On Skopos Theory: An Exemplification of Fiction

Abstract

The Skopos Theory is one of the most recognized theories in modern translation field. The ‘Skopos Theory’ is originated in Germany, and then it becomes widely accepted and recognized in modern translation study field. The meaning of Skopos in Latin means aim, purpose, intention or function. The key idea in Skopos Theory is that the translation action is the way to deliver information, which means, the translations don’t need to be word by word but need to present the key meaning from source text. It is found that, translators always cannot deliver all the meaning by translating the source text word by word. It adds the subjective initiative based on equivalent translation Theory, which becomes more real and easily accepted by people. The Chinese edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from People's Publishing House in 2000 is widely accepted by the Chinese readers. Based on this research model, this paper expects to analyze the reasons behind the success of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and its translation from the perspective of ‘Skopos Theory’ and improve the practical skills in translation field. The current paper analyzes the author, the story and the Chinese edition of answer: why is it so successful in China? It compares the Chinese version and English version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It includes the translation of proper nouns, the translation of Chinese idioms, and the translation