英语专业毕业论文01920

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1、 学学 生生 毕毕 业业 设设 计（论计（论 文）文） CONTENTSAbstract.1课题名称课题名称论提示性公示语的英译姓姓 名名学学 号号院院、系、部系、部湖南城市学院外语系专专 业业英语指导教师指导教师Introduction.2Chapter 1 Literature Review .5 1.1 Definition of Prompting Public Signs.51.2 Prior Studies of C-E Translation of Prompting Public Signs.6Chapter 2 Language Features of Prompting P

2、ublic Signs.102.1 Conciseness.102.2 Common Vocabulary112.3 Attractiveness and Markedness112.4 Conventional Expressions122.5 Euphemistic Representation.12Chapter 3 Principles of C-E Translation of Prompting Public Signs.143.1 Readability.14 3.2 Economical Word Employment.16 3.3 Functional Equivalence

3、.17 3.4 Situational Coherence.19 3.5 Conformity in Emotional Evocation.20 Chapter 4 Strategies for C-E Translation of Prompting Public Signs. .224.1 Borrowing.22 4.2 Negation.24 4.3 Omission.25 4.4 Substituting .26 4.5 Zero Translation. 28Conclusion.30Notes.32Bibliography.33Acknowledgements.34 1On C

4、-E TranslationOf Prompting Public SignsCai Ting（Foreign Language Department , Hunan City University, Yiyang, Hunan 413000, China） Abstract: As a specific text form, the application of public signs has a long history and is in close attach with all aspects of our life. Acting as the face of a city, p

5、ublic signs are a showplace for our natives as well as the foreigners to get a better understanding of the spiritual appearance and all fields of China. Thus they affect a foreigners first impression of China when he visits this country. Then it is natural that the prompting public signs, an importa

6、nt part of public signs, are a crucial component of a nations external publicity. Their translation standard would directly influence the accuracy and quality of the information conveyance and cultural transmission, and further impact the foreign exchange and human environmental construction of a co

7、untry. For the above reasons, this paper aims at conducting a concrete analysis and study on the translation of Chinese prompting public signs to explore the translation principles and improve the translation strategies. Key Words: prompting public signs; translation principles; translation strategi

8、es摘要摘要: :公示语作为一种特定功能的文本形式，应用历史悠久，其运用范围之广泛几乎涉及到我们生活的方方面面。充当“城市面孔”的公示语是国人以及世界了解中国各个方面的情况及精神风貌的窗户，是给来中国的外国人士留下第一印象的中国名片。而作为公示语一份子的提示性公示语，是国家对外宣传翻译不可忽视的一部分，其翻译水平直接影响到信息的准确传达和文明传播，进而影响中国对外交流水平和人文环境建设。基于以上原2因，本文旨在对提示性公示语的英译进行细致的分析和研究,探究其翻译原则，改善其翻译策略。关键词关键词: :提示性公示语；翻译原则；翻译策略3IntroductionNowadays, globaliz

9、ation is the main trend of the evolution of our world, and the international economic activities have become more and more frequent. Under such a circumstance, a countrys economic and political development increasingly depends on the international communication and cooperation. Thus, for a better cr

10、oss-cultural understanding, it becomes crucial for a nation to improve its language environment. As an essential part of foreign-advocating media, public signs have made a great contribution to a countrys language and cultural environment construction. According to the different functions, public si

11、gns are classified into four categories, with prompting public signs as one kind. Since public signs act as the face of a city, reflecting the spiritual and cultural condition of it, they affect the foreigners first impressions of a city, and further influence their attitudes towards this country. A

12、s a result, the accuracy and quality of the public signs translation is a showplace of a nations foreign exchange level. As an important component of public signs, prompting public signs are mainly designed to send some warm messages to the public and remind the target readers of the correct conduct

13、s for their own sake. For the above reasons, 4the translation of prompting public signs also plays a fairly significant role in our daily life and any misunderstanding arising from it may cause some serious social problems. For the above-mentioned reasons, great efforts should be made to explore and

14、 improve the translation of prompting public signs and make this kind of text play its full role in serving the public.However, many problems regarding the translation of public signs still exist in a common way. Moreover, though many scholars have made enormous previous researches on the translatio

