SKOPOS THEORY

• Skopos is the Greek word for ‘aim’ or

‘purpose’.
• The theory was introduced in the
1970s by Hans J.Vermeer as a
technical term for the purpose of a
translation.
• Although skopos theory pre-dates
Holz-Mänttäri’s, it may be considered
to be part of that same theory because
it deals with a translational action
based on a ST.
A TT, called the Translatum by Vermeer must be fit
for purpose and must be ‘functionally adequate’.
Therefore, knowing why a ST is to be translated
and what the function of the TT will be is crucial
for the translator.
 Basic underlying ‘rules’ of the Theory
1. The translatum (TT) is determined by its skopos.
2. TT is an offer of information in the target culture and language
concerning an offer of information in a source culture and
language.
3. TT does not initiate an offer of information in a clearly
reversible.
4. TT must be internally coherent.
5. TT must be coherent with the ST

The five rules above stand in hierarchical order, with the

skopos rule predominating.
The success of action and information transfer is to be judged on its
functional adequacy:
A. The coherence rule B. The fidelity rule merely
The TT must be interpretable as There must be coherence
coherent with the TT receiver’s between the TT and the ST or
situation. In other words, the TT more specifically, between:
must be translated in a way that it (i) the ST information received
makes sense for the TT receivers, by the translator;
given their circumstances, (ii) the interpretation the
knowledge and needs. If the TT translator makes of this
does not fit the needs of the TT information;
receivers, it is simply not (iii) the information that is
adequate for its purpose. encoded for the TT receivers.
 “ This responsibility translators have
toward their partners in translational
interaction. Loyalty commits the translator
bilaterally to the source and the target
sides. It must not be mixed up with
fidelity or faithfulness, concepts that
usually refer to a relationship holding
between the source and target texts.
Loyalty is an interpersonal category
referring to a social relationship between
people”
(Nord 1997: 125)
 Vermeer describes the commission as comprising (1) a
goal and (2) the conditions under which that goal should
be achieved (including deadline and fee).
 Adequacy (Adäquatheit) comes to override equivalence
as the measure of the translatorial action.
 Adequacy describes the relations between ST and TT as
a consequence of observing a skopos during the
translation process.