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Abstract:The functionalists take translation, including written and oral ones, as a purposeful action. The theory reflects its essence in the following four parts: (a) the foundation of functionalism; (b) basic concepts and nature of functional translation; (c) translating as interpersonal interaction; (d) an applied introduction of Skopostheorie in interpreting and interpretation. This paper is designed to extend these three parts above to take a closer look at the skoposthoerie.

Keywords:Skopostheorie Functionalism Interpreting Interpretation

Ⅰ Introduction

It can be dated back as early as the years B.C. that translation has never stopped being a controversy. It seems that translators and theorists of translation study have never tired debating on “word for word” or “sense for sense” translating strategies from Roman times to nowadays.

Ⅱ The Foundation of “Functional School” and Its Theories

As early as 1971, Reiss firstly introduced a functional category into herobjective approach to translation criticism'. At that time, although still prevailingly dominating by Nida's equivalence-based theory, Reiss' book, Possibilities and Limitation of Translation Criticism, claimed the text function could be regarded as a criteria of translation criticism, i.e., based on the functional relationship between source and target texts. According to Reiss, the ideal translation would be one "in which the aim in the TL is equivalence as regards the conceptual content, linguistic form and communicative function of a SL text. So, in Reiss'mind, this foundation of theory is based on the equivalence, and in fact and in another way to put it, the relation between source text and target text is attributed to functional equivalence.

According to Skopostheorie (the theory that applies the notion of Skopos to translation), the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose (Skopos) of the overall translation action. This fits in with intentionality being part of the very definition of any action. In this sense, the top-ranking rule for any translation is thus theSokops rule', which says that a translational action is determined by its Skopos. In general way, "Skopos" means the communicative purpose. Skopos holds that the initiator decides the purpose of communication, namely, for some reasons the initiator needs the translation for their particular function. In an ideal situation, the initiator would provide the information about for what, for whom, when, where, and why in a full detail, which are made of the so called translation brief. The translation brief specifies what kind of translation is needed. Nevertheless, the translator is not entirely subject to what the translation brief tells; instead, he or she has the right to take part in the Skopos, in particular, when the initiator or clients has only a vague or even incorrect idea of what kind of text is required for the situation in question. In this case, translator should consult with the initiator about the final function that they would prefer. From this contact and negotiation, the target of Skopos can be explicitly produced.

As for fidelity rule, it places emphasis on inter-textual coherence, which is often mentionedequivalence rule', creating the same or nearly close effectiveness in target text along with the source text. However, to what degree and to what form are relied on the Skopos and translator's competence toward the understanding of the source text.

Ⅲ Basic Concepts and Nature of Functional Translation

As we have introduced the formation, figures and main theories of the Skopostheorie above, it is obvious to see they put Skopos in a top-ranking position. In addition, their definitions and interpretation of the nature of translation have reflected and explicated their "Skopostheorie".

Functionalists believe that they are two different concepts between translational action and translation. The translational action theory was put forward by M ntt ri, and later she and her colleagues definedaction' in a special interpretation:a complex action designed to achieve a particular purpose'. M ntt ri made her definition: "A complex action devised to realize the trans-cultural and trans-language communication." To put it in detail, translation is transformation in which language signs and/or non-language signs for communication turn to another side. If translational action is translator's intercultural communication, translation is what translator does during the process of translating texts.

The nature of translation mirrors the three attributes of translation: purpose, communication, and cross-culture. Someone criticized the Skopostheorie on its absoluteness, for not all translations bear the purpose. In response to such critic views, functionalists made a rebuttal in two aspects (a) Purpose from the very start has participated in the action, so it is out of question that translation is associated with purpose. (b) In the process, translator, consciously or unconsciously driven, approaches to the particular group-readers who would accept the way he or she interpret, resulting in a somewhat function in the target text. This is theSkopos'( purpose) attached throughout the whole process.

Ⅳ Translating as Interpersonal Interaction

In general theories, translation engages three parts, namely, author of the source text, translator and receptors of the target text (readers or audience). Functionalism also involves the translation initiator, the customer of the target text and other participants. Among them, the initiator has a vital place in the whole process of translation.

