East African Scholars Journal of Education, Humanities and

Literature
Abbreviated Key Title: East African Scholars J Edu Humanit Lit
ISSN: 2617-443X (Print) & ISSN: 2617-7250 (Online)
Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya
Volume-3 | Issue-2 | Feb-2020 | DOI: 10.36349/EASJEHL.2020.v03i02.005

Research Article

Application of Reiss’ S Text Typology in Translation- a Case Analysis

of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth inaugural
Hongping Chen1 and Xueyan Zhang*1
1
School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071000, China

Article History Abstract: Text typology was proposed in the 1970s, by Katharina Reiss, the pioneer of
Received: 04.02.2019 German School. Built on the concept of equivalence, text typology views the text, rather
Accepted: 11.02.2019
than the word or sentence, as the level at which communication is achieved and at which
Published: 26.02.2020
equivalence must be sought. According to it, translation strategies are determined by the
Journal homepage: text type of source texts, and there is no single absolute translation strategy that can be
https://www.easpublisher.com/easjehl used in all translation practice. Guided by the theory, this paper will take specific
examples to explain briefly how the text typology guides translation activities .
Quick Response Code

Keywords: Reiss‟s text typology, translation methods, translation practice, inaugural

address.

Copyright @ 2020: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non commercial use (NonCommercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the original author and source
are credited.

1. INTRODUCTION OF REISS’S TEXT The author or „sender‟ is foregrounded, as well as

the form of the message.
TYPOLOGY 3. Operative text type: „Inducing behavioural
In the 1970s, based on the equivalence theory, responses‟: the aim of the appellative function is to
Katharina Reiss put forward text typology in appeal to or persuade the reader or „receiver‟ of the
accordance with the categorization of the three text to act in a certain way, for example to buy a
functions of language by German linguist Karl Bühler. product (if an advert), or to agree to an argument (if
In Karl‟s work, he divides the language functions into a political speech or a barrister‟s concluding
three categories: informative function; expressive statement). The form of language is dialogic and
function and appellative function. Borrowing from the focus is appellative.
Karl‟s method of classification, Reiss links the three 4. Audio-medial texts, such as films and visual and
functions to their corresponding language „dimensions‟ spoken advertisements which supplement the other
and to the text types or communicative situations in three functions with visual images, music, etc.
which they are used. So she divides texts into three
main types and a supplementary one, namely However, text types are categorized according
informative texts, expressive texts, operative texts and to their main function. For some texts, they don‟t
audio-medial texts. belong to one single text type, that is, a source text can
be an expressive text from one point of view and also
The main characteristics of each text type are an operative text from another. These texts that belong
summarized by Reiss (1977/1989: 108–9) as follows: to more than one text types simultaneously are called
1. Informative text type: „Plain communication of hybrid types. For example, a biography might be
facts‟: information, knowledge, opinions, etc. The somewhere between the informative and expressive
language dimension used to transmit the types, because it provides some information about the
information is logical or referential, the content or author for readers while it also conforms to the aesthetic
„topic‟ is the main focus of the communication. standards as a literature and performs the expressive
2. Expressive text type: „Creative composition‟: the function of language. In addition, a religious speech
author uses the aesthetic dimension of language. may belong to operative type as well as informative
*Corresponding Author: Xueyan Zhang Email: 34
Hongping Chen & Xueyan Zhang; East African Scholars J Edu Humanit Lit; Vol-3, Iss-2 (Feb, 2020): 34-37
type, since it gives some information about the religion content, linguistic form and communicative function. In
and meanwhile it achieves the operative function by this part, three aspects will be presented to analyze the
trying to persuade the audience to do something in a ST: identifying the text type, analyzing the linguistic
certain way. Therefore, some texts with this kind of features and communicative function.
hybrid character have not only one language function
but several functions mixed together. 3.1 Identifying the Text Type
According to text typology, Franklin D.
2.TRANSLATION METHODS SELECTION Roosevelt‟s Fourth Inaugural Address may be
somewhere between operative and expressive types. On
BASED ON TEXT TYPOLOGY the one hand, the inaugural address was delivered by
Although there exist many hybrid types, Reiss the new President Roosevelt, and the audience was the
(1977/1989: 109) states that „the transmission of the American people, so in fact, there is a communication
predominant function of the ST is the determining between the President and the public. And such a
factor by which the TT is judged‟. She suggests speech aims to gain favors and supports from the
„specific translation methods according to text type‟ American people. From this aspect, the inaugural
(Reiss 1976: 20). From her, the primary factor that address can infect the audience and make them believe
affects the selection of translation methods is text type. and support the speaker. Thus it can be categorized to
She also lists some specific methods for translators to the operative text type. On the other hand, as a literary
deal with different text types. genre, a speech has its own artistic and aesthetic
features so that the author or the speaker can express his
Firstly, for the text of informative text type, or her will through the employment of aesthetic
translator needs to transmit all the contents of the ST dimension of language. In this case, President
without redundancy, so that the translation should be Roosevelt could show his political aspiration, the
explicit and brief. The translation of an economic determination of leading the Americans to gain freedom
report, for instance, should focus on the transmission of and democracy and his good expectation for a bright
the content such as specific information and future through this appealing speech. Therefore,
terminology, rather than the literary style used by the Franklin D. Roosevelt‟s Fourth Inaugural Address is a
author. Secondly, for the text of expressive text type, “hybrid text”, called by Reiss, which has the operative
the method of “identifying” should be adopted. The and expressive functions at the same time.
translated version should reflect the artistic form and
aesthetic features of the ST, in addition ensuring the However, according to Reiss (1989), although
accuracy of information. So the translator is required to different functions may exist simultaneously in one text
hold the same perspective as the author does and be or at different stages of the text, there always a certain
faithful to the original text. Thirdly, in order to produce function dominates. Similarly, the writer believes that
an anticipative effect among the TT readers, the text of the inaugural address is dominated by operative
operative text type should be translated by employing function.
the method of “adapting”. For example, the translation
of an advertisement can make itself more appealing to Example 1
its receivers through adding some new words or Source: We can and we will achieve such a peace.
pictures. Finally, as a supplementary text type, audio- We shall strive for perfection. We shall not achieve it
medial texts are always in the form of visual pictures or immediately—but we still shall strive.
music to supplement the other three functions of written
Target: 我们能够并且必将取得这样的和平，我
words. Therefore, the method of “supplement” is
proposed by Reiss to solve this kind of text, which 们将力争尽善尽美，虽然我们不能马上达到——但
means some images, videos and music are added to
仍将尽力而为。
supplement written words.

