孙国民论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、1. Directing2. Notifying3. Restricting4. RegulatingV. Problems in Translation of Public Signs -5VI. Culture Differences Affect Translation of Public Signs-81. Group orientation vs. individual orientation2. Indirect communication vs. direct communication3. Authorities vs. facts4. Assertiveness vs. in

2、terpersonal harmonyVII. Theoretical Explanation the Skopos Theory -10VIII. Strategies to Improve the Translation of Public Signs-111. Explication2. Combination of pinyin and meaning translation3. Omission4. Under-translationIX. Conclusion -14Bibliography -15How Cultural Differences Affect Translatio

3、n of Public SignsAbstract With rapid development of the Chinese economy and acceleration of opening-up, Chinas tie with the outside world has become increasingly closer. As a result, more and more foreigners have come to visit China. Public signs, which are an important component of trans-cultural c

4、ommunication, function as a window for foreigners to have a look at China. To draw more public attention to the correct expression of public signs, this paper discusses the differences between Chinese and English-speaking cultures, lists existing problems in the translation of public signs, and then

5、 proposes feasible ways to solve those problems.Keywords: public sign function problem approach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. Introductio

6、nWith the rapid development of Chinese economy and the close connection with the outside world, China gradually turns into an open country. Foreign entrepreneurs and traders, scientists and specialists, professors and studentin short, foreign people are coming to China in increasing numbers. How to

7、help them know better about China and make them feel at home is a big problem for translators. One important solution is to make our international communication appropriate and idiomatic.Translation on a same sign is various in different places, and there is not a stander for people to follow. For e

8、xample “Self-service Bank” had various versions. In China Merchants Bank, it is 24 hour Banking, while in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, it is Service Oneself Banking, in Ever growing Bank it is 24 hours Self-service Bank. Bank is a very important financial institution in our country; howe

9、ver, their English signs have no standard versions at all. This may well indicate that we do not give enough attention to these signs. It is necessary and urgent for us to correct these unidiomatic expressions in order to create a harmonious communication environment.This paper is determined to anal

10、yze the existing problems and try to find solutions. The reason of this paper focus on these matters based on sign translation has great significance both to our country and to the foreigners.In a word, based on the actual situation of the opening to the outside world, this paper will give a thoroug

11、h analysis to the problems and their causes in the translation of sign language and some tentative solutions to them will be given which are believed to be of help to the development of our country.II. Definition of Public SignsAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, public sign refers to charac

12、teristic device attached to, or placed in front of an inn or shop, as a means of distinguishing it from others or directing attention to it; in later use commonly a board bearing a name or other inscriptions, with or without some ornament or picture. In Websters Third New International Dictionary, i

13、t is defined as a lettered board or other public display placed on or before a building, room, shop or office to advertise business there transacted or the name of person or firm conducting it.Public signs have developed from a narrow meaning-institution service-to a wide meaning. Nowadays, they hav

14、e a wider range. Public signs cover a variety ranging from public signs for maintaining public order such as Keep Silence, No Turn on Red，the brief directions on board in supermarket, shops and other institutions such as No Business Today and so on.III. Classification of Public Signs1. About tourism

15、The economic globalization not only brings about the rapid development of many regions of the world and raises the living standard, but also narrows the gap between nations. The people working in scenic spots also try hard to improve their service to attract visitors with public signs. Some public s

16、igns are designed to give travelers a good impression when they first arrive in a city or an area. For example: Welcome to Hohhot.2. About public welfarePolitics came into being with the establishment of national organizations such as army, police and prison in ancient times. People tended to conduc

17、t every political campaign by some slogans. For example: One World, One Dream.3. About the environmentEnvironment is closely related to peoples life. People, especially urban citizens, are concerned with their surroundings, which produce more and more environmental signs. We can easily find them in

18、the gardens or on the walls. For example: Cherish your life, protect our environment.4. About trafficTraffic signs provide more convenience for drivers and pedestrians, such as the red or green light. Of course, there are many written signs on both sides of the street as well. For example: cross the

19、 street carefully.5. AdvertisementPublic signs are often the elites of advertisement, which can be divided into commercial and non-commercial ones. Commercial expressions always appear in advertisements on TV or the radio. After introducing the information about the products in detail, some expressi

20、ons use simple words to make it easier for viewers or listeners to remember the products. For example: Good job, Better life.IV. Functions of Public Signs Public sign language is used in peoples daily life and has great effect. It has brought us convenience and great help. In this paper, it will dis

21、cuss the translation of different types of signs. Though they cover a wide range, and also share the same basic functions in spite of their concrete functions. According to Prof. Lu Hefa （2004.1: 38-40）, signs perform the following four basic functions: Directing, prompting, restricting, and compell

22、ing.As its name suggests, directing is to direct readers. They provide readers with detailed information and they dont forbid or require readers to do this or that. This is a very basic function of sign language. Each type of signs has directing function, such as “Information in a hall of a restaura

23、nt or in a library, Zhongshan Road on the crossroad. Agricultural Bank of China denote what the institution is and tell you what it deals with. And also there are Ticket Office，Toilet for Men，Toilet for Women at scenic places. To sum up, directing signs usually give readers related information about

24、 what it is and its service provided. Prompting has no clear boundary with directing except that the former carries the tone of warning. It aims at reminding readers to pay considerable attention to signs. You may see a sign saying Wet Paint near the recently painted bench. The further meaning of th

25、e sign is to say, Dont touch the bench, or you will get painted. The restricting signs confine activities or actions of the related public with their chosen words, but do not imply impolite, rough and unreasonable attitude. This kind of public sign is applied exclusively to a certain group of people

26、. In other words, once restrictive public signs are used, only the related people share the privilege to perform some actions. For example, you may find the sign “Construction Site Keep outside the construction field”. This sign tells people not to enter for the sake of their safety.The compelling s

27、igns oblige the related public not to take certain impermissible actions with forceful, tough language. Its language is brief and compelling without any compromise. The sentences are often imperative with negative words like “No”, “Forbidden”. In some contexts, people tend to observe the regulation

28、without other choices. For instance, the sign“No Smoking”indicates briefly that smoking is forbidden here; Otherwise, a bad consequence will happen, such as fire or an explosion.VProblems in Translation of Public Signs1. Spelling problems These mistakes are easy to see. Most of these mistakes dont r

29、esult in serious misunderstanding, but they may leave a perfunctory and slapdash impression on the readers decreasing the effectiveness they can achieve. Most of the spelling mistakes result from carelessness on the part of translators and printers. These mistakes not only confuse the readers in comprehending the original, but also show that the translators and printers are irresponsible and they work perfunctorily. Such mistakes can be found everywhere and generally can be divided into two major types. One is wrong spelling and the other is mis