On Translation Of Signs From The Perspective Of Skopostheory

The sign translation is an important component part in the foreign-oriented publicity in China. Whether the sign translation realizes the sign's original function not only influences the basic necessities of lives of foreign friends but also relates to the urban mental outlook, thereby influencing the international image of China. Consequently, we should pay close attention to the sign translation. By this thesis, the author aims at drawing more attention on the sign translation and making our country more open and modern.By summarizing the four representative definitions of signs, a compact and all-around definition of signs is presented in this thesis: signs are words shown in public places and a special kind of style capable of fulfilling a certain communicative purpose. As for the classification of signs, it is suggested by the author that signs fall into two categories: universal signs and special signs. However, most of the researchers pay attention to the signs with the functions of directing, prompting, restricting and compelling and these signs are universal signs discussed in this thesis. The translation methods are different due to different kinds. As for universal signs, the translation method adopted is mainly borrowing. As for special signs, the best translation methods are imitation and creation. Therefore, the translation of special signs should be under the guidance of the theory of Skopostheory to fulfill the purposes of standardized expression and functional equivalence.There are three kernel rules in Skopostheory. The top-ranking rule is the 'Skopos rule', which says that a translational action is determined by its Skopos; that is, 'the end justifies the means' (Reiss and Vermeer 1984:101). The second important rule of Skopostheory is the 'coherence rule', specifying that a translation should be acceptable in a sense that it is coherent with the receivers' situation (Reiss and Vermeer 1984:113). The third rule is referred to as a 'fidelity rule' by Reiss and Vermeer (Reiss and Vermeer 1984:114), which is similar to the theory of faithfulness in other translation theories. In terms of the sign translation, the target text has the same Skopos as the source text. Therefore, there is no need to change the Skopos of the target text. The fidelity rule is the first factor translators should consider. The coherence rule is considered as a difficult goal to reach in the sign translation as it requires the translation of the sign has the same function as the source sign and that the receivers have a response to the translation of the sign as accordant as possible with the native people to the source sign. According to the rules of Skopostheory, the thesis divides the problems in the sign translation into two types. One is the problems breaking the coherence rule mainly including grammar problems, Chinglish and cultural misunderstandings. The other is the problems breaking the fidelity rule mainly including spelling problems and misnomer. The two kinds of problems are discussed by taking typical examples and the examples collected by the author.All in all, the thesis puts forward some feasible solutions to the sign translation by analyzing the problems existing in the sign translation under the guidance of Skopostheory. However, the sign translation involves a lot of aspects and has many problems. Therefore, it is not easy to solve all of the problems and the correct sign translation deserves enough attention.