In a word, Reiss‟s theory about text type not Short sentences give more power. And the aim of
only provides a way for translators to identify the communication can be easily achieved by using the
categories of the ST, but also gives the certain pronoun -“we”, since it may make the speaker become
translation methods for each text type, which paves a one of the audience, which convinces them that the
clearer path for translators to conduct translation speaker is speaking for them all. So the audience were
activities. all encouraged emotionally and they believed that under
the leadership of President Roosevelt, the American
3. A CASE ANALYSIS UNDER THE GUIDANCE people could gain the peaceful life which they longed
for. Moreover, from the aspect of language function,
OF TEXT TYPOLOGY these words were so stirring that the audience accepted
According to Liu Junping (2009), Reiss the belief and viewpoint that the speaker conveyed.
believes that the ideal target texts should be those that Therefore, the operative function of the speech can be
are equivalent to the source text in terms of conceptual realized.

© East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya 35

Hongping Chen & Xueyan Zhang; East African Scholars J Edu Humanit Lit; Vol-3, Iss-2 (Feb, 2020): 34-37

Example 2:
Source: I remember that my old schoolmaster, Dr.
Peabody, said, in days that seemed to us then to be Here are some examples:
secure and untroubled: Example 4:
Source: We Americans of today, together with our
“Things in life will not always run smoothly. allies, are passing through a period of supreme test.
Sometimes we will be rising toward the heights—then Target: 今天，我们美国人以及我们的盟友正经
all will seem to reverse itself and start downward.”
历一次极大的考验。
Target: 我记得我的中学老校长皮博迪博士在当
Example 5:
时似乎还很安全又安定的日子里说的话:“在生活中 Source: If we meet that test—successfully and
不会永远一帆风顺。有时我们会爬上顶峰，但过后 honorably—we shall perform a service of historic
importance which men and women and children will
一切似乎都反过来了，开始往下跌。” honor throughout all time.

