Brief Study on Domestication and Foreignization in Translation

This essay gives a brief study of Domestication and Foreignization and the disputes over these two basic translation strategies which provide both linguistic and cultural guidance. Domestication designates the type of translation in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for target language readers; while foreignization means a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original. In the contemporary international translation field, Eugene Nida is regarded as the representative of those who favour domesticating translation, whereas the Italian scholar Lawrence Venuti is regarded to be the spokesman for those who favour foreignizing translation, who has also led the debate to a white-hot state.