English Translation Of Chinese Idioms In Publicity Materials From The Perspective Of Functional Equivalence Theory

Idiom is characterized by vivid expression and is loaded with profound culturalconnotation. It is the essence of a language and the crystallization of a culture. As animportant component of Chinese language, Chinese idiom is a concentrated reflectionof the long history and the brilliant culture of China. English translation of Chineseidioms is not only a linguistic transformation, but also an indispensable channel ofbroadcasting the brilliant Chinese culture. Foreign publicity, as the term suggests, is ameans of introducing China to the world, and is essential for establishing a favorableinternational image and promoting international exchanges. As a unique style, foreignpublicity brings peculiarity to the English translation of Chinese idioms, andmeanwhile adds to the difficulty in translating. Functional equivalence theory,proposed by Eugene A. Nida, has caught extensive attention both home and abroad,and has exerted deep and profound influence on translation. As it suggests, this theoryemphasizes functional equivalence in translation, namely, the target receptors respondto the target text in the same manner as the source receptors respond to the source text.Functional equivalence theory has been applied to various translations. It also appliesto the English translation of Chinese idioms in publicity.In the wake of reform and opening-up, international communications have beengreatly enhanced. English translation of publicity materials has attracted greatattention from scholars and translators and a lot of related studies have been done.However, the quality of translation still calls for improvement. Besides, the majorityof studies both home and abroad are macro studies on English translation of publicitymaterials. Very few studies are specialized on the English translation of Chineseidioms in publicity, especially studies under theoretical guidance.This thesis gives an overall analysis of the English translation of Chinese idiomsin publicity under the guidance of Nida’s functional equivalence theory. It firstsummarizes the history and the present situation of studies on English translation ofpublicity materials and points out pitfalls in current translating which need to beimproved. Through expounding Nida’s functional equivalence theory and definition, classification and characteristics of Chinese idioms, this thesis discusses theapplicability of this theory to the English translation of Chinese idioms in publicity. Inorder to achieve functional equivalence in translating Chinese idioms in publicity, itanalyzes the linguistic and cultural factors which make translating difficult, whichlays a solid foundation for further study. In the body of the thesis, the author analyzesseveral translation strategies based on the study of two important official publicationsfor Expo2010Shanghai China, An Overview of the World Exposition Shanghai China2010and Expo2010Shanghai China Official Guidebook.Through analysis, the author draws conclusions as follows:(1) In order toachieve functional equivalence in translating Chinese idioms in publicity, feasiblestrategies include literal translation, free translation, borrowing and omission. Amongthem the most commonly adopted are free translation and omission, and literaltranslation, omission+free translation, borrowing and free translation+amplificationare next;(2) As a result of the peculiarity of publicity as a style, some translationstrategies become inapplicable to translating Chinese idioms in publicity, such asamplification and annotation;(3) Translation strategies are adopted on the principle ofincreasing the extent to which the target receptors have the same feelings as thesource receptors have.