The Application Of Functionalist Approaches To Translation Of Charlotte’s Web

Translation is a human activity which has a long history, and the translation theories have been constantly developing with it. German Functionalism is one of these theories, which emerged in the1970s and still in constant revision and development. It is one of the most influential translation schools in German and even all over the world. A lot of translators or scholars in the world analyze this theory at different levels. It is a translation theory that worth studying and discussion. The thesis applies German Functionalist Approaches as the theoretical support to analyze and studies the Chinese version of Charlotte s Web through a great deal of examples, then discusses the embodiment and significance of Functionalist Approaches in literary translation.Functionalist Approaches emphasize that translation is the activity which has many specific purposes. In the process of translating, translators should take it into consideration that types and functions of different texts should use different translating methods. In recent years, German Functionalist Approaches develop rapidly and have important influence on the development of translating. Its appearance and development is not only the expanding and replenishing of the former translation theories, but also supplied a new kind of thoughts to the translation field. It breaks up the theoretical arguments of the question between literal translation and free translation which has been discussed for a long time. And the cultural factors have been better solved during the process of translation. At the same time, the translators have been given greater rights, which liberated them from the narrow concept of translation that depending on source texts and form their own independent translation style. A revolutionary change and development had been brought into the translation field.Charlotte’s Web is the research subject of this thesis. It is one of the masterpieces of the famous American writer E.B. White. It was published in the year of1952. It is a simple story which happened in a common American family farm. The novel attracts a great deal of readers because of its simple plot and sincere language, and most important of all it makes people understand the significance of friendship.The thesis not only reviews and combs the Functionalist Approaches in detail, but also explains the embodiments of Functionalist Approaches and the guiding significances in literature translation. Firstly, it studies from the aspect of form and effect. To Functionalist Approaches, different literary forms in literature works will take different translation methods. Secondly, the discussion is from the aspect of cultural distance. The different cultural environment and living background between source text readers and target text readers would bring translation barrier, while Functionalist Approaches supply the effective solutions about it. Lastly, it analyzes from the aspect of literary factors. The Functionalist Approaches guide the better understanding of intonation, focus and rhetoric device. Through the discussion and analysis, it comes to the conclusion that the Functionalist Approaches broaden the translation thoughts and methods of literature works, and has great guiding significances to literature works translation.