Skopos theory and risk in translation and interpreting

Skopos theory and risk in translation and interpreting Anthony Pym “

A crash course in twentieth-century Western translation theory Natural equivalence Directional equivalence Skopos theory Descriptive Translation Studies Localization Uncertainty Cultural translation

Equivalence got buried…

Menu The dominant factor in a translation is the purpose (Skopos). MT cannot be adjusted to different purposes. So human translators and interpreters have a future. Skopos theory is not a theory. Skopos is a reductive essentialism. Skopos has no ethics. Purposes are textual and need to be interpreted.

A paradigm shift: Reiss, Katharina, & Hans J. Vermeer (1984). Grundlegung einer allgemeinen Translationstheorie. Tübingen: Niemeyer. Holz-Mänttäri, Justa (1984) Translatorisches Handeln. Theorie und Methode. Helsinki: Academia Scientiarum Fennica.

The basic equivalence formula, plus purpose (Skopos): A new question: How do you choose between the solutions? Answer: It depends on the purpose.

The basic equivalence formula, plus different purposes: And the purposes are usually different…

How Skopos theory resolves the problem of equivalence: Equivalence means “same function” (Funktionskonstanz). But most TTs have a new function or purpose, for a new client and for a new receiver (on the target side). l Equivalence is thus a special case.

The main claims of Skopos theory: The dominant factor in a translation is its purpose [Skopos] (Reiss & Vermeer 1984). (The source text is dethroned. ) All strategies are legitimate if they achieve the purpose. The translator is an expert who decides on the basis of the instructions (brief, commission, Auftrag).

Skopos theory is not really a theory (Chesterman) The dominant factor in a translation is its purpose [Skopos] (Reiss & Vermeer 1984). (The source text is dethroned. ) All strategies are legitimate if they achieve the purpose. The translator is an expert who decides on the basis of the instructions (brief, commission, Auftrag). Does this say what always happens or what should happen? Can it predict what will happen?

Skopos theory is a set of names for things Action Instructions (purpose) Text Translation ($$$$)

Skopos theory is a set of names for things Action Instructions (purpose) Text (≠ source text; better: start text) Translation ($$$$)

Skopos theory is a set of names for things Action Instructions (purpose) Text (≠ source text; better: start text = text + instructions + TM + MT) Translation ($$$$)

Skopos theory can be tested Can the same text be translated in different ways for different purposes?

A. An obituary in the major broadsheet newspaper in your language Anna Chennault was one of the most influential powerbrokers of the twentieth century. Also known as Chen Xiangmei, she was a stylish fixture on Washington DC's political circuit - but also an unofficial diplomat who skilfully 20 th century politics. She met John F Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Kai-shek. All were reportedly impressed by the woman dubbed by the Washington Post as the "legendary steel butterfly”.

A. An obituary in the major broadsheet newspaper in your language Anna Chennault was one of the most influential powerbrokers of the twentieth century. Also known as Chen Xiangmei, she was a stylish fixture on Washington DC's political circuit - but also an unofficial diplomat who skilfully 20 th century politics. She met John F Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Kai-shek. All were reportedly impressed by the woman dubbed by the Washington Post as the "legendary steel butterfly”.

B. A history book for young teenagers Anna Chennault was one of the most influential powerbrokers of the twentieth century. Also known as Chen Xiangmei, she was a stylish fixture on Washington DC's political circuit - but also an unofficial diplomat who skilfully 20 th century politics. She met John F Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Kai-shek. All were reportedly impressed by the woman dubbed by the Washington Post as the "legendary steel butterfly”.

B. A history book for young teenagers Anna Chennault was one of the most influential powerbrokers of the twentieth century. Also known as Chen Xiangmei, she was a stylish fixture on Washington DC's political circuit - but also an unofficial diplomat who skilfully 20 th century politics. She met John F Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Kai-shek. All were reportedly impressed by the woman dubbed by the Washington Post as the "legendary steel butterfly”.

Where is the purpose? In whatever the client says? (Nord) So we edit texts to suit our client? “Australia committed genocide in its mistreatment of its indigenous population and has long practiced the enforced separation on indigenous children from their parents. ”

Where is the purpose? In what the translator decides? (Vermeer, Holz-Mänttäri) But on what ethical basis? And with what certitude?

