On Translating Air Business Language

With the economic globalization and the process of reform and opening to the outside world continuing, China's air transportation is growing fast steadily, with a well-kept safety record. Air business translation is playing more and more important role in our economic life. However, air business English is regarded as a kind of English for special purpose, its systematically academic study has not been as common yet. As known to all, the language itself is experiencing endless changes and developments with the advance of society. The general translation theories, general business translation included, do not apply to air business translation. This brings both theoretical and practical significance to research and study of air business translation and it is an effective integration of principle and practice for translation of pragmatic written styles as well.At beginning this thesis introduces China's booming air business with other countries. As an indispensable communication means, English is used in nearly 90% communication throughout the world. However, there exists a contradiction between substantial demand for qualified translators and insufficiency of eligible translators. Under such circumstances, air business translation has greeted new professional possibilities for theoreticians and translators and it is imbued with a sense of urgency.In the current situation, there is still some unsatisfied and nonstandard air business translation. Chapter One mainly discusses current situation of air business translation and requirements for a translator who should possess not only professional air business competence and bilingual competence, but also great career moral with responsibility and carefulness. A capable and employable translator should be abreast of times to obey standard and follow standardization in air business translation to some extent and find out principles from study and practice as well.After a brief introduction of main characteristics of air business English, the thesis highlights the distinct features of air business English in airport signs, ground service and cabin service aspects as well as the resulting translation criteria. Chapter Two gives status of airport signs translation, problems in translating airport signs and solving strategies. Chapter Three briefs the stylistic features of air ground service English. The former includes simplicity, efficiency and courtesy. And the latter author discussed the air ground service English from aspects, that is, from Reservations and call for information, Check-in procedures, etc. Chapter Four states the grammatical features of cabin English, such as tense, voice and mood. And then it discussed by some typical in-flight dialogues. By a detailed investigation and literature review about Newmark's"Communicative translation","Semantic translation"and Nida's"Functional equivalence"theories, as well as Leech's Politeness Principle, it introduces air business translation, which has its own characteristics and strategies.The thesis is accomplished on the basis of the available theories during the two-year-study and the thirteen-year-work experience in air business field. It is in the hope that the superficial investigation may attract both the practical concerns of practicing translators and the academic interest of theoreticians to further research and study in air business translation.