An Empirical Study On Translator Competence Within The Framework Of Schema Theory

The studies of translation competence has been attracting scholars’attention both at home and abroad while the attention to translator competence is less. What’s worse, it is rare to find the exploration on translator competence and its components from the cognitive levels of translators which is actually the foundation on which translators play their various competences. Only through the exploration of influencing factors of translator competence can the operable training methods of translators be obtained.Taking the class of2012MTI students of Fudan University as research subjects, the present thesis is to explore translator competence of the students through text translation, focus group interview and questionnaire and to further explore the existence of translator competence, the difference of students in their translator competence and causes of the difference within the framework of schema theory. The study aims to put forward more operable suggestions for MTI translators training and development.There are four major findings. First, the research has verified the proposed translator competence components. Second, the students’translator competence is not optimistic. Third, the students have a similar structure of the whole competence and its components but they are different in respect of the levels of students within the same class. Fourth, the thesis finds that the schemata construction can not only consolidate and develop the students’ initial competence but also help transform and improve their weakness in translator competence.