Skopos Theory:: Basic Aspects

Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences
Oujda
Master Studies
Skopos theory:
Basic Aspects
Professor: ABDELLAH EL BOUBEKRI

Presented by: Youssef EL BOUTAIBI
What's the Shift?
• a translational action is determined
by its skopos; that is “ the end
justifies the means” (Reiss and
Vermeer 1984:101)
Vermeer terms the aim of the translator
as ‘skopos‘ :
“skopos
• and mode of
realization [of translation] must
be adequately defined if the
text-translator is to fulfil his
task successfully” (Venuti 221).
Example
• You have to translate a source text on medicine.
• Are you going to look for technical equivalents?
• Are you going to use common terms that everybody can

understand?
• Are you going to consider your reader/listener?

Basic Aspects of Skopos theory.

OUTLINE :
1) Defining Concepts
2) Intertextual and Intratextual Coherence
3) The Concept of Culture and Culture Specificity
4) Adequacy and Equivalence
5) The Role of Text Classification
6) Criticism and contributions of the Skopos theory
7) Conclusion
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
Skopos, Purpose, Aim, Intention, Function
• Skopos is a Greek word for “ purpose”.
• According to the Skopos theory, The
prime principal determining any
translation process is the purpose
(Skopos) of the overall translational
action.
• Purpose: is defined as a provisional

stage in the process of attaining an
aim. Aim and purpose are then
relative concepts.
Purpose
The
The particular
The General Purpose
communicative
Purpose aimed at by a
Purpose aimed
aimed at by particular
at by the
the translator translation
translator
strategy
to show
perhaps to earn a living to instruct readers
the structural particularities
of the source language
Skopos,Purpose, Aim, Intention, Function
•Aim: is defined as the final result

an agent intends to achieve by
means of an action.
Skopos,Purpose, Aim, Intention, Function
•Intention: points toward an

appropriate way of producing or
understanding the text. The intention is
defined from the sender’s point of view.
•Function: refers to what a text

means or is intended to mean
from the receiver’s point of view.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
the skopos rule
• Each text is produced for a given purpose and should serve

this purpose. The skopos rule thus reads as follows:
• "translate/interpret/speak/write in a way that enables
your text/translation to function in the situation in
which it is used and with the people who want to use it
and precisely in the way they want it to function,."
• A good brief spells a good translation.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
• Translation brief is the sum of information the
translator could gather before the translational
process.
• It specifies what kind of translation is needed. Yet,

the translator has the choice to carry out those
instructions as they fit.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
• The T.B. does not necessarily tell the translators how to
go about their translating job? What translation strategy
to use? or what translation type to choose?
• These decisions depend entirely on the translator’s

responsibility, assumptions and competence.
2) Intertextual and Intratextual Coherence.
• Intratextual Coherence/ The Coherence Rule
• What the translator can do, and should do is to produce a text

that is at least likely to be meaningful to target culture
receivers.
• In Vermeer’s terms, the target text should conform to the
standard of “ intratextual coherence” . This means that
communicative interaction can only be regarded as successful if
the receivers interpret it as being sufficiently coherent with
their situation.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
2) Intertextual and Intratextual Coherence.
Intertextual Coherence:
Since translation is an offer of information it is expected
to bear some kind of relationship with the corresponding
source text. Vermeer calls this intertextual coherence or
fidelity.
Reiss and Vermeer call this: the fidelity rule.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
3) The concept of culture and culture specificity:
• “Culture is the entire setting of norms and conventions

an individual as a member of his society must know in
order to be like everybody or to be able to be different
from everybody” Vermeer 1987.
• It is a cultural phenomenon of a culture X that is
regarded as relevant by the members of this culture and
when compared with a corresponding social phenomenon
in a culture Y is found to be specific to culture X.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
Culture and Translation
• Translating means comparing cultures. Translators

interpret source culture phenomena in the light of
their own culture-specific knowledge of that culture.
There can be no neutral standpoint for comparison.
Everything we observe as being different from our
own culture is, for us, specific to that culture.
4) Adequacy and Equivalence.
• “An adequate translation is a translation

which realizes in the target language the
textual relationships of a source text”
Even-Zohar 1975.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
Skopostheorie “adequacy”
• “Adequacy” refers to the qualities of a target text with regards to the
translation brief : the translation should be adequate to the requirements of
the brief.
• On the other hand equivalence means adequacy to a skopos that requires

that the target text serve the same communicative function or functions as
the source text, thus preserving invariance of function between source and
target text. Here the term equivalence is reduced to functional equivalence.
• So, the translation should be adequate to the requirements of the brief

5) The Role of Text Classification:
• According to Reiss, text typologies help the translator

specify the appropriate hierarchy of equivalence levels
needed for a particular translation skopos.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
The typology will be briefly summarized
as:
1- Informative text: its main function is to
inform the reader about objects and phenomena
in the real world.
2- Expressive text: the informative aspect is
complemented or even over-ruled by the
aesthetic component. The stylistic choices
made by the author contribute to the meaning
of the text, producing an aesthetic effect on the
reader. This effect has to be taken into account
5) The Role of Text Classification:
• 3- Operative text: both content and form are

subordinate to the extralinguistic effect that the text is
designed to achieve. The translation of operative texts
should be guided by the overall aim of bringing about the
same reaction in the audience, although this might
involve changing the content or the stylistic features of
the original.
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
Any Criticism?
• Schreitmuller 1994:
The notions of information offer and the Translation

Brief tend to disrespect the pure relationship between
the ST and the TT.
Koller 1990: "The source text is the yardstick by which

all translations must be measured."
Chesterman 1994
• Even though a translation may indeed fulfill its
intended skopos perfectly well, it may be assessed as
inadequate as far as lexical, syntactic and stylistic
decisions.
• Newmark 1991:
Negates the oversimplification that is inherent in
functionalism. More emphasis on purpose at the
expense of the source text richness in meaning.
Contributions of the Skopos Theory:
• Bringing in the target text into focus
• More role and respect for the translator: as a target text author
• Translation is a decision-making process and the criteria are
provided by the skopos.
• the more independent challenge of target text production has
brought innovation to translation theory
• The expertise and ethical responsibilities of the translator gave a
new spirit to the job of the translator
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3
Conclusion
The main principal of the Skopos

theory is to consider translation
as a …………………………
Conclusion
The main principal of the Skopos theory

is to consider translation as a
purposeful action
Thank you for your
attention !!!!
SKOPOSTHEORIE 3

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Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences

Professor: ABDELLAH EL BOUBEKRI

• Are you going to look for technical equivalents?

• Are you going to use common terms that everybody can

• Are you going to consider your reader/listener?

• Purpose: is defined as a provisional

•Aim: is defined as the final result

•Intention: points toward an

•Function: refers to what a text

• Each text is produced for a given purpose and should serve

• It specifies what kind of translation is needed. Yet,

• These decisions depend entirely on the translator’s

• Intratextual Coherence/ The Coherence Rule

• What the translator can do, and should do is to produce a text

• “Culture is the entire setting of norms and conventions

• Translating means comparing cultures. Translators

• “An adequate translation is a translation

• On the other hand equivalence means adequacy to a skopos that requires

• So, the translation should be adequate to the requirements of the brief

• According to Reiss, text typologies help the translator

• 3- Operative text: both content and form are

The notions of information offer and the Translation

Koller 1990: "The source text is the yardstick by which

The main principal of the Skopos

The main principal of the Skopos theory

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