翻译研究领域的“功能"概念

Concepts of "Function" in Translation Studies

"功能"是翻译研究领域中一个常见的术语,但又比较容易引起混淆。在过去二十多年的翻译研究活动中,最常见的与功能相关的概念是:奈达的"功能对等"论,霍姆斯的"功能导向翻译研究",以韩礼德的系统功能语言学为基础进行翻译研究的"功能途径"及由德国学派创建的"功能主义"理论。本研究追溯了上述四个功能概念的起源、发展及其对翻译研究的影响,考察了这几个功能概念之间的异同及其联系,以期将这几种功能概念一一理清。

'Function,'a key term in Translation Studies,is as frequently used as it is polysemous and confusing.Whereas it has been incorporated into major concepts such as Nida's'functional equivalence,'Holmes's'function-oriented translation studies,'the'functional approaches'based on Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics,and the'functionalist theories'advocated by the German School,the'function'in each case has its unique signification.By tracing the above-mentioned concepts back to their origins and identifying their commonalities as well as differences,this paper clarifies the ways'function'is used in the field of translation studies.Among its findings are 1)all the four'function'-related concepts emphasize the importance of'context';2) except for'function-oriented translation studies,'the other three have their sources in linguistics;3)the four concepts differ markedly in their perspectives and focuses.While the concept of'functional equivalence'takes'equivalence'for the ultimate aim of translation,that of'functional approaches'has broken away from the constraints of'equivalence'in order to better describe and explain the phenomena of translation,and the concept of'functionalist theories'has even transcended language per se,focusing its attention on the skopos of translation.