Translation of Japanese children’s literature into Finnish examined through the lens of functionality : A case study

Sammanfattning: Japanese children’s literature translated directly into Finnish is a very novel phenomenon, which is why there is currently a vacuum of research in that area. This study aims to begin to fill that vacuum. The present study examines the Japanese children’s literature series Oshiri Tantei and its Finnish translation through one of the most central theories in the field offunctional translation, the skopos theory. Functionalism in translation studies is a broad term for theories which, true to its name, place emphasison the function of the translation in the target culture as a stand alone text rather than equivalence or linguistic equivalence with the original. Focus was placed on analyzing what kind of translation problems there are in the original text, and how the translator has solved these problems. It was then determined, based on these results, if it can be said that the translation conforms to the directives laid down by the skopos theory. The results seem to indicate that strict equivalence with the original text has not been apriority, as several changes both in the meaning and form were observed in the translation. While it cannot be said with complete certainty that this stems solely from conscious thoughts of functionalism by the translator, the translation seems to conform to the principles of the functional skopos theory.