Study on the CE/EC Humorous Utterances Translation under the Skopos Theory

[Abstract] This thesis takes the Skopos Theory which is the core of German functionalism as the breakthrough point. According to the general classification of humorous utterance, this thesis divides it into situational humor and language humor. This thesis aims to analyze the application of the Skopos Theory in the two classifications of humorous utterances translation from the two perspectives which are conformity and conflict between the source-text function and the target-text function.

[Key words] Skopos Theory Humorous translation Source-text function

Target-text function

1. Introduction

Humor both in the West and the East has been a longstanding and eternal topic To make people from different countries know and understand the humor and its wits well, translation plays an important role. Because of language barriers and cultural differences, there exists great difficulty in the humorous utterance translation. It is difficult to reproduce the humorous effect of the source language in the culture of target language translation. This thesis attempts to study the humorous utterances from the angle of Skopos theory, which provides a new angle for humor translation,and aims in order to reproduce the humorous effect of source language.

2. Skopos Theory

Skopos theory is firstly proposed by the German functional theorist Hans J.Vermeer, which is regarded as the landmark of functionalist approach to translation. It consists of three rules: Skopos Rule, Coherence Rule and Fidelity Rule. Skopos Rule determines any translation process of overall translational action. This rule aims to solve the lasting problems, such as faithful versus good interpreter’s translation, formal versus dynamic equivalence, faithful versus free translation, and so on. The second important rule of Skopos theory is coherence rule which is also called intratextual rule. It specifies that translation should be acceptable in a sense that it is coherent with the receivers’ situation. The third one of Skopos theory is fidelity rule, which is also called intertextual rule referring to the relationship between source text and target text. It requires that the target text should be maximally faithful to the source text. This rule is primarily followed in literary translation.

According to the Skopos theory, the three basic rules play the important function in the whole translation seperately. Fidelity rule is considered subordinate to coherence rule, and both are subordinate to the Skopos rule. If the Skopos requires a change of function, the standard will no longer be intertextual coherence with the source text but adequacy or appropriateness with regard to the Skopos.

3. humorous utterances

Humorous utterances are a kind of expression of humor making use of language means. They are to criticize and expose the phenomenon that hardly reaches the target language receiver’s requirements in the real life in order to suggest the author’s own thinking, inspire people to think about and produce a significant effect. As for classification of humorous utterances, there are a number of divisions and as many as the definitions of humor. Here what we will employ is Pocheptsov’s classification of humor (1981), which includes situational humor and language humor. Situational humor is produced by scene itself or the understanding of scene of people. Language itself doesn’t contain the humorous factor, while it is employed in certain atmosphere, it will produce unique humorous charm. Language humor is also called verbal humor or non-situational humor. Different from situational humor, language humor is produced by the different understandings of literal utterance meanings or pragmatic meanings of people in special situation. In language humor, the language is not only a description of the amusing things but also a source to create humor.

4. Application of Skopos Theory in CE/EC Humorous Utterance translation

4.1 The Source-text Function in Conformity to the Target-text Function

Here, there are two situations to analyze of the application. One is conformity in Situational Humor, and the other is conformity in Language Humor. As for the first situation, there is an appropriate example in the following.

A drunk walks into the elevator (there is no elevator there)，falls five stories down and lands on the bottom. Lying there for a few seconds，he slowly opens his eyes，and then says，“Damned，I said UP.”(cited in Jiang，2001)

译文:一个醉汉走进电梯(其实根本没有电梯)，结果从五楼摔了下来。在地上躺了几秒后，他慢慢睁开眼，说了一句:“该死，我明明按的上嘛!”

(Cited in Sheng Na, 2007)

From the example, we can see that employing the literal translation is a better way to translation for the translators because the source-text function is in conformity to the target-text function. Source receivers and target receivers have the same humor sense in this situational humor. Target receivers can easily understand the humor without any rhetoric devoice. What’s more, this situational humor takes the situation or atmosphere as the core, whereas the language itself may not be humorous or funny at all, it is only a description of the amusing things.

