C-E Translation Of Public Signs From Reception Aesthetic Perspective

Public Signs are of great importance to the image of a tourist destination. Withan increasing international tourist arrival in China, translation of public signs has beenmore and more important to facilitate a quality travel experience.The present study employs Reception Aesthetics as the theoretical framework.According to this theory, there are uncertain meanings in every literary work. Duringits translation process, translators must read, understand interpret according totranslators’ aesthetic experiences, knowledge foregrounds, and horizon of expectations,and then translate and fill the gaps of cultural or grammar uncertainty. Though aliterary theory, Reception Aesthetics provides a new angle to guide the translation ofpublic signs.By adopting an integrated methodology using both theoretical and empirical,induction and deduction methods, this thesis attempts to make a comparison betweenChinese public signs and English public signs, show the difficulties when translating,and then make a comprehensive investigation of Chinese-English translation of publicsigns so as to prove that Reception Aesthetics works in the Chinese-English translationof public signs practice as well.Having researched above, some strategies would be raised to improve the actualeffect of English-version public signs in transplanting, grafting, pruning and nurturingways by taking priority to the functions of public signs and having readers’ horizon ofexpectation in mind. These four strategies all focuses on acclimatization of linguistictradition, aesthetic preference, writing style, and cultural connotation, which wouldgrantee public signs’ functions to provide aesthetic satisfaction.