Translator’s Subjectivity From The Perspective Of Skopos Theory

Source-Language centered, traditional translation theories prioritize faithfulness as the goal of translation, and require faithful and objective reconstruction of Source-Language by the translator, who should be self-effacing in the translated works. With the advent of "Cultural Turn" in 1970s and the development of translation studies, the status of translator was dramatically enhanced and the subjectivity of translator was widely accepted. This thesis will focus on the subjectivity of the translator during different phases in the translation process.The skopos theory, brought up by German Functionists Vermeer and Nord, holds the view that translation is an activity of communication and the aim of translation determines the whole process of translation. Thus, the translator’s subjectivity is a necessity in translation activity. The translator will exert every reasonable translation strategy to fulfill the translation aim during the translation process. The skopos principles and the loyalty principle enable the translator to take the initiative and prevent the translator from abusing their power in the name of translation.This thesis is to probe into the translator’s subjectivity from the perspective of the skopos theory by studying the translated version of Sydney’s Song. It intends to provide a new perspective for studying translator’s subjectivity, and aims to prove that the skopos theory is also applicable for guiding literary translation.