Text Function & Translation Function Vs Translation Strategies

Newmark's translation theory and German functionalist translation theory are regarded as the two important ones among western translation theories and are introduced and studied by translation theorists and translationalists in China. Newmark's translation theory taking text funciton as its theory center, puts forward two overlapping translation methods of semantic translation and communicative translation. Functionalist approach to translation, based on skopostheorie, action theory and text function theory identifies the aim or purpose of translation as the first and foremost guiding principle within the theory.Following a close comparison made between the two kinds of theories, the dissertation tries to reveal the great differences and stresses the two imply and their very divergent directive roles in translation study and practice in terms of the definition and nature of translation, the criteria of translation, text function typology and translation strategies ect..The dissertation is well justified in drawing the following conclusions: In Newmark's theory, priority was given to the source text with "equivalent theory" as its evaluation criterion. He contends that translation can be carried out by selection of sound translation methods appropriate to text function typology. Newmark's translation theory, in particular plays a prominent role in directing traditional translation practices such as literature translation and translation of pragmatic texts. While functionalist approach to translation intergrates translation action into an extensive realm of communication among human beings, where translation is dealt with from a far more broad perspective. In functionalist theory, the aim or purpose of the translation is seen as a dominant consideration, which then determines text function types, that is, the translator should choose translation strategies that are most appropriate to fullfil the skopos or functions of the targe text which may be similar to or quite different from that of the source text owing to different situations. The role of the source text is seen no longer as an insurmountable authority just as so it is in traditional theory, but as a source which provides...