The Concept Of Norms In Translation Theory

Introduction

This assignment focuses on the study of norms in translation. This is where norms should correspond to the definition of “what a norm is”. For this reason I will explain the concept of norm because the focus on this assignment considers only two professional translators who have also discussed norms. These professional translators are Gideon Toury and Andrew Chesterman.

Discussions of norms by authors such as Hermans (1996) and Simeoni (1998) will therefore be left aside. In this assignment I will fully explain what norms are, how norms function in translation and I will also compare Chesterman’s norms and Toury’s norms.

Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions. Norms can be expected to operate not only in translation of all kinds, but also at every stage in the translating event. A translator may subject him-/herself either to the original text, with the norms it has realized, or to the norms active in the target culture, or in that section of it which would host the end product.

Translation is a complicated task, during which the meaning of the source-language text should be conveyed to the target-language readers. In other words, translation can be defined as encoding the meaning and form in the target language by means of the decoded meaning and form of the source language. Different theorists state various definitions for translation.

The concept of norms in translation theory was