A Skopos Approach To Translation Strategies

The present thesis explores the translation strategies in the two translations of Spenser's Study of Sociology from the perspective of Skopos Theory.Through detailed comparison,the author found:Firstly,for the reason that the Skopos Theory plays an important role in the two translations,Yan Fu employs unorthodox translation strategy in his translation,whereas Zhang & Hu's version adopts foreignization translation strategy in their translation,they stress on the equivalence;secondly,the two different translation strategies fulfill the different purposes of the two translations though both translators deviate from their overall translation strategies in some cases,such deviation is intended to fulfill their different Skopos of translation;thirdly,the author points out that the "equivalence" plays an important role in the translation activities,but for special translation,the Skopos Theory is decisive to the translation strategy.Skopos Theory provides a theoretical basis for the research of different target texts that translated from one text.So the feasibility to apply Skopos Theory to study different translation strategies of the two Chinese translations of Study of Sociology can not be denied.In addition,the thesis points out that the Skopos Theory provides us with a new perspective for translation practices,and it can solve the contradiction of the different translation strategies.The two translation strategies,domestication and foreignization are complimentary but not contradictory.The translation strategies that one translation text applied are the unity of opposites,for they are independent and at the same time all decided by the purposes of the translation.In short,in the framework of Skopos Theory we can find:The Skopos Theory plays a decisive role in the choice of translation strategies,including the major translation strategy and secondary translation strategy;all the translation strategies employed in translation are a unity of opposites,the translation strategies serve for the purposes of translator's translation.Finally,despite its significant explanatory adequacy in translation studies,it is still necessary to be alert of the limitations of the application of Skopos Theory.For example, many scholars use it to explain some famous translators' translation styles.These researches have a common problem that not all translation texts are analyzed and the research result is not reliable,just like only touching the tip of the iceberg,then the results of these researches are inappropriate or incomplete.