a faitfhul also target-oriented translation?

Ceyda mostly focuses on the comparision of Reiss' functional equivalence with Vermeer's skopos theory.
This comparision is mostly based on the initial orientation in the translation process. Reiss is claimed to be source-oriented while Vermeer is thought as target-oriented. However, I think it is actually more complicated than it looks. Although it is easier to label Reiss as a source-oriented scholar since she tries to reach the ultimate equivalent TT, Vermeer's situation would be more complicated. As stated by Ceyda in her response "[T]he skopos theory of Vermeer not only breaks the limits brought by source-orientedness [...], but also gains the target text an autonomous character, bestowing the target-text with its own textual potentials."[1]Thus it is always important to keep the role of the commissioner and the expert in the translation process in mind. Because skopos of a text is determined by these two agents in the process and as a consequence, although according to Vermeer the ideal is to create the target-oriented text, a decision on the source-orientedness can perfectly be made by these agents.
Besides, the idea of target-oriented translation does not challenge the idea of faithfulness as one expected. I mean, Vermeer does not mention any kind of equivalence as Reiss; however, he gives the impression that the translation should be dependent on the soource text as much as possible.
"True translation, with an adequate skopos, does not mean that the translator must adapt to the customs and usage of the target culture, only that he can so adapt." [234]
In conclusion, Vermeer takes a step forward a more different, and maybe also novel for its time, approach to translation, but he is still stuck with the traditional European binarisms which limit a potential broader perspective with a narrow one.


[1] http://ceydaelgul.blogspot.com/. Last accessed on October 21, 2009.

REFERENCES

Vermeer, Hans J. (1989). "Skopos and Commission in Translational Action" in Translation Studies Reader ed. Venuti, Lawrence. pp. 227-238.