English Translation Of Tourist Texts From The Perspective Of Skopostheorie

The main purpose of scenic-spot introduction is to deliver message and attract tourists.On the basis of this principle, English translation of scenic-spot introduction aims atconveying the main message of scenic-spots for foreign tourists. With an increasing numberof foreign tourists visiting Beijing, the capital of China and a metropolis around the world,the English translation of Beijing scenic-spot introductions has aroused increasing attentionof translation theorists and practitioners. The thesis explores the English translation ofBeijing scenic-spot introductions under the guidance of Skopostheorie. Regardingtranslation as all action with purposes, Skopostheorie emphasizes that the intendedfunctions of target text decide what translation strategies should be used and thus broadensthe vision of translation studies.Through analyzing the English versions of some scenic-spot introductions of Beijing inthe framework of Skopostheorie, the study reveals that the common problems in translationmainly fall into three categories, namely linguistic, pragmatic and cultural levels, and thenanalyzes them respectively. The problems are caused mainly by translator’s influence of thesource language convention and ignorance of the purpose of translation and target readersas well as the lack of cross-cultural awareness, altogether making the translated versionsunacceptable to target readers.The thesis puts forward that the English translation of Beijing scenic-spot introductionsshould be tourist-oriented and Chinese culture-centered. Accordingly several translationmethods are proposed, including addition, explanation, paraphrasing and deletion with ahope to improve the quality of the English translation of Beijing scenic-spot introductionsand promote the development of Chinese tourism.