目的论视角下的杭州旅游景区公示语汉英翻译研究摘要：随着经济发展和旅游业的兴起，许多旅游景区内使用双语公示语，为外国游客提供方便，但是公示语的英译状况却不容乐观，存在很多错误和不规范的现象，影响城市形象。
本文以杭州的旅游景区为例，在目的论的指导下，分析了景区内公示语翻译的主要错误，并提出了相应的翻译策略，希望以此改善公示语的翻译，维护和提升杭州的城市形象。
关键词：目的论；公示语翻译；旅游景区Study on C-E Translation of Public Signs in Hangzhou’s Sc enic Areas from the Perspective of Skopos TheoryAbstract: With the development of economy and the booming of tourism, bilingual public signs are used in many tourist scenic areas to provide convenience for foreign tourists. However, the translation of public signs is not satisfactory. There are many errors and non-standard phenomenon, which has a bad impact on the city’s image. Taking Hangzhou’s tourist scenic areas as an example, this paper analyzes the problems in the translation of public signs and put forward some translation strategies to improve the translation, as well as the image of Hangzhou.Key words: Skopos theory; translation of public signs; tourist scenic areasStudy on C-E Translation of Public Signs in Hangzhou’s Scenic Areas from the Perspective of Skopos Theory1. Introduction1.1 The Introduction of Public SignsIn order to study public signs, we must first figure out the meaning of “signs” in English. A sign refers to “ a piece of paper, wood or metal that has writing or a picture on it that gives you information, instructions, a warning, etc”. This is the definition of sign given by Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary(Sixth Edition). Therefore, it can be inferred that public signs include road signs, advertisements, product instructions, tourist handbooks, slogans, notices in public areas. Professor Lv Hefa points that “Basic information that involves people’s behavior and demand in food, housing, traveling and entertainment should all fall into the category of public signs, which are publicly shown to the public, tourists, overseas visitors, foreigners inChina and the Chinese in other countries (2005).”Public signs have an impact on our life in many ways and provide much convenience and help for our daily life. In terms of the function of English public signs, they can be classified into four categories, directing public signs, prompting public signs, restricting public signs and compelling public signs.(1) directing public signsDirecting public signs are used to deliver information, help people know about the surroundings or remind the public of the features of the location. These public signs show considerate information service, without any limitation and compelling meaning. For example, “Tickets”(售票处), “Department Store” (百货商场).(2) prompting public signsPrompting public signs are designed to warn people to pay attention to potential dangers or risks to avoid unnecessary loss. For example, “Caution! Watch your step!”(小心，注意脚下)(3) restricting public signsThis kind of public signs set some requirements and rules for people to obey. They mostly appear in subway or some passages. It has played a important role in dredging the stream of people. For example, “Athletes Only.”(运动员专用) “Staff Only.”(员工通道).(4) compelling public signsGenerally, direct and compulsory words are used to forbid people from doingsomething. For example, “No Smoking.”(禁止吸烟) “No Parking”(禁止停车)1.2 Research Objective and SignificanceHangzhou, crowned as “ Paradise on Earth”, is famous for its picture sque scenery. With a long history of 2,200 years, Hangzhou used to be one of the seven ancient capitals of China. Nowadays, it is the provincial city of Zhejiang Province, serving as the center of the province’s politics, economy, culture, traffic, and tou rism. As a historical and cultural city, Hangzhou attracts millions of tourists from home and abroad every year. Especially, when West Lake charges no admission fees, even more tourists swarm into the scenic spots every holiday.With the booming tourism, b ilingual public signs are used for foreigner’s convenience. They play a significant role in providing information and displaying our culture and civilization. However, the current situation is that there are many errors in the English public signs. The poor translation of public signs often make foreigners puzzled by the contents. Hence, it is urgent for us to pay attention to the translation of public signs and find some corresponding strategies to improve the translation. Only in this way, can Hangzhou has a better image.2. Literature Review2.1 Skopos Theory2.1.1. Studies of Skopos Theory AbroadThe word Skopos, derived from Greek, means purpose. The core concept of skopstheory is that the most important factor of translation is the purpose of the overall translational action. The technical term Skopos usually refers to purpose of the target text. Besides Skopos, Vermeer also uses some related words like aim, purpose, intention, and function. To avoid confusion, Nord proposes to make a difference between intention and function. Intention is defined from the perspective of initiator, while function, referring to text function, is decided by the target reader’s expectation, needs, knowledge and environment. The functionalist theories of translation sprung up in Germany in the 1970s. Its development has gone through three stages: The first stage: Katharina Reiss firstly applies functional category into translation criticism by associating linguistic function, type of texts and translation strategy. She develops a translation criticism pattern based on the functional relationship between the source text and the target text, which forms the prototype of functionalist theory. Reiss states that the ideal translation is an integral communicative performance that is “in which the aim in the target language is equivalence as regards the conceptual content, linguistic form and communicative function of a source text.”