A Critical Analysis Of Functionalist Text Typology In Translation Studies

The aim of the thesis is to explore the fundamental relationships between functionalist text typologies and translation strategies. Functionalist approach in translation is a broad term for various theories that focus on the function or functions of texts and translations. It breaks the two-thousand-year-old chain of the debate over literal vs. free axis. Based on functionalism, scholars like Reiss, Newmark and Nord proposed their text typologies and translation strategies. Essentially they all agree on the tripartite division of Bühler's language function: representation, expression and appeal. Reiss proposed four text types and explored four translation strategies accordingly; Newmark divided texts into basically three types and two translation strategies: semantic translation and communicative translation; Nord claimed four text types and two translation strategies as well: documentary translation and instrumental translation. Basically, Reiss and Newmark's text typologies focus on the function of the source text; while Nord emphasizes more on the function of the target text. The thesis examines the three text typology theories through analyzing some English-Chinese translation examples. Consequently the validity of functionalist text typologies is justified and their limitations in explaining some translation phenomena are concluded. Furthermore, synthesizing the strong points of functionalism, a functionalist translation process is proposed, which starts from a comparison between the functions of source text and target text and advocates different translation strategies according to different relationships between the two functions. The process might be significant for both translation studies and translation training.