On Foreignization And Domestication In Translation

One of the most striking features in contemporary translation studies is the orientation towards cultural transfer rather than linguistic transfer. Generally speaking, there are two principal strategies to deal with culture involved in translation, namely, TL (target language) culture-oriented domestication and SL (source language) culture-oriented foreignization. Because of the differences between the SL culture and the TL culture, a translator is bound to face a choice. So it is inevitable to have the inclination of domestication or foreignization for a translation. It is safe to say that the two translation strategies have always dominated the central place of translation studies.In this paper, a tentative study on foreignization and domestication will be made from historical arguments, the advantages and limitations of them will be analyzed, the factors that are likely to influence a translator's selection of translation strategies will be induced.In Chapter One, a brief account about language, translation and culture is given. Language is a component of culture and plays a very important role in culture. Language and culture rely on each other. Without language, culture would be impossible. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects culture. From the perspective of intercultural communication, a translation is in fact a cultural product of the original work filtered by the translator.In Chapter Two, the paper mainly introduces these two translation strategies, their advocates, theoretical basis, the debates on them and their functions in culture communication.Chapter Three analyzes the factors conditioning the use of these two strategies. Several factors affect the choice of these two strategies such as the purpose of translation, translator intention, text type and reader acceptance.Chapter Four mainly discusses the dialectical relationship between domestication and foreignization. There are occasions on which demestication or foreignization should be employed, and there are also occasions on which these two strategies should be combined.In the last part, it is concluded that the two strategies have their respective features and applicable values. Overemphasis of one strategy from a static and absolute viewpoint is one-sided and unscientific. It is suggested that dialectical views on the two translation strategies should be adopted in the translation process.