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3.1.4 Redundancy 14
3.2 Problems on Cultural on Level 15
3.2.1 Conflict in Semantic Association 15
3.2.2 Improper Tone 16
Chapter IV Causes of the Mistranslations of Chinese Public Signs in Scenic Spots 18
4.1 Negligence of the Translator and Sign Maker 18
4.2 Overuse of Translation Software 18
4.3 Language Differences 19
4.4 Cultural Differences 19
Chapter V Solutions to the Translation Problems of Chinese Public Signs in Scenic Spots 21
5.1 Translation Strategies for Chinese Public Signs in Scenic Spots 21
5.1.1 Borrowing 21
5.1.2 Partly Substituting 22
5.1.3 Explaining 22
5.2 Different Roles in the C-E Translation of Public Signs in Scenic Spots 23
5.2.1 Role of the Sign Writers 24
5.2.2 Role of the Translators 24
5.2.3 Role of the Competent Authorities 26
5.2.4 Role of the Target Readers 26
Chapter VI Conclusion 28
References 30
On the Translation Errors of Chinese Public Signs in Scenic Spots
Chapter I Introduction
1.1 Background of the Research
Ever since the new millennium, the prosperity of cross-border tourism has reached an unprecedented high level because of internalization and globalization. As a result, English is more and more popular as an international language. According to the latest data from the website of the National Bureau of Statistics of China , about 42.10% of the total 26.29 million inbound tourists of China in 2013 are from English-speaking countries, including England, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., which has risen by 27.8% compared to the 14.30% in 2003. Generally speaking, English is already an indispensable part in cross-border tourism nowadays. Therefore, it is of great necessity to set bilingual public signs in China’s scenic spots so as to facilitate the travels of the international tourists. And indeed, such public signs with both Chinese and English are frequently used in most of scenic spots of our country, providing the international tourists with great convenience and help.
Nevertheless, the popular presence of the English versions of public signs doesn’t mean the correctness and appropriateness of them. According to the statistics released by The Public Signs Translation Research Center of Beijing International Studies University, among all the 404 foreigners surveyed, less than 10 percent of them regard the language of bilingual public signs in China as “very clear”, 36 percent “clear”, while 45.3% of the interviewees think it “unclear”, and 8.2% of them even chose the option “not clear at all” (Wang, 2007, p.63). Apparently, the English translations in public places of China are far from satisfaction. It is an urgent task to improve the overall quality of the C-E translations in China.
1.2 Significance of the Research
On the third annual session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, the CPPCC member Tang Jin, a national political adviser from central Hubei province said, as the country increasingly interacts with the international community, the problem of badly translated signs becomes increasingly serious. She suggested that government departments offer financial and personnel support to create a standard manual of public sign translations (Mei, 2015) . Dai Zongxian, a professor who dedicates to the correction of mistranslations of Chinese public signs, gives a vivid nickname “Psoriasis of a City” to the ubiquitous mistranslated public signs (Zhou, 2005). It is obvious that the translation errors of bilingual public signs have raised attention from government, and scholars and experts specialized in this field, but there is still much to be done before the problem is completely solved for the importance attached to it is far from being enough. The translation quality of China’s public signs to some extent is a reflection of China’s soft power, and if failed to be treated with sufficient emphasis, it would be an obstacle for the improvement of China’s international image. Therefore, to study the mistranslations of Chinese public signs is of great significance, especially the signs in scenic spots of China, which offer information and guidance to international visitors.