The End of an Era? Does Skopos Theory Spell the End of the “Free vs. Literal” Paradigm? by Jonathan Downie
In light of such examples, we must conclude that most translation purposes will involve some kind of move towards what traditional translation theory might call “functional equivalence” (e.g. Fee and Strauss 2007: 28). The opposite approach, while perfectly justifiable, tends to only be justified in the light of a limited number of translation purposes. On the other hand, the fact that the strategies called for by so many purposes – from translating for new believers or those whose first language is not that of the translation to the attempt to produce an equivalent effect on the target audience – would all be classified under a single heading suggests a further weakness in the traditional labelling of translations.
Conclusion
The purpose of this article was to provide a more detailed account of skopos theory, paying particular attention to the possible objections to its use in Bible translation choice and analysis. Skopos theory has been seen to cover far more ground than is commonly covered by the more traditional accounts of Bible translation. Its emphasis on the intentional nature of translation offers a new way of examining and choosing finished translations as well as opening new research avenues in translation reception and translator training. Its notions of the intercultural and interpersonal aspects of translation offer a way of integrating concerns raised by missionary translators into standard theory while still offering boundaries for translation practice.
However, the emphasis on translation purpose has also been the source of many of the objections to its use. These may be based on concerns over the resulting status of the source text, a perceived danger of oversimplification or a possible bias towards a particular translation strategy. In all cases, while there is much remaining to be discussed, the beginnings of solutions to these issues can be found by integrating skopos theory into a multidisciplinary approach involving theology, history and even ethics.
Despite these objections, skopos theory holds a great advantage over traditional approaches when it comes to translation analysis and choice. In both cases, it asserts that analysis should begin at the same point as the translator or translation user will begin: the purpose of the translation. In doing so, it not only allows those who have not been able to spend years in further education to choose a translation following common-sense variables but also offers a stable and reliable framework for the discussion of individual translation techniques. For this reason and given the advantages sketched above, it is the opinion of the author that skopos theory should become the primary theoretical foundation for the discussion of Bible translations, displacing the more traditional theories.
PR
Notes
1 An example of this method being used to help readers choose a Bible translation can be found in my current article in The Pneuma Review: “Using the Right Bible Translation? A professional translator’s perspective on translation choice” appearing in the Summer 2009 issue.
2 In this article I will use the naming conventions of modern, non-Biblical, translation theory throughout. The adjective “source” as in “source language,” “source text,” and “source culture” will be therefore used to refer to the entities belonging to or originating in the language or culture in which the text to be translated was written. The adjective “target,” on the other hand, will refer to equivalent entities as they appear in the language or culture into which the text is to be translated. Although the Bible is made up of “source texts” written in three “source languages,” I will refer to these entities in the singular throughout, given that translation theory is, or aims to be, language-neutral as far as possible.
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