A Descriptive Study Of Domestication And Foreignization

When cultural factors are taken into consideration in translation, the paradox of foreignization and domestication springs up. This thesis sets out to study these two translation strategies.As an influential representative of domestication, Dr. Eugene Nida regards domestication as an indispensable means to avoid linguistic and cultural conflict and to make effective intercultural communication achieved in translation. In his translation theory he advocates dynamic equivalence (termed as"functional equivalence"later) and lays stress on reader response. However, a representative of foreignization, Lawrence Venuti, advocates"against translation"in order to develop a theory and practice of translation to signify the linguistic and cultural differences of the foreign text.In Chinese translation field different schools also have debates on foreignization and domestication, which show that there is absolute and one-sided attitude towards the two translation strategies. In my present thesis the characteristics of the two strategies are compared and analyzed in both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. It is concluded that the two strategies have their respective features and applicable values and both of them can be utilized in different situations. It is suggested that the concept of viewing translation strategies as an organic whole should be established. And some variables that will affect the choice of the two translation strategies are also offered in order to provide translators with some help in their translation practices.