Scopos, Loyalty, and Translational Conventions

Christiane Nord
Institut für Übersetzen und Dolmetschen der Universität Heidelberg

Abstract

Within the framework of the functionalist or "scopos" theory, the (intended) scope or function of the target text is the most important criterion for the translator's decisions. However, this is a general theory of translation, which is not concerned with the culture-specific conventions valid in a particular culture. Since conventions determine what readers expect of a translation, the translator has the responsibility not to deceive the users of his translation by acting contrary to the conventions without telling them what he is doing, and why. This responsibility is what I will refer to as loyalty. Loyalty is a moral principle guiding the relationships between human beings.

Table of contents

Every year, conferences on translational topics call for scholars from all over the world to discuss the question of what translation is or should be and how certain translation problems ought to be solved. However, although translatologists usually agree on more general issues, e.g. the importance of translation as such or the necessity of improving the often [ p. 92 ]deplorable quality of translations, there seems to be little consent as far as concrete translational "rules" are concerned. Wouldn't it be useful to have a sort of Magna Charta of translation which every translator could turn to in case of doubt?

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price. Direct PDF access to this article can be purchased through our e-platform.

[ p. 108 ]References

Aub, Max
1972 “El puerto”/“Der Hafen”. Tránsito. Tres obras en un acto/Drei Einakter, ed. and trans. Erna Brandenberger. München: dtv 1972 63–107.Google Scholar
Barrass, Tine
1978 “The Function of Translated Literature within a National Literature: The Example of Sixteenth Century Spain”. James S Holmes, José Lambert and Raymond van den Broeck, eds. Literature and Translation: New Perspectives in Literary Studies. Leuven: acco 1978 181–203.Google Scholar
Benjamin, Walter
1972 “Die Aufgabe des Übersetzers”. Gesammelte Schriften. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp 1972 82–96.Google Scholar
Berglund, Lars O.
1987 “The Ethics of Ineffective Translation”. Lebende Sprachen 1. 7–11.Google Scholar
Brislin, Richard W.
1976 “Introduction”. Richard W. Brislin, ed. Translation: Applications and Research. New York: Gardner Press 1976 1–43.Google Scholar
Broeck, Raymond van den
1980 “Toward a Text-Type-Oriented Theory of Translation”. Poulsen and Wilss 1980 : 82–96.Google Scholar
Carroll, Lewis
1946 Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.Google Scholar
1973a Alice im Wunderland, trans. Christian Enzensberger. Frankfurt/M: Insel Verlag.Google Scholar
1973b Alice im Wunderland, trans. Liselotte Remané. München: dtv.Google Scholar
1989 Alice im Wunderland, trans. Barbara Teutsch. Hamburg: Cecilie Dressler.Google Scholar
Dictionary of Contemporary English (DCE)
1978 ed. P. Procter et al.. London: Langenscheidt-Longman.Google Scholar
Enzensberger, Christian
1973 Nachwort zur Übersetzung von Alice im Wunderland . Carroll 1973a : 129–138.Google Scholar
Frank, Armin Paul and Brigitte Schultze
1988 “Normen in historisch-deskriptiven Übersetzungsstudien”. Harald Kittel, ed. Die literarische Übersetzung: Stand und Perspektiven ihrer Erforschung. Berlin: Schmidt 1988: 96–121.Google Scholar
House, Juliane
1981 A Model for Translation Quality Assessment. Tübingen: Narr.Google Scholar
Kupsch-Losereit, Sigrid
1986 “Scheint eine schöne Sonne? oder: Was ist ein Übersetzungsfehler?” Lebende Sprachen 1. 12–16.Google Scholar
Lewis, David K.
1969 Convention: A Philosophical Study. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Newmark, Peter
1980 “Teaching Specialized Translation”. Poulsen and Wilss 1980 : 127–148.Google Scholar
Nord, Christiane
1987 “Übersetzungsprobleme—Übersetzungsschwierigkeiten. Was in den Köpfen von Übersetzern vorgehen sollte...”. Mitteilungsblatt für Dolmetscher und Übersetzer 2. 5–7.Google Scholar
1988 Textanalyse und Übersetzen: Theoretische Grundlagen, Methode und didaktische Anwendung einer übersetzungsrelevanten Textanalyse. Heidelberg: Groos.Google Scholar
1989 “Loyalität statt Treue. Vorschläge für eine funktionale Übersetzungstypologie”. Lebende Sprachen 3. 100–105.[ p. 109 ]Google Scholar
Forthcoming a. “The Relationship between Text Function Meaning in Translation”. Marcel Thelen and Barbara Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk eds. Translation and Meaning, Part II: Proceedings of the Łódz Colloquium, September 1990 Maastricht Euroterm
Forthcoming b. “The Role Scope of Conventions in Translation”. Proceedings of the XIIth World Congress of FIT, Belgrade 1990.
Forthcoming c. Text Analysis in Translation (English version of Nord 1988 ). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
Poulsen, Sven-Olaf and Wolfram Wilss
eds. Angewandte Übersetzungswissenschaft: Internationales übersetzungswissenschaftliches Kolloquium an der Wirtschaftsuniversität Århus/Dänemark, 19.-21. Juni 1980 Århus
Reiß, Katharina and Hans J. Vermeer
1984 Grundlegung einer allgemeinen Translationstheorie. Tübingen: Niemeyer.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Searle, John
1969 Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. London: Cambridge University Press.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Snell-Hornby, Mary
ed. 1986 Übersetzungswissenschaft—eine Neuorientierung. Tübingen: Narr.Google Scholar
Strawson, Peter Frederick
1969 “Intention and Convention in Speech Acts”. Philosophical Review 73. 439–460.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Toury, Gideon
1980 “The Nature and Role of Norms in Literary Translation”. Gideon Toury. In Search of a Theory of Translation. Tel Aviv 1980 51–62. (11978)Google Scholar
1980 “The Translator as a Nonconformist-to-be, or: How to Train Translators So As to Violate Translational Norms”. Poulsen and Wilss 1980 : 180–194.Google Scholar
Vermeer, Hans J.
1983 “Ein Rahmen für eine allgemeine Translationstheorie”. Aufsätze zur Translationstheorie. Heidelberg 1983 48–61. (11978)Google Scholar