In Example 2, with a quotation from his old Target: 如果我们能成功地、光荣地经受住这次

schoolmaster, the speaker enriched the content of this
speech and made it closer to the audience. People may 考验，我们就做了一项历史性的重要贡献，使男女
become more receptive when they are persuaded by an 老少在任何时候都将引以为荣。
example from real life. In addition, what has to be
mentioned is that the sentence should be translated by a
As a Chinese saying goes, unity means power.
very gentle tone, since the speaker tried to infect the
In this case, to gain freedom for the American people is
audience through a real example from his life. So the
not a task only for the speaker, but for every listener.
translator imitated the tone of the ST, in order to
By using “we”, the speaker could unite every audience
produce a same effect on the TT readers as what the ST
as a whole. Therefore, to choose an appropriate pronoun
readers received.
may make the speech become more appealing.
3.2 Analyzing the Linguistic Features of the ST
3.3 Analyzing the Communication Function of the
The first linguistic feature is that the language
ST
was written in a formal style, which makes the whole
The source text is Franklin D. Roosevelt‟s
speech more powerful. As a kind of applied literature,
Fourth Inaugural, which describes some difficulties in
speeches are usually used in some solemn occasions,
the United States at that time, and encourages the
such as inauguration, graduation ceremony, and
people to work together to overcome those difficulties
memorial meeting. Generally, the language in most
and then to gain the peace and democracy finally.
speeches is elegant and formal, without slangs.
Meanwhile, through the speech, President Roosevelt
also conveyed his belief that the American people
Example 3:
would always achieve the national success and
Source: It is a test of our courage—of our
expressed his good expectation for the future. By the
resolve—of our wisdom—our essential democracy.
analysis of the ST, the writer considers that the
Target: 这是一场对我们的勇气，我们的决心， anticipative communicative function of the speech is to
我们的智慧以及我们必不可少的民主的挑战。 infect the audience, namely to perform the operative
function. In other words, the ST aims to appeal to the
audience so that they can consciously support the
Some abstract nouns were used in Example 3, such
speaker.
as “resolve”, “wisdom” and “courage”. Those words are
called “big words”, with the ambiguous meanings,
which are usually used in some formal texts to make the 4. CONCLUSION
texts more standard and difficulty. So when translated Through this practice ， it can be seen that
this sentence, the translator should choose the
Reiss‟s text typology is of great significance for guiding
corresponding words, like “勇气”，“决心”, to keep the
translation practice. Based on the theory of equivalence,
original style.
text typology has broken the traditional concept of
equivalence which only focused on the level of pure
The second linguistic feature embodies on the
language, rather it viewed the whole text as the level at
choice of personal pronoun. The speaker used “we” to
which the equivalence is achieved and at which the
strengthen the sense of identity, shorten the distance
communicative function is realized.
between the speaker and audience, and achieve the aim
of infecting the audience.

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Hongping Chen & Xueyan Zhang; East African Scholars J Edu Humanit Lit; Vol-3, Iss-2 (Feb, 2020): 34-37
The writer has a further understanding about 9. 赵凯蒙.( 2018). 赖斯文本类型学指导下的《国际
text typology and Functionalist Approach to Translation
through applying the theories to translation practice. 能源展望 2016》翻译实践报告[D]. 保定：华北
The writer believes that language was born as a tool for 电力大学.
human beings to communicate with each other, while
translation builds a bridge to make it possible for people
from different nations to communicate successfully.
Nevertheless, the writer still doesn‟t agree that
translation is just a simple transmission between
languages. In the process of translation, language
functions as well as communicative functions must be
considered. As what Nida (2001) says “the readers of a
translated text should be able to understand and
appreciate it in essentially the same manner as the
original readers did”, the translated texts should
produce an effect on the target readers as same as what
the original texts do to the original readers.

There are two lessons that the writer has

learned from the case analysis. The first one is that
before starting translation, a translator may identify the
text type and stylistic features of the ST, which may
help the translator to understand the ST better. The
second one is that it is necessary for translators to adopt
different strategies for different types of the text under
the guidance of related translation theory. Therefore,
the writer thinks Reiss‟s text typology is useful for
translators to conduct translation practice. In addition,
the writer will continue more translation practice and
deepen the understanding of text typology in the future.

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3. Jeremy. M. (2016). Introducing Translation
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5. Reiss, K. (1989). „Text types, translation types and
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Chesterman, in A. Chesterman (ed.) pp. 105-15.
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© East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya 37