A Tentative Analysis of Domestication and Foreignization in Translation

Chen Gao-wa

【Abstract】In field of translation，there has long been a hot debate over the proper translation strategy chosen for the transmission of cultural contents.The two major approaches are domestication and Foreignization，which have been the focus of debate since their appearance.This thesis aims to analyze the choice of domestication and Foreignization from a new approach，namely，Skopostheorie.

【Key Words】domestication； foreignization； Skopostheorie

1.Definitions of Domestication and Foreignization

Domestication refers to the target-culture-oriented translation in which unusual expressions to the target culture are exploited and turned into some familiar ones so as to make the translated text intelligible and easy for the target readers.Foreignization is a source-culture-oriented translation which strives to preserve the foreign flavor as much as possible in order to transfer the source language and culture into the target one.

2.Overview of the Debate over Domestication and Foreignization

The debate on foreignization or domestication can be viewed as the extension of the debate on “l(fā)iteral translation” and “free translation”.A literal translation is a translation that follows closely not only the content but also the form of the source language，it is also known as word-for-word translation.While those who favor free translation have quite often chosen to sacrifice the form of the source language for the sake of elegance and intelligibility in the target language.But most scholars hold that literal and free translation are limited on the level of content and form，when two languages are very similar in their structures，the issue of literal versus free translating may not seen to be so acute.

The two pairs of strategies share some similarities：literal translation and foreignization put emphasis on the linguistic and stylistic features of the source text，and the target text translated in these ways may not be very smooth in language and the content may not be familiar to the target readers，so they may feel foreign when reading the translation，while free translation and domestication pay more attention to the target audience，because of the smooth sentences，the familiar expressions and cultural phenomena，sometimes the target readers may not realize that they are actually reading a translated text from another culture.However，this does not mean the two pairs are just one.There are some differences between them.When a translator resorts to either literal translating method or free translating method，he pays his attention mainly to the linguistic factors of the source text and tries his utmost to keep the original meaning in the target text.But with the development of the translation studies，plenty of translators and theorists have realized that translation is a far more complicated activity with various cultural，poetic，political as well as economic factors related to it.Therefore，foreignization and domestication are a pair of new translation strategies which are more complex and extensive than literal translation and free translation method.

3.A New Approach：Skopostheorie

An Overview of the Skopostheorie.The functionalist theory put forward by some German scholars has made a new perspective for translation studies.HansVermeer established the foundation theory in functionalism _ skopostheory.Vermeer（1986）proposed that translation is an activities with purposeful act.Vermeers Skopostheory is the most important theory of functionalism.He postulates that as a general rule it must be the intended purpose of target text that determines translation methods and strategies.From this postulate，he derives the skopos rule：Human action is determined by its purpose，and therefore it is a function of its purpose.Two further general rules are the coherence rule and the fidelity rule.The coherence rule or intratextual coherence stipulates that the target text must be sufficiently coherent to allow the intended receivers to comprehend it； it should make sense in the communicative situation and culture in which it is received.The fidelity rule or intertextual coherence，as in the case of the skopos rule，the important point is that it should exist between source text and target text，while the form it takes depends both on the translators interpretation of the source text and on the translation skopos.One possible kind of intertextual coherence could be a maximally faithful imitation of the source text.

The core of Skopostheorie is that the translation purpose plays the most important role in a translational process，or “the translation purpose justifies the translation procedures”.But problems arise when the translation purpose is not in line with the communicative intentions of the original author.Another member of the “German School”---Christiane Nord proposes her loyalty principle，which commits the translator bilaterally to the source and the target sides.It refers to the responsibility the translator has toward the source text producer，the target receiver and other agents involved in a translational interaction.Nord emphasizes that the term cannot be mixed up with fidelity or faithfulness，concepts that usually refer to a relationship holding between the source text and the target text.Loyalty is an interpersonal category referring to a social relationship between people.Loyalty demands the translator should be responsible for the target readers，but this does not mean that the translator is always obliged to do exactly what the readers expect.Yet at the same time，the translator should also have a sense of moral responsibility not to deceive his readers （Nord 2001：125）

4.Domestication and Foreignization in the Framework of Skopotheorie

4.1 Relationship between Foreignization and Domestication.Under the framework of skopotheorie，foreignization and domestication may not contradict each other judging from the new functionalist perspective.Since a translation，generally involves various purposes，different strategies have to be taken in order to achieve each of them.The functionalist theory can provide guidance for him to decide which strategy is more suitable to employ in a specific translational action.Within the framework of the functionalist theory，the commissioner or the initiator should inform the translator much detailed information concerning the action such as the intended functions and the addressees of the target text at the beginning.Taking all these factors into careful consideration，the translator can give preference to foreignization or to domestication.

If a translation is intended to widen the target addressees visions and to introduce the source culture into the target culture，the translator may choose foreignization.In this way，the source culture can be transferred into the target culture and further enrich the target culture as well as language.However，this method is not suitable to the texts under all circumstances.Cultural faithfulness should not be acquired at the expense of a vague broken language，resulting in miscomprehension or making little readability of the target text into sense.Therefore translator should also take domestication into consideration when employing the foreignizing strategy.