15、n of public signs, a systematic and comprehensive research of the prompting public signs translation still remains as an unfinished task. Thus, it is quite necessary and urgent to make a specific study on this subject. 5Chapter 1Literature ReviewPublic signs are frequently used in our daily life and

16、 influence every aspect of our life. Prompting public signs, as one type of public signs, play great social functions. The part of prompting public signs cant be replaced by other things, for they are mainly designed to provide the suggestive information to guide the correct conducts of the citizens

17、 and warn the potential danger in public. Therefore, it is fairly necessary to carry out a study on prompting public signs for a better understanding of such a kind of text form. To start with this research, it first comes to us that what prompting public signs are and what prior studies on their tr

18、anslation have been done. 1.1 Definition of Prompting Public SignsWhen we look up the term “prompting public sign” in English dictionaries, we may find no clear definition for it. But through its literal level, we can get the first impression that it is a kind of signs. Then what are the signs? Ther

19、e are many versions about the definition of“sign”. In New oxford Dictionary of English (2001), “sign” is defined as a notice that is publicly displayed giving information or 6instruction in a written or symbolic form. According to professor Dai Zongxian (戴宗显) and L Hefa (吕和发) in their paper “On C-E

20、Translation of Public Signs” (2005), public signs refer to “the characters and symbols which are closely related to all aspects of peoples life and displayed in public.”1 When mentioning the definition of a sign, the “public” place where it is found is always emphasized. Public signs have four main

21、functions, which are “directing, prompting, restricting and compelling”. Thus, prompting public signs are signs that play the role of prompting the public, giving the target readers some related suggestive information or reminding the audience of the potential danger nearby, with a view to guiding t

22、he proper and correct behaviors of the target readers. In Chinese, the term “prompting public signs” is equal to “提示性公示语”,“提示语”. Within prompting public signs, there exist descriptive public signs and warning public signs. The former ones are signs that indicate the messages which are relevant to th

23、e surrounding places or organizations, while the latter ones point out the hidden danger to arouse the attention of the target readers and ensure their safety.1.2 Prior Studies of C-E Translation of Prompting Public Signs With Chinas rapid economic globalization, English is becoming more and more im

24、portant in our daily life. To facilitate the international communication, many things need to be translated into English. “The 7twentieth century is sometimes called the age of translation or reproduction.” 2 Till now，there have widely appeared bilingual expressions of Public signs. So the research

25、on public signs and their translation into English is becoming a hot topic, and is drawing attention from academic field and even from the government. As a result, the translation of prompting public signs has benefited a lot from these changes.In 1992,Yu Genyuan(于根元) expressed his viewpoint on Chin

26、ese signs in his bookFour Hundred cases of Advertisements, Slogans and Posters Analysis (广告，标语，招贴用语评析 400 例)and Gong Qianyan also analyzed public signs in his article“Studies on social application of languages”(社会用语研究诌议). As early as in 1998，in He Zirans edited book papers on socio-pragmatics(社会语用建设

27、论文集), scholars began to pay attention to the sign translation and pragmatic failures in terms of pragmatics. Later, many academic writings regarding this area appear in an enormous way. The following is a list of some relevant important works. In 2002, “public signs” was first systematically studied

28、 by Bei Zhu and Shan Aimin (北竹、单爱民，2002) in their paper “On the language feature and C-E translation of public signs” ( “谈英语公示用语的语言特点与汉英翻译”). In the next year, Li Changjiang (栗长江), published an article in Chinese Translators Journal, “English Translation of Signs and 8Words of Caution in Public Plac

29、es” (“公安标示语和警示语的特点”)，in which the author discussed the necessity and characteristics of warning signs translation as well as came up with some practical translation strategies. In 2003, the first special dictionary on standardization of C-E and E-C sign translation edited by Yu Fulin(余富林) was publis

30、hed. C-E Translation of Public Signs (公示语汉英翻译) edited by professor L Hefa(吕和发) and Wang Ying (王颖) was published by China Translation & Publishing Corporation. It contains many photos of public signs and covers a wide range of various signs. This book has made a specific and comprehensive collection

31、of C-E public signs translation and has been considered as a micropaedia for the translation of public signs of different functions.The above mentioned are some major theoretical achievements. In the ordinary life, many efforts have also been made to improve the standard of C-E translation of prompt