(Nord, 2001) The second stage: Reiss’s student, Hans J. Vermeer proposes the Skopos theory, releasing translation study out of the bondage of source-text-oriented approach. This theory is set on the basis of action theory and regards the aim of the translation process as the first principle. Vermeer believes that translation (interpretation included)is a kind of transformation to transfer communicative verbal and non-verbal signs from one language into another. Translation problems can’t be solved only by linguistics. Thus, he defines translation as an action “ to produce a text in target setting for a targ et purpose and target addressees in target circumstances .”(Nord, 2001) In the framework of Vermeer’s Skopos theory, one of the most significant factor of translation’s objective is target readers . They have their own cultural backgrounds, their specific expectations to translation and communicative needs. Vermeer thinks that the original text is just an “offer of information”. It is clear that the status of the source is lower in Skopos theory than that in equivalence-based theories.The third stage: Justa Holz Mattari further develops functionalist theory and establishes the theory of translational action. She views translation as a complex activity to achieve specific purpose. She focuses on analyzing the functions of participants (initiator, translator, text user, message receiver ) and the context where participants’ actions take place. For the first time, Christiane Nord systematically articulates the internal and external factors that should be considered in text analysis of translation in English. She reviews all the the theories of functionalist and proposes that translators should obey the principle of function plus loyalty, and so the theory is consummated.2.1.2. Studies of Skopos at HomeSince functionalist theory has been introduced in China in 1987, there are countless essays about Skopos theory. Relevant studies are mainly concerned with definition, translation standard, translation criticism, translation teaching, translation strategy, literary translation and non-literary translation ( including tourism translation, trademark translation, advertisement translation, movie title translation and so on).The first person introduced functionalist theory is Gui Qianyuan. In his article Remember the Federal Republic of Germany Three Translators in Chinese Translation, he mentioned Vermeer’s new insight about translation. However, it didn’t draw other translators attention because the focus of the article is “translators” instead of “translation theory”. Eight years later, after Zhang Nanfeng and Chen Xiaowei made abrief comment on skopostheory, more people began to pay attention to this theory. In 2001 and 2004, Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press introduced and published Nord’s and Reiss’s works Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functional Approaches Explained and Translation Criticism: The Potentials & Limitations. Undoubtedly, it is a big push for the study and spread of skopostheory in China.From current statistics, Skopos theory is widely accepted and spread in China, which has a profound effect on the translation studies. However, there are still some problems which are worth thinking and reflecting. Firstly, current academic studies present an unbalanced characteristic. For example, there are more reviews of the theory than studies, more translation of practical writings than literary translation. Secondly, part of domestic studies are in absence of centralized and deep analysis. In fact, some articles still linger at the level of simple reviews, while others repeat some theoretical principles that are known to all of the academic circles. Thirdly, from the research scope, most of the articles at home focus on some important rules of Skopos theory and the quotation of it. Consequently, they ignore Vermeer’s view about status of the source text in translation, literary translation and translation teaching, as well as Nord’s view about the relationship between Skopos theory and translation teaching.2.1.3. Three Rules of Skopos Theory2.1.3.1 Skopos RuleFrom the point of Vermeer, Skopes ru le can be defined in this way: “ Each text is produced for a given purpose and should serve this purpose. The Skopos rule thus reads as follows: translate/interpret/speak/write in a way that enables your text/translation to function in the situation in which it is used and with the people who want to use it and precisely in the way they want it to function. ”( Nord, 2001) It is the top-ranking rule for any translation. It claims that the process of translation is determined by the purpose of translational action. In a word, the end justifies means. Translational activities may have a variety of purposes. These purposes can be divided into three categories: the translator’s purpose(e.g. to make a living), communicative purpose of the target text(e.g. to enlighten the reader ), the purpose to be achieved by using some special translation strategies(e.g. to translate literally according to itsstructure in order to clarify the special syntax structure of some language ).2.1.3.2 Coherence RuleCoherence rule means that any translation must meet the standard of intratextual coherence. Intratexual coherence means that the target text is comprehensive to the readers and is meaningful in the target culture and communicative environment of the text users. Any text is only a provider of information. Translators choose information that interests him in terms of the Skopos rule. After language process, the target text becomes a new provider of information. In