Where is the purpose? In what any reader / conversation participant / translator interprets? In what interpretations the text genre indicates?

An example (from Pym on Gile) Question: You suggested that through Kodak you can manipulate technology and fit in with this information revolution. Can you be more specific about the kind of products that Kodak will eventually be able to produce? Answer: I’m sure my. . . I don’t even know these people yet but I know scientists and engineers well enough to know that they would not be very happy if I pre-announced products, but since I don’t know all about what the products are, I can speak loosely I guess. I think when you look at the imaging side of Kodak, let’s concentrate on that, and recognize that for the not, for the foreseeable future, as far as capture goes, that the silver halide capture media is probably the most cost-effective, highest resolution means of capturing visual memories, or visual images, that one could ask for.

The positive purposes Journalist’s purpose: Get something new, a scoop. CEO’s purpose: Sound exciting but not reveal company secrets. Cooperative purpose: Produce something fresh, exciting and authoritative.

The risks Journalist has nothing new to report. Industrial secrets are revealed. Information is old, boring, unlikely or false. Information is too technical for the business audience.

All interpreters could omit some phrases Answer: I’m sure my. . . I don’t even know these people yet but I know scientists and engineers well enough to know that they would not be very happy if I pre-announced products, but since I don’t know all about what the products are, I can speak loosely I guess. I think when you look at the imaging side of Kodak, let’s concentrate on that, and recognize that for the not, for the foreseeable future, as far as capture goes, that the silver halide capture media is probably the most cost-effective, highest resolution means of capturing visual memories, or visual images, that one could ask for.

An interpreter could go fast on the low-risk parts Answer: I’m sure my. . . I don’t even know these people yet but I know scientists and engineers well enough to know that they would not be very happy if I pre-announced products, but since I don’t know all about what the products are, I can speak loosely I guess. I think when you look at the imaging side of Kodak, let’s concentrate on that, and recognize that for the not, for the foreseeable future, as far as capture goes, that the silver halide capture media is probably the most cost-effective, highest resolution means of capturing visual memories, or visual images, that one could ask for.

An interpreters should not omit in the high-risk parts Answer: I’m sure my. . . I don’t even know these people yet but I know scientists and engineers well enough to know that they would not be very happy if I pre-announced products, but since I don’t know all about what the products are, I can speak loosely I guess. I think when you look at the imaging side of Kodak, let’s concentrate on that, and recognize that for the not, for the foreseeable future, as far as capture goes, that the silver halide capture media is probably the most cost-effective, highest resolution means of capturing visual memories, or visual images, that one could ask for.

An interpreters should not omit in the high-risk parts Answer: I’m sure my. . . I don’t even know these people yet but I know scientists and engineers well enough to know that they would not be very happy if I pre-announced products, but since I don’t know all about what the products are, I can speak loosely I guess. I think when you look at the imaging side of Kodak, let’s concentrate on that, and recognize that for the not, for the foreseeable future, as far as capture goes, that the silver halide capture media is probably the most cost-effective, highest resolution means of capturing visual memories, or visual images, that one could ask for.

Where is the purpose? Discourse analysis locates purposes. Purposes distribute risks. The distribution of risk should correspond to the distribution of the translator’s effort. This analysis can predict where omission will occur.

Where is the purpose?

Where is the purpose? In whatever the client says? (Nord) In what the translator decides? (Vermeer) In what the text genre indicates? In what any reader / conversation participant / translator interprets?

Where is the purpose? The segments most omitted in the first version tend to be low-risk. The omissions restored in the second version tend to be high-risk. The new omissions in the second version tend to be low-risk. Interpreters intuitively distribute effort in accordance with assumed risk and purpose. The purpose is in the text as conversation.

Final example “His mother could not afford to send him to Eton anymore. ” Hönig and Kussmaul: “one of the elite English schools” Newmark: Everyone knows what Eton is! Malmkjær: “What is necessary depends far less on the function of a translation than on the linguistic context in which a problematic expression occurs”.

How to build the new Tower of Babel Gadamer: Through sincere understanding of the aspirations of the other.