On the contrary，if the Skopos is to provide a smoother translation without many difficulties for common readers，domesticating method should be taken.It will overcome the culture barriers as well as the language ones for providing an easy reading.Then the most important task for the translator is to eliminate the cultural conflicts，which may be the obstacles in communication and result in misunderstanding.It is also the translators job to be aware of the connotations of some cultural elements in the source text.Thus a successful communication can be achieved.But the domesticating strategy has its limitations，too.Sometimes it may not be suitable since a translation should read like a translation，remaining something foreign and exotic.If it loses all the characteristics of a translation，it may also lose its attraction.

Therefore，both strategies have their positive points as well as the negative ones.They are far from being all-purpose and can only be taken to reach different Skopoi designed by translation brief.The relationship between foreignization and domestication is in fact dialectical and complementary.

4.2 Case Study.For example，as for the two versions of A Dream of Red Mansions by Yang Xianyi couple and David Hawkes respectively，the two translators adopt different methods concerning the cultural factors in the story.Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang address their translation to the foreign readers who have some，or at least a little knowledge about China and Chinese culture.In a word，the addressees of Yang Xianyi couple‘s translation are some foreigners or experts who are learning Chinese and its culture.On the contrary，Hawkestranslation is for the common English-speaking readers who may or may not know much about China.His main purpose was to bring pleasure to western readers.Based on their varying translation briefs，Yang Xianyi and Hawkes take different translating strategies in order to achieve their own Skopos respectively.According to their different translation purposes and target readers，Ynag Xianyi prefers to apply foreinization，while David Hawkes mainly applies domestication.This difference in the strategy can be shown in the translation of various proverbs and idioms in the two versions.

For example：

謀事在人，成事在天

Yang Xianyi couples version： Man proposes，Heaven disposes.

Hawkes version：Man proposes，God disposes.

知人知面不知心。

Yang Xianyi couples version：You can know a mans face but not his heart.

Hawkes version：Appearances certainly are deceptive.

巧媳婦做不出沒米的粥來。

YangXianyi couples version：

Even the cleverest housewife cant cook a meal without rice.

Hawkes version：

Even the cleverest housewife cant cook bread without flour.

Obviously，Yangs translation tries his best to preserve the original form，content，structure even the word order to make it more like the Chinese one.While Hawkes discards the original form，only giving the implied meaning or replacing the cultural images with those of the target culture.In this way，the readers could understand the version without much trouble.However，that is not to say that the Yang Xianyiwill always keep to a literal translation of the original form and content without taking any consideration to the target readerssituation or Hawkes will stick to strict domestication all the time.For example：

得隴望蜀

YangXianyi couples version：

The more you get，the more you want

Hawkes version：

One conquest breeds appetite for another.

心較比干多一竅，病如西子勝三分

YangXianyi couples version：

She looked more sensitive than Pikan，more delicate than His Shih.

1“比干” A prince noted for his great intelligence at the end of the Shang Dynasty.

2“西施” A famous beauty of the ancient kingdom of Yueh.

Hawkes version：

She had more chambers in her heart than the martyred Bi Gan；

And suffered a little more pain in it than the beautiful Xi Shi.

“比干 ” and “西施”，are two historical figures very familiar to the Chinese readers.The former is a man of high intelligence while the later is a beauty.In a sense，they are almost the Chinese counterparts of Solomon and Venus in western culture.

In the above examples，the two translators seem to be in conflict with their own methods in that Yang Xianyi couple gives clear and concise paraphrases while Hawkes translates them more literally，adding detailed explanations.Their translating methods are not unchanged from the very beginning to the end.In fact，they take different methods according to their needs and translating purposes.

For example：

那時恰是回九三期，就是若不過去，薛姨媽臉上過不去。（《紅樓夢》）

The ninth day after the wedding had now come-the day on which newly-weds should visit the brides family.If they stayed away，Aunt Hsueh might well feel slighted.（楊憲益等）

Since the concept expressed by the source item is not lexicalized at all in the TL，the translator added some necessary information or explanation on the basis of a literal translation of the term “回九三期”.While in other cases，even if the translator intended to adapt the version to the target language norms on levels of linguistic form and expressions，certain items can also be translated literally with its foreign taste so long as the expressions have been accepted and identified by the intended reader groups.

5.Comments and Conclusion

Functionalist theory places emphasis on the expected function of texts and translations，in this way，domestication and foreignization are not only not incompatible，but should complement with each other.They are just two different strategies of translation，we should not bring them to extremes.What we should do is to draw a balance between the two sides，choosing one does not negate the application of another.

To sum up，there is no point to say that one strategy is better than the other，so long as they can serve the intended function of the text in the target language，each of them have their role in translation.

References：

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【基金項目】河套學(xué)院社會科學(xué)重點項目“河套文化系列翻譯研究”（項目編號：HTXYSZ13001）子課題-文學(xué)著作《烏拉特英雄史詩研究》英語翻譯研究階段性成果。

作者簡介：陳高娃，女，河套學(xué)院外國語言文學(xué)系教師，研究方向英語教學(xué)、英美文學(xué)。