A Cultural Approach To The Translation Of Names Of Chinese Scenic Spots

The development of transportation means and telecommunication facilities allows more and more people to travel outside their countries for the purpose of relaxation. China, an ancient country with a rich and profound culture, is endowed with abundant tourist resources which prove to be numerous treasures for the travel industry.The C-E translation of names of scenic spots plays a crucial role in tourism translation. On the one hand, names of scenic spots are just like the names of people, which are signs that distinguish one from another. On the other hand, names of scenic spots, as a guide to tourist sights, serve to arouse the readers' interest which may result in the final traveling action. To achieve this end, translated names of scenic spots must be informative, attractive and concise.A nation's tourist resources are pervaded by its distinctive culture. "Cultural tourism ", a concept proposed by many far-sighted scholars, has become popular around the world. Most foreigners come to China not only to enjoy its beautiful natural scenery but also to appreciate its unique and fascinating culture out of admiration. The names of scenic spots are usually full of cultural connotations and can reflect the nation's tradition, customs, philosophy, religion, aesthetics, etc. So their translation should also be closely connected with culture. In their translation, there are many cultural barriers to overcome. Ignorance of or indifference to cultural diversity will lead to misunderstandings and breakdowns in cultural exchange. According to Eugene. A. Nida, the American translator and translation theorist, to a translator biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism. He holds that translation assumes the responsibility to convey the cultural connotations rather than express the linguistic sense alone. In view of this, this paper sets out to study the translation of names of Chinese scenic spots from a cultural perspective.The research results are summarized from three aspects. Firstly, names of scenic spots have their purposes and functions in promoting tourism as well as spreading Chinese culture. Therefore, their translation calls for cultural awareness in the translator, especially when it is with appellative terms, names with various origins and names with a poetic flavor. Secondly, according to the views of some anthropologists, similarities in culture outweigh differences. It is such cultural similarities that lay a basis for mutual understanding, which in turn make cultural exchange possible. Consequently, the co-existence and compatibility of cultures provides the possibility of translating names of Chinese scenic spots. Thirdly, as the target of the message, the tourists are the ultimate judge for the translation, so their response should be taken into full consideration. Only by successfully solving problems arising from cultural barriers can we achieve successful cultural exchange and effectively disseminate Chinese culture to foreign tourists.In this paper, examples are given to show cultural differences between China and some English-speaking countries, and to show how they greatly influence translation. Some strategies are proposed to meet the two main principles in translating names of scenic spots: the Chinese-culture-oriented principle and the target-tourist-oriented principle. In this way, this paper aims to arouse the translator's cross-cultural awareness, and further to promote the distinctive Chinese culture and to help foreigners appreciate the everlasting and exotic charm in them.