Application Of Nida's Dynamic Equivalence To Bible Translation

The Bible is one of the most influential works in human history, which can be traced thousands of years ago. It is not only the scriptures of Judaism and Christianism, but also a profound academic work covering fields of philosophy, ethics, morality, literature, art, history, geography, society, and fold-custom, etc. The history of Bible translation dates back thousands of years, and attracts broader attention from the translation theoretical circle in the past few centuries. The Bible (or part of its scriptures) has been translated into 2454 languages or dialects till today, and various translation versions are numerous. What type of Bible translation meets public needs? It has become one of the focuses of discussion and research for many translators.Eugene A Nida, contemporary American linguist and translation theorist, proposed the translation theory with the principle of dynamic equivalence as the core in 1960s, and guided many Bible translations which are fit for contemporary readers when he worked in the American Bible Society. Among the many translations, Today's English Version was greatly welcomed in the United States of America, the UK, and even the world since it was published in 1976, for its"clear, simple, and natural"language. This article is based on a systematic study of Nida's translation theory which is centered with the principle of dynamic equivalence, and analyzes the specific principles of this theory applied in the translation of Today's English Version; and then discusses the practicality and scientificity of this theory.The thesis first introduces the content and spread of the Bible, as well as the history and current situation of its translation; and then Nida's lifetime and the stages in the development of his translation theory, and comprehensively evaluates his translation theory; furthermore, the thesis also systematically analyzes the connotation of dynamic equivalence, and demonstrates the practicality and feasibility of the principle of dynamic equivalence in Bible translation from multiple angles, combining with examples in the translation of Today's English Version, especially through the parallel comparisons with other versions; at last, this thesis reviews Nida's principle of dynamic equivalence and emphasizes the scientificity and practicability of this theory, as well as points out the broadness and limitation of its applicable scope, providing ideas for future research on Bible translation and for the enriching and developing of the theory.