孙国民论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

孙国民论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

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1.Directing

2.Notifying

3.Restricting

4.Regulating

V.ProblemsinTranslationofPublicSigns-----------------------------------------5

VI.CultureDifferencesAffectTranslationofPublicSigns----------------------8

1.Grouporientationvs.individualorientation

2.Indirectcommunicationvs.directcommunication

3.Authoritiesvs.facts

4.Assertivenessvs.interpersonalharmony

VII.TheoreticalExplanation–theSkoposTheory-------------------------------10

VIII.StrategiestoImprovetheTranslationofPublicSigns---------------------11

1.Explication

2.Combinationofpinyinandmeaningtranslation

3.Omission

4.Under-translation

IX.Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------14

Bibliography------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

HowCulturalDifferencesAffectTranslationofPublicSigns

Abstract

WithrapiddevelopmentoftheChineseeconomyandaccelerationofopening-up,China’stiewiththeoutsideworldhasbecomeincreasinglycloser.Asaresult,moreandmoreforeignershavecometovisitChina.Publicsigns,whichareanimportantcomponentoftrans-culturalcommunication,functionasawindowforforeignerstohavealookatChina.Todrawmorepublicattentiontothecorrectexpressionofpublicsigns,thispaperdiscussesthedifferencesbetweenChineseandEnglish-speakingcultures,listsexistingproblemsinthetranslationofpublicsigns,andthenproposesfeasiblewaystosolvethoseproblems.

Keywords:

publicsignfunctionproblemapproach

摘要

随着我国经济发展和对外开放步伐的加快，中国的对外联系越来越紧密。

随之而来的是外国人的纷纷到访。

公示语属于对外宣传的一个重要部分，是直接面对来访者的一个窗口。

因此，公示语的英文翻译在跨文化交流中起着重要作用。

为了引起更多的人们关注公示语的正确表述，本论文重点介绍了中美文化的差异，列举了当前公示语翻译中存在的问题，并提出了一些解决问题的方法。

【关键词】公示语功能问题方法

I.Introduction

WiththerapiddevelopmentofChineseeconomyandthecloseconnectionwiththeoutsideworld,Chinagraduallyturnsintoanopencountry.Foreignentrepreneursandtraders,scientistsandspecialists,professorsandstudent…inshort,foreignpeoplearecomingtoChinainincreasingnumbers.HowtohelpthemknowbetteraboutChinaandmakethemfeelathomeisabigproblemfortranslators.Oneimportantsolutionistomakeourinternationalcommunicationappropriateandidiomatic.

Translationonasamesignisvariousindifferentplaces,andthereisnotastanderforpeopletofollow.Forexample“Self-serviceBank”hadvariousversions.InChinaMerchantsBank,itis24hourBanking,whileinIndustrialandCommercialBankofChina,itisServiceOneselfBanking,inEvergrowingBankitis24hoursSelf-serviceBank.Bankisaveryimportantfinancialinstitutioninourcountry;

however,theirEnglishsignshavenostandardversionsatall.Thismaywellindicatethatwedonotgiveenoughattentiontothesesigns.Itisnecessaryandurgentforustocorrecttheseunidiomaticexpressionsinordertocreateaharmoniouscommunicationenvironment.

Thispaperisdeterminedtoanalyzetheexistingproblemsandtrytofindsolutions.Thereasonofthispaperfocusonthesemattersbasedonsigntranslationhasgreatsignificancebothtoourcountryandtotheforeigners.

Inaword,basedontheactualsituationoftheopeningtotheoutsideworld,thispaperwillgiveathoroughanalysistotheproblemsandtheircausesinthetranslationofsignlanguageandsometentativesolutionstothemwillbegivenwhicharebelievedtobeofhelptothedevelopmentofourcountry.

II.DefinitionofPublicSigns

AccordingtotheOxfordEnglishDictionary,publicsignreferstocharacteristicdeviceattachedto,orplacedinfrontofaninnorshop,asameansofdistinguishingitfromothersordirectingattentiontoit;

inlaterusecommonlyaboardbearinganameorotherinscriptions,withorwithoutsomeornamentorpicture.InWebster'

sThirdNewInternationalDictionary,itisdefinedasaletteredboardorotherpublicdisplayplacedonorbeforeabuilding,room,shoporofficetoadvertisebusinesstheretransactedorthenameofpersonorfirmconductingit.

Publicsignshavedevelopedfromanarrowmeaning-institutionservice-toawidemeaning.Nowadays,theyhaveawiderrange.PublicsignscoveravarietyrangingfrompublicsignsformaintainingpublicordersuchasKeepSilence,NoTurnonRed，thebriefdirectionsonboardinsupermarket,shopsandotherinstitutionssuchasNoBusinessTodayandsoon.

