The concept of translation strategy viewed in the light of needstailored theory of translation: a proposal of definition and typology
- DOI
- 10.5922/2225-5346-2026-1-14
- Pages
- 217-234
Abstract
The paper examines the concept of translation strategy and aims to develop a typology of its possible forms from the perspective of a needs-tailored approach to translation. It begins with a brief review of positions on translation strategy articulated by Russian and international translation scholars, demonstrating the lack of consensus in the field. The study then subjects the theory of translation strategies developed within the communicative-functional approach, conceptually close to the needs-oriented framework, to critical analysis. A key shortcoming identified is the weak correlation between the theoretical, practical, and didactic dimensions of the so-called strategy of tertiary translation. To address this limitation, the paper proposes a definition of translation strategy grounded in the needs-oriented theory of translation. Treating translation as a service and conceptualising it as a tool, this definition reflects the realities of professional translation practice. Depending on the translation brief, determined by the nature of the need and the task to be by the initiator and/or end user, the translator is expected to produce a target text with a linguistic composition appropriate to the intended purpose. Since a given communicative situation may require the creation of a target-language text whose textual characteristics differ from those of the source text, the paper distinguishes between two categories of translation: conventional and peculiar. Conventional translation corresponds to translation proper, understood as a complete functional equivalent of the source text. Peculiar translation, by contrast, encompasses various translation variants that cannot be regarded as full functional analogues and therefore diverge from the source text in their formal-structural and/or contextual-conceptual characteristics. On this basis, the paper proposes a typology consisting of two translation strategies bearing the same designation and corresponding to the two categories of translation identified. At the same time, drawing on specific examples from translation practice, the study demonstrates that the strategy of conventional translation may also be applied within peculiar translation, depending on whether and to what extent the actions and operations performed by the translator are heterogeneous.