Research On Newmark's Text-Typology And His Translation Methodology

Peter Newmark is a very important contemporary translation theorist. He divides the function of language into six categories (ie. expressive function, informative function, vocative function, aesthetic function, phatic function and metalanguage function) on the basis of predecessors' theories. And according to this, he classifies six types of the text. He believes that the text of any type could have one or more functions, but often gives priority to one of them. Newmark has put forward eight methods of translation in which semantic translation and communicative translation are thought as the core of his translation methodology.Based on this, this paper will discuss Newmark's text-typology and his translation methodology. According to the use frequency, the text types are classified into two categories in which one is the frequent text types (ie. the expressive text, informative text and vocative text) and the other is less-frequent text types (ie. the aesthetic text, phatic text and metalanguage text). Besides, the paper will also make a comparison between semantic translation and communicative translation and expound the relationship between text types and translation methods. With the practice of translation materials, the paper will analyze text types' influence on translation methods, provide some often-used strategies for the translator and remind them that there is no corresponding relation between text types and translation methods. So translation methods should be flexibly used.