Equivalence is a subjective matter
Equivalence, as the central concept of translation, has been challenged by various theorists since its appearance in Eugene Nida’s theory. Among them, the most famous ones are George Steiner and Andre Lefevere. They have raised their theories with the common view that there is never complete equivalence between the source texts and the translated texts. However, the different background and experience of them play an important role in the reference of their theories. Though discussing on equivalence, they have diverse concerns on different issues on translation.
First, the purpose of translation determines how the translator will modify the original text to convey the message. The purpose of translation, includes the targeted audience and the intended use of the text, is one of the important concerns that translators should never overlook. The purpose of translation determines generally the language, the style and possible changes it may bring in the process of translation. Nida, in his Principle of Correspondence , suggests that purpose of translation may not exactly the same as the purpose of the original text when it is written. He also considers the purpose of the translator himself affects the way the translator modify the ‘content and form’ which greatly affect the equivalence of the translated text. Nida puts a heavy emphasis on the purpose of translation as he considers it as the way to identify different types of translation and thus examines the sameness of the translated text. For Nida, he finds it the most important because he used to translate Bible and it is therefore, essential to identify the targeted audience. The first priority of Bible is to pass on the message in the original text. Such concern allows him to be flexible when translating as the form and the sameness in wordings do not necessarily fulfil the initial purpose. The dynamic equivalence suggests by Nida is well illustrated by his Bible... [continues]
Equivalence, as the central concept of translation, has been challenged by various theorists since its appearance in Eugene Nida’s theory. Among them, the most famous ones are George Steiner and Andre Lefevere. They have raised their theories with the common view that there is never complete equivalence between the source texts and the translated texts. However, the different background and experience of them play an important role in the reference of their theories. Though discussing on equivalence, they have diverse concerns on different issues on translation.
First, the purpose of translation determines how the translator will modify the original text to convey the message. The purpose of translation, includes the targeted audience and the intended use of the text, is one of the important concerns that translators should never overlook. The purpose of translation determines generally the language, the style and possible changes it may bring in the process of translation. Nida, in his Principle of Correspondence , suggests that purpose of translation may not exactly the same as the purpose of the original text when it is written. He also considers the purpose of the translator himself affects the way the translator modify the ‘content and form’ which greatly affect the equivalence of the translated text. Nida puts a heavy emphasis on the purpose of translation as he considers it as the way to identify different types of translation and thus examines the sameness of the translated text. For Nida, he finds it the most important because he used to translate Bible and it is therefore, essential to identify the targeted audience. The first priority of Bible is to pass on the message in the original text. Such concern allows him to be flexible when translating as the form and the sameness in wordings do not necessarily fulfil the initial purpose. The dynamic equivalence suggests by Nida is well illustrated by his Bible... [continues]
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