Translation Teaching In Higher Vocational Colleges From The Perspective Of German Functionalist Approach

With in-depth development of economic globalization as well as frequent international communication, there is a growing demand for business translation talents, as a result, Business English is becoming a hot major in higher vocational colleges. However, under the appearance of prosperity, some problems still exist:Business English translation is still under guidance of traditional literature translation theories; textbook focuses on translation theories and skills, neglecting text translation (especially business text); translation teaching is disconnected with practice; teaching mode is boring and can’t keep students’motivated, which are obstacles to the improvement of translation teaching in higher vocational colleges.Functionalist Approach, regarding Skopos Theory as a prime principle, establishes a diversified system of translation standard. It proposes that the translators can choose the best translation strategies or methods on the basis of the analysis of the source text and the intended function of the source text as well as intra-textual and extra-textual factors; it emphasizes the loyalty in translation is not to the form of the source text but to the text function of the source text, it gets rid of shackles of traditional dualistic mode of literal translation and free translation and extricates itself from equivalence-based theory, reflecting more flexibility in translation practice and giving full play to the translator’s initiative, which is well-targeted at the guidance on pragmatic transIation(Business English included).The author designs a questionnaire, Translation Competence Needed by Graduates in Career, totaling14questions, and samples100graduates of Guangdong Science&Technology College. The author tries to give his own suggestions on orientation of translation teaching, compilation of textbook, teaching mode, teaching methods and teaching steps on the basis of analyzing the questionnaire. The results show that the graduates of Guangdong Science&Technology College work as foreign trade merchandisers, foreign trade salesmen, document operators and guides. What they translate in their routine work are mainly business correspondences, manuals, documents, contracts etc. Feedback on textbook is that translation of literature materials and words, phrases and sentences is excess but translation of texts and business texts is insufficient. On the mode of translation teaching, they feel the mode of teacher-centered is unattractive to students.The author makes the following suggestions on Business English translation teaching based on German Functionalist Approach and the questionnaire.Skopos Theory believes that all translation actions are purposeful and achievement of communicative purpose is the most important principle of translation tasks, and this determines which translation strategy and method will be employed; Function plus Loyalty emphasizes translators’responsibility for the initiator, the author of the source text and the receiver of the target text. The translators can transmit the information of the source text by revision and restructure based on his loyalty to the source text. Business English is in the scope of pragmatic English, and the aim of a translation task, including translation of correspondences, manuals, ads, etc, is to achieve the intended communicative purpose by the conveyance of business information in the cross-cultural context. In view of this, the author proposes that translation teaching in higher vocational colleges should under guidance of Functionalist Approach.As to compilation of textbook, the author points out the defects of textbook in use and analyzes the merits of Functionalist Approach in the following respects:translation definition, translation standard, contextual factors, training goals. The author puts forward the following suggestions:Functionalist Approach as guide, content as orientation and less importance on skills.Regarding teaching model, the author points out some shortcomings of "teacher-centered" mode which is dominant in translation teaching in higher vocational colleges and makes his own suggestion, namely "student-centered" model. According to this model, the students are center of teaching, and the teacher is an organizer, a judge and a guide. His responsibilities are as follows:he makes sure the task fulfilled orderly, makes an evaluation about the students’work and helps the students correct their errors. The model emphasizes interaction between teachers and students as well as the improvement of students’ability. The author believes this model can help the students improve their abilities in spotting, analyzing and solving problems.Teaching model has a big effect on teaching. The purpose of "student-centered" model is to improve students’ability in fulfilling a translation task by their own. The author proposes corresponding teaching steps according to Text Typology:preparation of class, explanation of translation brief, analysis of text, students’translation, assessment and amendment.The thesis, based on a survey on Translation Competence Needed in Career, attempts to introduce German Functionalist Approach into translation teaching of Business English, with the purpose of providing a reference to the translation teaching in higher vocational colleges in China.