On English Translations Of Public Signs In Zhangzhou From The Perspective Of Skopos Theory

Public signs are an indispensabie part of modern life.Wheter or not they are properly translated has an important impact on the image of a city. Although Zhangzhou City is geographically and economically important for Fujian, related study of the translation of public signs in Zhangzhou is absent. Therefore, from2011to2012, the author undertook an investigation in which such inadequacies as spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and redundant, imprecise, or Chinglish expressions have been found and analyzed in this thesis.Based on the theory of German Skopos, which proposes the principle of "function plus loyalty", it is pointed out that translators should take into consideration the original text, the environment of the target text, and the target readers. Flexible uses of literal translation, free translation, borrowing, creative translation and zero translation are suggested for more efficient communication. Besides regional benefits, this thesis is expected to bring about technical reference for the translation of public signs in other cities.