The Pragmatic Approach to Translation Studies

Pragmatics is the science of language in context. The pragmatic approach does not judge translations as “good” or “bad;” its goal is to understand and describe the translation process and its outputs as part of the relationship between different cultures. The underlying assumption is that language has many social roles, including but not limited to establishing balance of power between speakers, criticism, creating affinity through humor and irony, or connecting speakers through manner in discourse. Pragmatic researchers of translation and interpretation examine the source material and its translation while exploring these and similar issues as they attempt to explain the translation process and its outputs as a response to the potential hidden in the original. While they consider the fact that much is lost in translation, they acknowledge that many elements are maintained and transferred to the reader of the target language.