On Eugene A. Nida’s Functional Equivalence

趙玲

【Abstract】Eugene A. Nidas Functional Equivalence is a very useful theory in translation. This theory considers that translation is transference of the source language into the meaning of the target language in the way the author intended the text. It has a deep influence on translation.

【Key words】Functional Equivalence； translation； typical uses

Eugene A. Nidas ， the famous American linguist，carried out the Functional Equivalence theory. The role of the reader had almost been neglected for quite a long time in the history of translation theory. We have been talking too much on how to make our translation faithfully， so that the readers reaction to a version is given little notice. Eugene A. Nida， his introduction of the readers role cast a new light on translation theory. “The readers of a translated passage should be able to comprehend it to the point that they can conceive of how the original readers of the text must have understood and appreciated it. In this article， I will mainly focus upon some cases of translation concerning “functional equivalence”.

I. Politics

The word “politics”has manifold senses in the English language. Please look at the following sentences：

He has never taken an interest in politics.他對政治從不感興趣。

He didnt need any lessons when it came to office politics. 說到辦公室明爭暗斗，他無師自通。

She went to Cambridge to read politics. 她去劍橋攻讀政治學。

In Longman Dictionary ， “politics”is means： to speak or act in such a way as to make people argue among themselves， distrust each other， have doubts about the safety of their position， etc.， in other to gain an advantage for oneself. In the westerners concept， politics can sometimes be dirty.Here is another example：John was deeply involved in university politics. 約翰深深的陷入到大學里的系派斗爭中。However ， in Chinese， “politics” is never derogatory. “關心政治” is usually used to describe a person who always keeps himself actively in line with the countrys domestic affairs， development and prosperity. However ， if “關心政治”is translated literally， it will be concerned about politics. This translation wont make an English native speaker understand the same way as its Chinese version affects its reader.

II. To fall on ones sward

This expression originated in ancient Rome. The ancient Romans went to great lengths to appreciate the military valour. Once they lost， many Roman soldiers would fall on their swords to kill themselves. Such a death is considered an honorable thing. However， if we say “he falls on his sword” today， it is meanly used in a figurative sense-when a disaster is impending， he takes the full responsibility ， or even sacrifices himself. For instance， if a politician regions his position after he had caused a grave loss through an oversight， in a way we can say he “has fallen on his sword”.

Most probably， as a result of frequent conflicts in the national politics and economy， the Americans especially prefer the expression “to fall on ones sword”. For instance， in 1987， there was a wide divergence in the discount rate between James Baker ， the U.S. Secretary of Finance， and Alan Greenspan， Chairman of Federal Reserve Board. On October 12 of the same year， Hobart Rowen wrote this commentary in the Washington Post：When Baker learned from the Greenspans plan to boost the Federal reserve discount rate ，he tried unsuccessfully to persuade Greenspan to ask Japanese and Germans to lower their rates in the coordinated action. “It was not a big deal，not something that Baker was going to fall on his sword about.”

Here if “ fall on his sword” is translated into “撲劍而亡”，it will provoke nothing of the original readers response among the target readers. A Chinese reader will be puzzled by the diction of “撲劍而亡”. In order to make it across to the Chinese reader， the translator has to do a lot of interpretation work. I think “赴湯蹈火”sounds similar to a Chinese ear， and meanwhile it takes on the clues suggested by “fall on ones sword”. In other words， “赴湯蹈火” may be regarded as a kind of functional equivalence of “fall on his sword”in this context.

III. Be armed to the teeth

“全副武裝”also uses such kind of functional equivalence. For example： The troops had already been armed to the teeth.How would you translate this sentence？ Which one do you prefer？， “部隊已經全副武裝” or“武裝到牙齒”？I would rather choose the better translation. For “武裝到牙齒”is more vivid and expressive.The word “tooth” is usually associated with something a little bit interior， such as “be armed to the teeth”， “be dressed to the teeth”. In the Websters Collegiate Dictionary “to the teeth” is listed as a phrase， meaning “fully， completely”. If one is armed to the teeth， he is not only armed outwardly， a little bit inwardly.He is armed completely.

In order to achieve “functional equivalence” in translation， a translator must be a biliguist， a biculturist， a skillful and knowledgeable， with an unusual sensitivity to ones resources of languages and with a command skill of translation.

References：

[1]Nida，Eugene.Language，Culture and Translating.Foreign Language Education Press.2009.

[2]Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.Longman Group Limited.2010.