In the professional practice of intercultural communication, translators rarely start working of their own accord. They are usually called upon to do so by a client. In this context we may refer to the client as an "initiator" who needs a particular text for a particular purpose and for a receiver in the target culture. The client asks the translator for a translation of a text and other information that the client regards as a suitable source. This source material has been produced by a text producer under the condition of the source language and culture. The whole process of translating thus (in a narrower sense) involves the main agents or roles of initiator and translator. This can be seen as a dynamic interaction through the whole conduction of translation.

Ⅴ An Applied Introduction of Skopostheorie to Interpreting and Interpretation

My papers contribution falls on both theoretical and practical aspects by the means of a tight combination of theoretical description along with the applied cases analysis. Since the intercultural study surges in the late decades, interpretation research has begun with this new perspective in order to achieve much more break-through in this risky and rich profession.

My rooted-impulse focuses on the role of interpreting and interpreter in the complex intercultural context, and on the communicative activities among the speaker (information offer), the interpreter as well as the hearer (information receiver). On the ground of Skopostheorie, I put the interpreter in a center position, not only acting as a mediator or media, or negotiator, or person-in-between but as a surviving role in this crucial middle situation, which highly demands an inner-born and well-trained expert loaded with an ocean of knowledge of encyclopedia updated second after second.

What is more, the notion of "interpreter's visibility" have been enriched and evolved into "interpreter's adaptation to the cultural-bound arena". Thus, the "interpreter's centeredness" will find its steady and stable ground in the framework of interpreting and interpretation, enhancing their status and far more from being considered a marginal activity. In this sense, interpreting and interpretation can be legitimately perceived as having played a fundamental role in intercultural communication. Meanwhile, it also provides an insight of the interpreter's conscious and sensible "Skopos" to adapt to the interpreting arena. In addition, it is beneficial for novice and trainees to obtain the knowledge of being a professional, at the same time, to lift their self awareness of interpreter's responsibility and ethic codes. In this way, the skopostheorie can be recognized as "interpreting in a proper and purposeful communication".

Each text is produced for a purposeful target and should serve this purpose. Interpreting in a way that enables your text production to function in the situation in which it is used and with the people who want to use it. Towards the final function, the interpreter steps to the second phase-decision-making with adaptation-testing the interpreter's surviving ability. From specific sides, the strategies are a tough one for the interpreter to choose from in order to adapt to the stage environment. The outcome, regarded as an action of information offering, isthe production of interpreting by interpreter. In Vermeer's terminology, a translation is the new offer of information in the target culture about some information offered in the source language and source culture. This is credited as interpreter's loyal service, (offering) producing the proper and purposeful information to the receivers. Here loyalty commits the interpreter bilaterally to the SL and TL. Loyalty is an interpersonal category referring to a social relationship between people. Within the frame work of Skopostheorie, function is the top priority. Here adequacy refers to the quality of TL. This is a dynamic concept related to the process of interpreting action and referring to the "goal-orientated adaptation and selection” for the communicative function.

Ⅵ Conclusion

As Vermeer once claimed that since Skopostheorie is a general theory of translation, it can be applied to both translating and interpreting. My primary purpose here is to introduce the general theory—Skopostheorie -to the most challenge-provoking interpretation and to think out the tactics and strategies for interpreters in the "real stage" full of a huge number of problem-triggers. Interpreting and interpretation bear a clear-cut purpose: to communicate in the context of inter-culture. From the perspective of Skopostheorie, we may find a renewed path for the theorists and practitioners in this front stage. Only by a combination of western and Chinese essence of experience and exploration in this promising and prosperous field, can we go farther than our predecessors who have devoted a lot and keep touch with the advance of outside.

References:

[1]Nord, Christine Translating as Purposeful Activity.Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,2001.

[2]Hu Gengsheng.Translation as Adaptation and Selection.Hubei:Hubei Education Press,2004.

[3]Zhong Weihe,ZhongYu.On German Function theory.Beijing:Chinese Translators Journal,1999,(3).