III.ClassificationofPublicSigns

1.Abouttourism

Theeconomicglobalizationnotonlybringsabouttherapiddevelopmentofmanyregionsoftheworldandraisesthelivingstandard,butalsonarrowsthegapbetweennations.Thepeopleworkinginscenicspotsalsotryhardtoimprovetheirservicetoattractvisitorswithpublicsigns.Somepublicsignsaredesignedtogivetravelersagoodimpressionwhentheyfirstarriveinacityoranarea.Forexample:

WelcometoHohhot.

2.Aboutpublicwelfare

Politicscameintobeingwiththeestablishmentofnationalorganizationssuchasarmy,policeandprisoninancienttimes.Peopletendedtoconducteverypoliticalcampaignbysomeslogans.Forexample:

OneWorld,OneDream.

3.Abouttheenvironment

Environmentiscloselyrelatedtopeople’slife.People,especiallyurbancitizens,areconcernedwiththeirsurroundings,whichproducemoreandmoreenvironmentalsigns.Wecaneasilyfindtheminthegardensoronthewalls.Forexample:

Cherishyourlife,protectourenvironment.

4.Abouttraffic

Trafficsignsprovidemoreconveniencefordriversandpedestrians,suchastheredorgreenlight.Ofcourse,therearemanywrittensignsonbothsidesofthestreetaswell.Forexample:

crossthestreetcarefully.

5.Advertisement

Publicsignsareoftentheelitesofadvertisement,whichcanbedividedintocommercialandnon-commercialones.CommercialexpressionsalwaysappearinadvertisementsonTVortheradio.Afterintroducingtheinformationabouttheproductsindetail,someexpressionsusesimplewordstomakeiteasierforviewersorlistenerstoremembertheproducts.Forexample:

Goodjob,Betterlife.

IV.FunctionsofPublicSigns

Publicsignlanguageisusedinpeople’sdailylifeandhasgreateffect.Ithasbroughtusconvenienceandgreathelp.Inthispaper,itwilldiscussthetranslationofdifferenttypesofsigns.Thoughtheycoverawiderange,andalsosharethesamebasicfunctionsinspiteoftheirconcretefunctions.AccordingtoProf.LuHefa（2004.1:

38-40）,signsperformthefollowingfourbasicfunctions:

Directing,prompting,restricting,andcompelling.

Asitsnamesuggests,directingistodirectreaders.Theyprovidereaderswithdetailedinformationandtheydon'

tforbidorrequirereaderstodothisorthat.Thisisaverybasicfunctionofsignlanguage.Eachtypeofsignshasdirectingfunction,suchas“Information"

inahallofarestaurantorinalibrary,"

ZhongshanRoad"

onthecrossroad."

AgriculturalBankofChina"

denotewhattheinstitutionisandtellyouwhatitdealswith.AndalsothereareTicketOffice，ToiletforMen，ToiletforWomenatscenicplaces.Tosumup,directingsignsusuallygivereadersrelatedinformationaboutwhatitisanditsserviceprovided.

Promptinghasnoclearboundarywithdirectingexceptthattheformercarriesthetoneofwarning.Itaimsatremindingreaderstopayconsiderableattentiontosigns.Youmayseeasignsaying"

WetPaint"

neartherecentlypaintedbench.Thefurthermeaningofthesignistosay,"

Don'

ttouchthebench,oryouwillgetpainted."

Therestrictingsignsconfineactivitiesoractionsoftherelatedpublicwiththeirchosenwords,butdonotimplyimpolite,roughandunreasonableattitude.Thiskindofpublicsignisappliedexclusivelytoacertaingroupofpeople.Inotherwords,oncerestrictivepublicsignsareused,onlytherelatedpeoplesharetheprivilegetoperformsomeactions.Forexample,youmayfindthesign“ConstructionSiteKeepoutsidetheconstructionfield”.Thissigntellspeoplenottoenterforthesakeoftheirsafety.

Thecompellingsignsobligetherelatedpublicnottotakecertainimpermissibleactionswithforceful,toughlanguage.Itslanguageisbriefandcompellingwithoutanycompromise.Thesentencesareoftenimperativewithnegativewordslike“No”,“Forbidden”.Insomecontexts,peopletendtoobservetheregulationwithoutotherchoices.Forinstance,thesign“NoSmoking”indicatesbrieflythatsmokingisforbiddenhere;

Otherwise,abadconsequencewillhappen,suchasfireoranexplosion.

V．ProblemsinTranslationofPublicSigns

1.Spellingproblems

Thesemistakesareeasytosee.Mostofthesemistakesdon'

tresultinseriousmisunderstanding,buttheymayleaveaperfunctoryandslapdashimpressiononthereadersdecreasingtheeffectivenesstheycanachieve.Mostofthespellingmistakesresultfromcarelessnessonthepartoftranslatorsandprinters.Thesemistakesnotonlyconfusethereadersincomprehendingtheoriginal,butalsoshowthatthetranslatorsandprintersareirresponsibleandtheyworkperfunctorily.Suchmistakescanbefoundeverywhereandgenerallycanbedividedintotwomajortypes.Oneiswrongspellingandtheotherismis