. 138). Skopos’s theory does not allow such liberties and requires considering the cultural context when translating fiction.
Tourism translation is another area where Skopos’s theory can be adequately applied due to the richness of cultural contexts. Travel translations are a kind of “intercultural communication activity,” and imply many complexities associated with cultural diversity (Yu, 2021, p. 35). Therefore, the advantage of Skopos’s theory is in focusing on the analysis of the source text to convey all the details from the ST more fully. At the same time, the Skopos theory is less prescriptivist and allows some variations depending on the aim and intention of the translation, which is highly applicable in intercultural communication.
Thus, the practical values of the Skopos theory were discussed. According to the analyzed literature, Skopos’s theory is widely applicable for translating texts where the cultural context should be considered, such as fiction or tourism texts. This theory allows for the better revealing of the authenticity of the ST and expands readers’ understanding of cultural aspects. Moreover, focusing on the goal of the ST helps the translator not to miss important details and provide intercultural communication of the highest quality.
References
Alimardani, E., & Vahid, H. (2021). Translation of psychology book titles: A Skopos theory perspective. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 9(34), 135-153.
Fang, W. (2018). Study on the Applied Translation under Functionalism Skopos Theory. In Proceedings of 2018 3rd International Social Sciences and Education Conference.
Mousa, S. M. I., & Ismail, S. (2020). Translating cultural markers and Najdi dialects in contemporary Saudi novels from a Skopos theory perspective. The Asian ESP Journal, 127-140.
Song, Y., & Lyu, L. (2020). A study on the translation of cultural relic texts from the perspective of Skopos theory – taking the cultural relic texts in the National Museum of China as examples. International Journal of Linguistics, 8(2), 40-45.
Yu, S. (2021). Tourism translation of Jingdezhen ceramic culture from the perspective of Skopos theory. Cross-Cultural Communication, 17(1), 35-37.