The earliest linguistic theory of translation was developed by Soviet scholars Rezcker and Fedorov who pioneered in propose a linguistic analysis of translation problems. Their theory came to known as the theory of regular correspondences.
Translation, theу argued, is inconceivable without a sound linguistic basis, and this basis can be provided by a contrastive study of linguistic phenomena and the establishment of certain correspondences between the language of the original and that of the translation. The authors of the theory were mainly concerned with a typology of relationship between linguistic units ( equivalents-permanent correspondences, not sensitive to context, such as the League of Nations Лига Наций and context-sensitive variant correspondences, such as slander клевета, навет, поклеп but аlзо investigated, some translation technique, such as autonomic translation, thus mapping out some ways of dealing with translation as a process.
In the -60s some linguists (V.J.Roencveig in the USSR and E.Nida the USA) proposed, a theoretical model of translation, based, on generative or transformational grammar. E. Nida subdivided the process of translation into three stages: analysis where an ambiguous surface structure is transformed into non-ambiguous kernel sentences to facilitate semantic interpretation (the foundation of a school - (somebody) founded a school or - a school has a foundation), transfer where equivalents in the target language are found, at the kernel or near-kernel level and restructuring where target-language kernel sentences are transformed into surface structures.
It is true that in some cases it is necessary to paraphrase the SL structure to facilitate its translation. Such transformations came in handy when the SL structure is ambiguous or when it has no parallel in the TL, e.g. He stood with his feet planted wide apart - Он стоял, его ноги были широко расставлены; Он стоял, широко расставив ноги.
Transformations in terms of generative grammar are not the only types of paraphrases used in translation. What is more, in some cases, when close parallel exists between the SL and TL structures, they are not even necessary.
The situational model of translation is based, on situational analysis in linguistic developed by Gak (USSR) and J. Catford (UK) and other. It is based, on the assumption that languages use somewhat different sets of sеmantic соmponents (elements of meaning) to describe identical ехtralinguistic situations. Russian verbs of motion contain the component of mode but not always the direction of mоvеment while their English equivalents are often neutral with regard to the mode but always specify the direction (cf. Вот он идет. Here he comes. / Here he gоеs). The situаtionаl model provides some interesting insights into the mechanism of translation, especially when a situation is described in different semantic categories (сf. Sprinfed pond.-проточный пруд and Воttle fed child - искуственник ) but does not seem to apply to sentences going beyond a mere description of a situation.
Different translation models complement each other and should therefore be combined in analyzing translation as а ргосеss.

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