the process of information transformation, intratextual coherence is the first principle to abide by for the translators.2.1.3.3 Fidelity RuleIt is pointed out by Christian Nord. She finds out that there are two flaws in Skopos theory. Firstly, because of different cultural patterns, people with different cultural backgrounds have different views toward target texts. Besides, if the communicative purpose of the target text demanded by the Skopos rule is opposite to the intention of the author, we will go against the fidelity rule though Skopos rule is observed. Therefore, Nord puts forward the fidelity rule to solve the problem of cultural difference and the relationship between the participants of the translational action. She holds the view that translators should be responsible for their target readers. They ought to explain everything they do and why they do it. This is the one side of the fidelity rule. On the other side, fidelity rule requires that translators also should be loyal to the author of the source text. Translators are supposed to show their respect to the writer and make a coordination between the target text and the writer’s intention. Fidelity rule mainly focuses on the the relationship between translator, the original writer, text receiver in the process of translation.The above is a brief introduction of Skopos theory. I think that Skopos theory is a very useful theoretical basis in analyzing the translation of public signs in scenic areas.2.2 Studies on the Translation of Public SignsIn recent years, the translation of public signs is studied in the guidance of many translation theories, such as Functionalist Translation Theory, text typology,pragmatics and crosscutural communication. According to Liu Fagong and Xu Beijia (2008), on the basis of Newmark’s Text Function Classification Theory, tra nslation of public signs should follow the principle of unity, briefness, and comprehensibility. Fang Can(2009) proposes that translation is a dynamic process of adaptation to specific contexts. This adaptation should change with different contexts to meet the communicative needs of the two parties.The present situation of the translation of public signs is not satisfactory.Foreigners are often confused by the poor translation. He Xuegeng (2006) summarizes the problems from three perspectives, the change and loss of information, the inappropriateness of words, carelessness of billboard makers. Wang Yinquan & Chen Xinren (2004) point out four reasons of the failure translation: (1) The communicative information is lost during translation. (2) The intention of translation is misunderstood. (3) The courtesy of language is lost. (4) The translation is not equivalent to the original in information.Some scholars, taking some cities or tourist spots as examples, analyze thetranslation of public signs. Based on Skopos theory, Liu Dawei & Zhao Yali (2011) classify the public signs into two categories—— cultural loaded and common sense public signs and give some advice to improve the translation accordingly. According to first-hand materials from the spot areas, Yang Yihao (2010) sums up the major problems of the English public signs. Based on the theory of type of text and language function, also combined with Peter Newmark’s semantic and communicative translation theory, he puts forward some corresponding strategies.3. Problems in the Translation of Public Signs in Hangzhou’s Scenic AreasAfter some field trips in Hangzhou’s scenic areas,I have collected some materials of public signs and found out a lot of mistakes. At last, I decide to classify the mistakes from four aspects: vocabulary, grammar, pragmatic and culture.3.1 Lexical ErrorsLexical errors are the most common mistakes in the translation of public signs in scenic spots. Generally, there are two kinds of lexical errors: spelling mistakes andinappropriate words. This kind of errors usually result from the carelessness and the irresponsibility of board-makers. In that case, tourists will be misled by these public signs and feel a terrible travelling experience, thus with the bad impression to Hangzhou, they may be not willing to come again, which is bad for the development of tourist industry. However, some departments do not pay much attention to the problems. Mistakes still can exist. For example:Example 1: Convenience Stors (便民售货)Correct: Convenience StoresExample2: BREEZE-RUFFLED LOTUS AT WIINDING GARDEN(曲院风荷) Correct: BREEZE-RUFFLED LOTUS AT WINDING GARDENExample 3: Toi et (厕所)Correct: ToiletExample 4: Tickey Price: RMB 25/P.P(票价：每人25元)Correct: Ticket Price: RMB 25/P.PExample 5: In 1689, when Emperor Kangxi made a second trip south, the temporary paiace on Solitary Hill was first built and West Lake was dredged.Correct: In 1689, when Emperor Kangxi made a second trip south, the temporary palace on Solitary Hill was first built and West Lake was dredged.Example 6: The Su Seawall(苏堤)Correct: The Su CausewayAnalysis:The word “seawall” means “a large strong wall built to stop the sea from flowing onto the land”. Clearly, the West Lake is not sea. So here it is more appropriate to use the word causeway.Example 7: Discount price policy is available for youngsters from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan by presenting valid identity.Correct: Discount price policy is available for youngsters from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan by presenting valid identification.Analysis:The word “identity” is w rongly used here. The word means who or what somebody or something is. In Chinese, we say “身份”. In fact, what is needed to present is an official paper or a document that can prove who you are. The Chinesemeaning is “身份证明”。
