Finding the right target audience - an important audience for translation

Translators, in addition to considering style and wording, must also remember an important detail that greatly affects the efficiency of information transmission: the audience for the translation. To correctly understand the impact of the audience on the translated text, translators need to study some functional translation theories.

The most important theory in functional translation is skopos theory, founded in the 1980s by the German translation theorists Hans J. Vermeer and Katharina Reiss. It was later summarized and improved by the German professor Christiane Nord. Vermeer believed that different translation purposes require different strategies and methods. Translation should be aimed at the audience, adjusting to their cultural background, reading needs, and expectations for the translation.

Skopos theory consists of three basic principles: the skopos principle, the coherence principle, and the fidelity principle. The skopos principle states that the translation should present itself in a form expected by the reader, and the translator should choose translation methods rationally based on specific purposes. The coherence principle requires the translation to meet the standards of intra-textual coherence, meaning it must be readable and acceptable, understandable to readers, similar to Yan Fu's "faithfulness" in his translation theory. The fidelity principle means that there should be inter-textual coherence between the original text and the translation, but unlike other translation theories, the degree of fidelity in skopos theory depends on the purpose of the translation and the translator's understanding of the original text.

Skopos theory is particularly important in subtitling translation where there are often word limits and considerations for the audience's audiovisual experience. Since videos usually have target audiences, subtitles need to adjust the translation style based on the audience; for example, humorous videos may use witty language, while educational videos may be more formal. Furthermore, skopos theory shines in the field of translating movie titles. If you've paid attention to the Chinese translations of classic English movies, you'll notice that many directly translate the protagonist's name or location as the title. Chinese translations often expand slightly based on the movie content, adding themes, emotional tones, rhetorical devices, etc., to give Chinese viewers a more vivid first impression of these films. For example, translating "Léon" as "This Killer Is Not So Cold," "Amélie" as "Angel Loves Beauty," and "Waterloo Bridge" as "Soul-Broken Blue Bridge" all effectively demonstrate the role of skopos theory in translation.

In conclusion, translators need to keep the translation audience in mind and decide on translation strategies based on the expected purpose or function of the translation. Finding the right audience ensures efficient information and emotion transmission in the translated text.

◀️：What is Translation: A Spectrum of Theories on Translation

▶️：The Awareness of Audience in Translation