32、ing public signs. In some universities, many professors organized students to identify translation errors and then compiled articles to correct them. In Beijing International Studies University, professors Dai Zongxian and L Hefa defined public signs and classified their functions. They founded the

33、research center of public signs and collected the original texts from London, and set up the websites to identify errors of public signs and discuss their correct translations with the cyber citizens on line. The media also played a 9crucial and active role to arouse the public awareness of this iss

34、ue and better the language environment. Also, many symposia were held to discuss and study the improvement of the public signs translation.Due to the enduring efforts on every side, the 21st century has witnessed gratifying accomplishment in public signs translation. As a consequence, the translatio

35、n of prompting public signs has made great progress and achievements.However, though researches on the translation of public signs have a long history of development at abroad, and the researching system has become relatively mature and standardized, while in China, the study in this field began rat

36、her late, with a lack of intensive researches and systematic analyses. Moreover, with the passage of time, though many books and articles concerning public signs come into being, there still exist seldom specific researches on prompting public signs translation. Thus, it is urgent to make a specific

37、 and detailed research on prompting public signs.To sum up, this part has mainly discussed the definition of prompting public signs and the prior studies of C-E translation of this type of text. For a further understanding of prompting public signs, the following chapter will analyze their language

38、features.10Chapter 2Language Features of Prompting Public SignsAs a particular style of public signs, prompting public signs share some common features of signs, and meanwhile they have their own unique characteristics. The following is a list of these.2.1 ConcisenessA prompting public sign is usual

39、ly placed on a board or on a wall, so there is little room for it. And it is also an undoubted fact that people in public tend to be in a hurry and are eager to absorb the most direct information in the shortest time. Therefore, conciseness is the most important and obvious feature of prompting publ

40、ic signs. Here “conciseness” means that prompting public signs should apply brief words and simple sentence structures and try to obtain the best feedbacks in the simplest forms.In the vocabulary level, “conciseness” emphasizes reducing complicated vocabulary and employing the single verb tense as m

41、uch as possible. For instance, Closed (停止营业), Smoke-free (无烟区), Reserved (预留席位), and Emergency Exit (紧急疏散出口). In sentence structure, prompting public signs in English usually appear in simple sentence forms instead of complex sentences so as to avoid unnecessary 11ambiguity, with the frequent applic

42、ation of imperative sentences. Some of them only use the key words which have clear meanings or core vocabulary. Function words such as articles, pronouns, conjunctions and auxiliaries can be omitted. The following are some typical examples: Please ring for assistance (如需帮助,请按铃); Caution: Mind the s

43、tep (注意:小心台阶); City busses only (市内公共汽车专用).2.2 Common Vocabulary Since prompting public signs are designed for and open to the public, it is quite necessary to use the common vocabulary for a common good understanding of them. English prompting public signs are in a relatively formal style, and voca

44、bulary choice is in favor of those popular vocabulary and familiar expressions. Unfrequently-used words may cause the obstruction of correct and accurate understanding, and thus damage the informative function of prompting signs. Therefore, in order to make the public to grasp the main information q

45、uickly and effectively, uncommon and strange vocabulary must be avoided. 2.3 Attractiveness and Markedness Although prompting public signs have no specific language form, but their common similarities are quite clear: they are always in simple and concise language presented to the readers. In order

46、to make fast and smart tips, their wording and forms are well-designed, selected and arranged. Prompting public signs often employ words with corresponding 12photographs, for the combination of graphics and words can effectively attract the publics attention and make the expressions vivid. Whats mor

47、e, this kind of signs is often in capital letters to attract the close attention of the target readers. Here are two examples: PLEASE VACATE THIS SEATE FOR A DISABLED PERSON IF REQUIRED (请为残疾人让开此座); CUSTOMERS PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ENTERING THIS AREA (顾客止步).2.4 Conventional Expressions Due to some hist

48、orical factors or the convention of language and culture, many prompting public signs have fixed expressions. That is to say, to casually change those signs which are conventional will lead to ambiguity and even cause misinterpretation sometimes. “Conventional” especially involves the translation of

49、 those prompting public signs in particular contexts and places. For instance, we usually translate “非公莫入” into “staff only”. In the above mentioned prompting public sign, the structure “+ only” is a typically conventional one, for we can apply it to any occasions that limit the admittance and regul

