On The Applicability Of Skopos Theory In Literary Translation

Functionalist translation theory is the most influential school of translation studies in Germany since 1970s. It is a distinctive theory among western translation theories and enjoys extensive influence in the world. The skopos theory put forward by Vermeer is the most important theory of the functionalist school. According to skopos theory, the primary rule which all translation should follow is the "skopos rule":the skopos which a translational action is to achieve determines the process of translational action, that is, the end justifies the means. Skopists claim that translation is a source text-based cross-cultural human interaction with explicit purpose and intention over which the translator exerts influence. Functionalists view source text merely as a kind of information, overturning the equivalence between ST and TT as the only translation criterion. The translator only chooses from the source text the information which he considers suitable for the communicative function of the target text, rather than providing equivalent information. For that, the functionalists find a new perspective on translation studies.After its introduction into China, skopos theory aroused considerable interest from Chinese scholars who wrote books and essays trying to apply it to translation practice. The fact that the skopos theory places emphasis on the determining role of translation purpose in the choice of translation methods makes scholars believe that this theory is more applicable in non-literary translation which often has an explicit purpose. As for whether skopos theory can be applied in literary translation, scholars' opinions still diverge. Although some scholars have successfully applied the theory in studying translations with a strong purpose in accordance with which the translator adopts "unorthodox" translation methods, few have touched on whether skopos theory can be applied to translations without an explicit purpose. The author holds the opinion that skopos theory can be applied to literary translation. In order to prove this point, the author first outlines the development of functionalist approach, and then points out that long before the skopos theory came into existence, translators had employed what later became the principles of skopos theory in literary translation practice. This shows that theories are derived from practice. As a kind of translation theory, skopos theory is no exception. Thus, it is proved in an indirect way that skopos theory can be applied to literary translation. Then, the author conducts a case study of Howard Goldblatt's Wolf Totem, analyzing respectively the applicability of the three rules of skopos theory in literary translation, which in turn confirms the applicability of skopos theory in literary translation. Finally the author points out the rationality and possible randomness of functionalists'focal shift to the target text and some limitations of skopos theory.