Application Of Translation Variation Theory In C-E Translation Of Public Signs

Translation of public signs plays an important role in Sino-foreign cultural exchange and economic cooperation. As one of China’s first special economic zones and the window of China’s reform and opening up to the outside world, great efforts have been made to improve the linguistic environment and the quality of C-E translation of public signs in Shenzhen city. But at present the quality of C-E translation of public signs in Shenzhen is still far from satisfaction. Linguistic errors, pragmatic failure and cultural mistranslation are common problems in current C-E translation of public signs.Text types are closely related to text functions. Text functions can decide text types. According to text typology, public signs fall into informative and vocative texts which perform such functions as directing, reminding, warning, informing, persuading and propagating. Peter Newmark put forward communicative translation strategy to translate informative and vocative texts. The communicative translation lays emphasis on the readability of the target text and the reception of the target readers, the fluency, idiomatic, brevity and easy-to-understand of the target language. It stresses that the target text should be able to produce functionally the same effect on the target readers as the original on the readers. Translation variation theory, put forward by professor Huang Zhonglian, is a suitable and feasible theory to guide the C-E translation of public signs, which aims at representing contents and message of the original by using appropriate adaptations such as addition, deletion, edition, narration, condensation, combination and rewriting to meet the specific needs of the specific readers under specific circumstance.Based on the translation variation theory, this thesis analyses the feasibility and necessity of translation variation in C-E translation of public signs and explores the application of some translation variation strategies in translating public signs so that the functions and skopos of C-E translation of public signs can be realized.This thesis is composed of six parts. The introduction briefs the background, purpose and significance, methodology of this study as well as the organization of the thesis. Chapter1is a text analysis of public signs in Shenzhen city, which presents definition, characteristics, functions, and text types of public signs in Shenzhen city. It also makes a comparison of translation strategies for translation of public signs and translation of other text types. Chapter2mainly analyses the mistranslation in C-E translation of public signs and their causes in Shenzhen city. Chapter3and Chapter4are the key parts of this thesis. Chapter3first gives a brief overview and comment on translation variation and translation variation theory and then discusses the feasibility and necessity of translation variation in C-E translation of public signs. Chapter4explores the methods of applying translation variation theory to translate public signs, such as amplification, omission, adaptation, imitation and creation, so that the information and intention of the original can be conveyed correctly to the target readers. The final part comes to the conclusion. Findings, limitations and suggestions for further research are presented.