A Study Of C-E Menu Translation In Light Of Skopostheorie

China has been following the trend of global economy with each passing day, and the international exchanges and communication between China and other countries have been improved significantly in the past decades. Chinese culinary culture, which enjoys a great prestige in the international arena, has drawn keen interest of foreigners. Therefore, as an indispensible part of the Chinese culinary culture, menu translation has attracted close attention both at home and abroad.Translation means comparing cultures (Nord,2001). It is a complicated and strenuous cross-cultural undertaking. Each dish name in menus is a discourse implying abundant information of history, national customs and local culture. Translation of a dish name should offer an objective description, take account of addressees’demands, interests and acceptability and disseminate Chinese culture.From the perspective of Skopostheorie, this thesis aims to examine the status quo of menu translation in Shaanxi Province, analyze the causes for existing problems and explore acceptable translation methods and skills of Chinese dish names based on the data collected from local renowned restaurants in Shaanxi Province. In this thesis, comparative study, documentation and empirical research are adopted. Six translation methods are proposed including literal translation, literal translation plus explanation, free translation, free translation plus note, literal translation plus free translation, transliteration and transliteration plus explanation. Thus, it will offer conveniences for foreign tourists to enjoy the local food and provide reference for standardization of menu translation at home and abroad.