A Research On The E-C Translation Of Product Instructions From The Perspective Of The Skopostheorie

As China's economy develops rapidly, people's living standards has been improving; there is an increasing demand of people for recreation, as well as for articles of consumption in both quantity and quality. In recent years, many foreign cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, household appliances and other consumption goods are introduced into China. In order to attract customers and gain their share in market, both producers and businessmen put much weight on improving products'quality, and attach great importance to the translation of product instructions. Whether the product instructions are appropriately translated exerts great influence upon consumers both in safety operation of the product and in purchase of the product. High-quality product instructions not only provide the consumers with accurate and detailed product information, but increase customers'interest in the product and consumer's appetites for that product.Taking product instructions as the subject of research, the author has conducted a research on the translation of product instructions with reference to Skopostheorie proposed by Han. Vermeer and Reiss. According to Skopostheorie,"purpose principle"is the guiding principle for translation. Any translation is a purposeful activity; translation is an activity which links source text to target text in accordance with translation purpose. What the translator has to do is to choose appropriate translation strategy according to translation purpose; in this situation, the translator is entitled to make a decision on which part of the source text is retained, adjusted or modified in accordance with translation purpose. Literature review indicates that many a scholars hold the view that Skopostheorie is, in particular, applicable to the translation of product instructions with significant purposes.After an introduction of the research background, research purpose and research methods, the author has made a detailed explanation of Skopostheorie proposed by Vermeer and Reiss, and made a review on the viewpoints proposed by a series of functionalist theorists in Germany, such as Katharine Reiss, Hans Vermeer, Justa HoIz-Manttari, Christiane Nord, based on which the author introduces into her research the three principles of the skopostheorie: skopos rule, coherence rule, and fidelity rule. After defining what is product instructions and discussing the classification, features and functions of product instructions, the author has made an attempt to apply Skopostheorie to the translation of product instructions. It is proposed in this thesis that the translator shall pay much attention to the following three functions that product instructions perform: informative function, aesthetic function, and vocative function. Many examples from a wide range of sources are carefully chosen to illustrate the principles and methods for the translation of product instructions under the guidance of the Skopostheorie. It has been proved that the skopostheorie can be accepted as a guiding theory for the translation practice of product instructions, and that translator shall have to adopt purpose-oriented translation strategies for the translation of product instructions.