With regard to language humor, it is resulted from the use of the variation of language components, such as grammar, phonetic, lexicon, syntax and so on. Here, there is a successful translation of language humor that realizes the source-text function is in conformity with the target-text function. Look at the example.

First Gentleman: Thou art always figuring disease in me, but thou art full of error, I am sound.

Lucio: Nay, not as one would say, healthy, but so sound as things that are hollow, impiety has made a feast of thee.

译文：绅士甲：你总以为我有那种病，其实你大错特错，我的身体响当当的。

路奇奥：响当当的，可并不结实，就像空心的东西那样响当当的，你的骨头都空了，好色的毛病把你掏空了。

(Cited in Dong Lirong, 2001)

Here there is the use of rhetorical deceives: pun. In the example, “sound” is a pun which has two Chinese meanings: “结实的” and “空洞发响的”. In the translation, “响当当” is still has the above two meanings so that it is able to produce the effect of pun both in English version and Chinese version. This is why we take the translation as a successful one. In the translation, the source-text function is conformity with the target-text function so as to express thoroughly the information and reproduce the humorous effect of the source text.

4.2 The Source-text Function in Conflict with the Target-text Function

Here there are two situations: Conflict in Situational Humor and Conflict in Language Humor.

As the culture become a barrier in humorous utterance translation, the source-text and the target-text always contradict with each other. There are some typical examples below.

CECILY: This is no time for wearing the shallow mask of manners. When I see a spade I call it a spade.

GWENDOLEN: [satirically] I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different. (The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde 1979:292, cited in Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:119)

西：肤浅而客套的假面具，现在该除下来了。我要是见到一头鹿，就不会叫它做马。

关：（讽刺地）我倒乐于奉告，我从来没见过一头鹿。显然我们的社交圈子大不相同。

（Yu Guangzhong,1984:95, cited in Zhang Nanfeng, 2004:119）

This example belongs to the situational humor, but compared with humor without certain background, this humor can’t be easily understood for normal people. Dealing with the humor with certain background, translators need to control certain cultural background, or the translation can’t reach the humorous effect. there is an English idiom: “to call a spade a spade”, which means to speak directly, bluntly and plainly. Here a spade is just a tool or a signal of peasants and the country life. Therefore, facing this humor, the skopos theory plays an important role in the translation. From the functionalist point of view, version two is better and belongs to the instrumental translation. The core phrase “to call a spade a spade” is better to be translated into “指鹿为马”. Meanwhile there is Chinese idiom with the similar meaning and deer can be regarded as a symbol of the social status in normal people. Although “deer” and “horse” has no relationship with “spade” in the source text, the translation can perform the same function, which is to amuse people.

As for Conflict in Language Humor, the following is the relative example.

Give me Green World, or give me yesterday.

要么给我绿世界晚霜,要么还我昨日青春模样。

(《绿世界》 牌系列晚霜广告)

This is an advertisement for a kind night cream of cosmetic named “Green World”. It imitates a patriot poet, Patrick Henry’s famous words “Give me liberty, or give me death”. In translation, it needs to demonstrate the parallel in the sentence form and the word number, even the rhyme. Guided by the Skopos Theory, the Skopos is to make the consumer know the function and the advantage of the cosmetic. Therefore, “Green World” can be translated into “绿世界晚霜” literally. Then according to the associative meaning of “yesterday”, it is translated into “昨日青春模样” making replacement of “昨日” so that it results in a harmonious rhyme between “霜” and “样”. So the humorous effect naturally appears in the translation and it is easier for target receivers to know what the advertisement is and impress people by the humorous form.

5. Conclusion

The Skopos Theory is a powerful theoretical framework applying in the humorous utterances. Under the untranslatable situation of the humorous utterances, the Skopos Theory indeed provides a new and practical angle to translate. But it is impossible to solve all kinds of the untranslatable cases or situations of the humorous utterances. Therefore, If possible, the further study can research from the combination of many theoretical frameworks in depth and width so that the translation will has a strong persuasiveness and guidance for the target readers.

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