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Equivalence Research Paper

Decent Essays

Equivalence is the central notion in discussing translation studies across decades, including theoretical or practical. “Proponents of equivalence-based theories of translation usually define equivalence as the relationship between a source text (ST) and a target text (TT) that allows the TT to be considered as a translation of the ST in the first place”(Baker ed. 1998:77). Mona Baker stated that the use of the notion of equivalence is ‘for the sake of convenience because most translators are used to it rather than because it has any theoretical status’ (1992:5-6). In this paper, I will assess the notion in light of the theories put forward by Eugene Nida and Werner Koller.

Eugene Nida's formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence
Eugene Nida attempted to give a more scientific sense in translation studies, by …show more content…

Equivalence (1979)
Werner Koller examined the concept of equivalence and correspondence. In particular, “correspondence involves the comparison of two language systems where differences and similarities are described contrastively”, whereas “equivalence deals with equivalent items in specific ST-TT pairs and contexts”. (1979)

In order to explain what is equivalent to what, Koller (1979) differentiates five types of equivalence: (a) denotative equivalence involving the extralinguistic context of a text. (b) connotative equivalence relating to lexical choices. (c) text-normative equivalence relating to text-types (d) pragmatic equivalence involving the receiver of the text or message and (e) formal equivalence relating to the form and aesthetics of the text formal equivalence.(p.186-191).

Koller also argued that “a hierarchy of values can be preserved in translation only if the translator comes up with a hierarchy of equivalence requirements for the target text” (1979 p. 89). Koller’s work bring translator's‟ attention into various types and ways, in which the kind of equivalence people wanted nowadays may be

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