Inter-subjectivity In Pragmatic Translation Explained By The Functionalist Translation Theory

The dissertation tries to explain the inter-subjectivity in pragmatic translation under the functionalist translation theory. This thesis discusses the inter-subjectivity in translation, covering the translating subjects and objects, the subjectivity of the translator, and the relation between the subjectivity of translator and the inter-subjectivity in translation, summing up the inter-subjectivity explained by the functionalist translation theory. Functionalists hold that the translation is a communicative action, and translation process is "a whole complex of action involving team-work among experts" (Snell-Hornby, 2001: 47). Therefore, the dissertation analyzes how the inter-subjectivity operates in the interaction of the pragmatic translation process, as well as its influence upon the translation studies.The paradigm made in the past research, such as author-centered, text-centered, translator-centered, reader-centered, etc. made translation studies more or less one-sided. The introduction of the inter-subjectivity from a philosophical perspective makes great significance upon translation studies. Translation is an act of cross-cultural communication, an inter-subjective action, in which, not only the translator plays the subjective role, but also some other subjective agents, such as the source text producer, the initiator, and the readers, play their roles in the translation process, which is more fully demonstrated in the pragmatic translation. This thesis illustrate the interaction among all the subjects involved in pragmatic translation based on the functionalist translation theory, and to explain theoretically from another angle the importance of inter-subjectivity in the pragmatic translation.