chapter5

Amber

Chapter five of Jeremy Munday's Introducing Translation Studies examines functional theories of translation that emerged primarily in Germany in the late 20th century. The chapter begins by introducing Katharina Reiss's early work, which links text type to translation method. Reiss develops a functional theory that categorizes texts as informative, expressive, or operative. She argues that each text type requires a specific translation approach to preserve its primary function. The chapter then focuses on Hans Vermeer's foundational Skopos theory, which becomes the core of this functionalist movement. Skopos theory places the purpose or skopos of the target text as the supreme rule for any translation. This theory fundamentally challenges the traditional ideal of linguistic equivalence. It proposes that the intended function of the translation determines all translation strategies.

The discussion continues with Justa Holz-Mänttäri's concept of translational action. This model frames translation as a purposeful, intercultural interaction involving various professional players. It views the translator as an expert responsible for producing a functionally adequate target text for its specific situation. Christiane Nord's subsequent work consolidates these functionalist ideas. Nord introduces the important distinction between documentary and instrumental translation. She also provides a model for analyzing the complex web of factors in a translation brief. The chapter consistently illustrates how these functionalist models shift attention from the source text to the target text's role in its new context. It explains how this paradigm justifies translational decisions that earlier linguistic theories might have rejected. In summary, this chapter outlines a major theoretical shift that prioritizes the communicative purpose of a translation over strict formal correspondence.