Gerald Chishiba and Regina Mvula, The Nyanja Version of the Simplified Guide to the Anti Gender-Based Violence Act in Zambia Examined in the Light of the Skopos Theory.

Abstract

This article sought to examine the Nyanja version of the Simplified Guide to the Anti Gender Based Act in Zambia using the Skopos Theory. The skopos theory by the German translator Vermeer (1978) and Vinay and Darbelnet’s (1973) taxonomy were applied in the analysis of the text. The results revealed that literal translation was the most frequently used strategy. The results further revealed that borrowing, addition and generalisation were also used in line with Vinay and Darbelnet’s taxonomy. Other translation strategies found were Schjoldager’s (2008) direct transfer and baker’s (1992) use of less expressive words and omission. Our conclusion is that the translation strategies that were used when translating the document “A Simple Guide to the Anti GBV Act” from English into Nyanja fulfilled the Skopos theory requirement as far as the analysis of a text is concerned. According to the Skopos Theory, a translator is expected to provide a translation that is easier to understand in the target language and culture. Furthermore, the results revealed that most of the text was clearly reversible.