50、ate the exclusive right. Some other examples of this translation model are as follows: BUSES ONLY (公交专用道); ARROW ONLY (请绕行此路); PASSENGERS ONLY(送客止步 ).2.5 Euphemistic RepresentationAs we have discussed above, prompting public signs are designed to 13provide some information to guide or remind people

51、in order to achieve some goals. Since this kind of signs mainly aims at sending some friendly and considerate messages to the public, for a better informative and interpersonal effect, the application of word and tone should be as euphemistic as possible. The following is an example of a warning pub

52、lic sign. Once on a deep slope of the west bank of Nu River, there existed a traffic warning sign “Here bus once overturned, seven people lost their lives” (此处客车翻车,曾死亡七人).The very sight of this warning may easily give the readers a thrilling and creepy feeling. Though it fulfills the role of warning

53、, the way of its expression can hardly be pleasantly accepted by the audience. Actually, there is no need to directly tell people what once happened there, since the purpose of the sign is just to remind the terrain feature of that area. Instead, it can be changed into the following mild hint: Accid

54、ent-prone locations, pay attention to traffic safety (事故多发地带,注意交通安全).Therefore, when designing prompting public signs, the interpersonal function must be emphasized as intensely as the informative function. The conclusion goes that euphemism is an essential element of the features of prompting publi

55、c signs.In a word, this chapter has analyzed five main features of prompting public signs. With a better knowledge of their language features, it 14becomes much easier for us to explore their translation principles.Chapter 3Principles of C-E Translation of Prompting Public SignsTranslation is a kind

56、 of complicated thinking activity exchanging information between two different social cultures by means of linguistic forms. The process of translation is a process of interaction which is on the basis of the source text. Due to its unique language features, the translation of prompting public signs

57、 should adhere to some certain principles. In the following part, some principles will be discussed respectively. 3.1 ReadabilityThe aim of English prompting public signs in China is to enable English readers to learn, live, work or travel more conveniently within this country. Thus translation of t

58、his text type asks the translators to give top priority to consider the readability of the versions and the receptivity of the target readers. So the translation should be an accurate flow of information. Prompting public signs translation is quite different from the translation of literary works, w

59、hich put a great emphasis on the aesthetic feeling and elegance. On the contrary, the main features of prompting public signs are readable, explicit and terse. 15Thus according to the above-mentioned discussion, during the translation, those uncommon, ambiguous and unnatural words and expressions mu

60、st be avoided. Meanwhile, the translators should ensure the correct spelling of words and the right structures of expressions. Here are some instances to illustrate this principle. E.g.1. 行人、自行车横过天河路、请走过街隧道 Please Use the Walking Suabway for Crossing the Tianhe RoadHere, “suabway” is the misspelling

61、 of “subway”, moreover, “subway” means “地铁”, and in the above example, “过街隧道” must be translated into “pedestrian tunnel”. E.g.2. 垃圾在此投放，烟头切勿投入Faulty Translation: The garbage throws in here. The cigarette butt throws in absolutely not to.Revised Version: Garbage only, no for cigarette buttThe origin

62、al translation has the obvious grammar error that is resulted from the disordered sentence structure. This kind of errors would certainly weaken the readability of the prompting signs. E.g.3. 小心碰头Faulty Translation: Take Care of Your HeadRevised Version: Watch Your Head/Mind Your Head16The above-men

63、tioned example is a typical one of semantic ambiguity. Seeing the original translation, a foreigner may be bewildered that why he is asked to look after his head since there is nothing wrong with it. The cause of this problem is the improper wording and ambiguous expression. Prompting public signs w

64、ith the similar problems may cause misunderstandings and confusions.3.2 Economical Word EmploymentDue to the space limitation, conciseness is the characteristic of both Chinese and English prompting public signs. Moreover, as a specific type of public signs, the main function of prompting public sig

65、ns is to provide warm suggestive information to the public and guide their correct conducts. Thus, this kind of signs must be attractive to get the close notice of the target readers. The redundancy of words may distract the attention of the audience and weaken their reading interest. Whats more, En

66、glish originally has a terse style in both lexical and syntactical level. Now that “conciseness” is the most prominent feature of prompting public signs and redundancy will strongly weaken the effect of them, it requires the use of concise language and precise wording during the C-E translation of prompting public signs. In most cases, English prompting public signs only use the content words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, while some function words such as articles, pronouns and