Evaluating Translation in Terms of Equivalence and Balance

Abstract

The comparison of texts in different languages involves a theory of equivalence. Equivalence is one of the central issues in translation though its definition, relevance, and applicability within the field of translation theory have brought about controversy among scholars, and many different theories of the concept of equivalence have been elaborated within this field in the past few decades. The purpose of this study is to make a general revision of the theory of equivalence supported by Vinay, Nida, Jakobson, Taber, and Baker, who have studied equivalence with regard to the translation process, using different approaches, and have come up with beneficial ideas on this subject. Their theories can be substantially classified into three groups. As a matter of fact, once a message is transferred from the SL to TL, the translator is dealing with two different cultures at the same time. This particular aspect seems to have been taken into consideration by the second group of theorists who regard translation equivalence as being essentially a transfer of the message from the SC to the TC and a pragmatic/semantic or functionally oriented approach to translation. Finally, equivalence is used because many translators are accustomed to it. Keywords: