Brief Study on Domestication and Foreignization in Translation
Wenfen Yang
School of Foreign Languages, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China Email: wfyoung@163.com
Abstract T his essay gives a brief study of Domestication and Foreignization and the disputes over these two basic translation strategies which provide both linguistic and cultural guidance. Domestication designates the type of translation in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for target language readers; while foreignization means a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original. In the contemporary international translation field, E ugene Nida is regarded as the representative of those who favour domesticating translation, whereas the Italian scholar L aw rence Venuti is regarded to be the spokesman for those who favour foreignizing translation, who has also led the debate to a white-hot state. Index Terms domestication, foreignization, translation strategies
I. OVERVIEW OF DOMESTICATION AND FOREIGNIZATION Domestication and foreignization are two basic translation strategies which provide both linguistic and cultural guidance. They are termed by American translation theorist L.Venuti (qtd. in Schaffner 1995:4). According to Venuti, the former refers to -language cultural values, bring the author the linguistic and cultural designates the type of translation in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for target language readers, while foreignization means a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target
