A Study Of C-E Translation Of Public Signs In Chinese Scenic Spots Under The Guidance Of Skopos Theory

China, a country with five thousand years of history and specific nature spots, is in possession rich of tourist resources. With China’s entering into the World Trade Organization and hosting the Beijing Olympic Games, China has become more active and popular in the world. Visiting China is one of the best ways to get more knowledge of China, so more and more foreigners come to China. However, some foreign travelers get confused or misunderstand the public sign translation because of the translation errors and culture differences. The puzzled translation of public signs in scenic spots not only decrease the enjoyment of visiting in China but also is unable to attract more foreigners to scenic spots. Therefore, an in-depth study on translation of public signs in scenic spots should be carried out.Generally speaking, the translations of public signs in Chinese scenic spots are the combination of literal translation and omissions usually make the translation version rigid so that the foreign visitors may feel confused because of culture differences. Hence, from analyzing the perspective of skopos theory, the translation of public signs in scenic spots can solve the problems which exist in the public signs.In this thesis, many examples are chosen from the C-E translation of public signs in scenic spots in Xi’an, which finds out the main errors of translation and the reasons. The translation errors includes inconsistent translation, spelling mistakes, improper uses of words, and grammar mistakes, which can be classified into three groups:linguistic, cultural, and pragmatic perspectives. The reasons of causing these errors are as follows. Firstly, the cultural descriptions of scenic spots with Chinese historic tales and idioms are difficult to be accurately translated. Secondly, the translations of Chinese public signs pursue aesthetic requirements, which cannot be reached through English translation. Thirdly, the translations of public signs in Chinese scenic spots are the combination of literal translation and omissions. Thus, the translated version is clear but rigid which makes the foreign visitors puzzled. Therefore, the thesis, based upon the skopos theory, put forward the strategies of C-E translation of public signs in scenic spots from the linguistic, culture, pragmatic aspects.