The Applicability of German Functionalist Translation Theory in Literary Translation

The German Functionalist translation theory focuses on the target text and regards translation as a purposeful communicative activity that takes readers and clients into account.This paper analyzes the applicability of this theory in literary translation.It shows the possibility of a greater variety of literary translations,explains some translations that break the norms,and improves the literary translator's status in translation activities.However,it considers the source text as a kind of information offer.When the translation aim or purpose is not consistent with the source text's intention,the richness and plurality of the sense in the source text may be lost.