论文总字数：33680字

摘 要

自从中国加入世贸组织以来，不仅大量外国产品进入中国市场，越来越多的国内产品也走出国门，走向世界。对正在国外市场力争一席之地的家用电器类产品来说，产品说明书是连接生产者与消费者之间的纽带，其英译质量对于产品在英语国家的销售来说更是起着举足轻重的作用。本文结合实例分析英文产品说明书的文本功能和特征，总结当前家电产品说明书的英译的问题并分析其诱因，结合功能派翻译目的论，讨论汉语产品说明书英译的方法，并提出提高该类应用文本英译质量的策略，以期使中国家电产品说明书的翻译能更上一层楼。

关键词：产品说明书；语言特征；文本功能；英译原则；目的论

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. On Electric Appliance Manuals 1

2.1 Definition of Electric Appliance Manuals 1

2.2 Linguistic Features of Electric Appliance Manuals 2

3. Introduction to the Skopostheorie 5

4. Application of the Skopostheorie to C-E Translation of Manuals 7

4.1 Main Problems in Current Translation of Manuals and the Causes 7

4.2 Translation Methods 9

4.3 Strategies for Improvement 13

5. Conclusion 14

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction

In recent decades, with the rapid development of globalization and international trade, Chinese exports have been increasing not only in quantity but also in variety. As is known to all, product manuals help exporting producers to create a favorable corporate image and to gain a competitive position in international market. In the course of selling, while providing consumers with detailed information relevant to products, product manuals directly affect the purchasing psychology of consumers. When a producer aims to sell its product or service in other countries, the translation of product manuals must be taken into consideration. Therefore, whether domestic goods sell well or not in international market largely depends on the C-E translation of product manuals.

Like other product instructions, the purpose of electric appliance manuals is to give consumers an all-around introduction of the products. However, due to lack of systematic theoretical guidance, the quality of C-E translation of exported electric appliance manuals remains disappointingly uneven around the country. In fact, as electric appliance manual belongs to the science and technology style, there is regularity in its C-E translation. On the one hand, it has its own structure and characteristics. On the other hand, as a typical type of target text, the purpose of electric appliance manual, which is very distinct, is to introduce the product as well as to teach consumers how to use the product and the notes. Skopostheorie, the core theory of the functional school of translation study, plays a significant role in the translation of different types of product instructions. It helps the translators find the regularity and flexibility of product instruction translation so that they can present translated versions of product instructions satisfactory to both producers and consumers.

In this thesis, the writer will, using examples, introduce the format and features of English electric appliance manuals, find the problems existing in the C-E translation of electric appliance manuals and the causes, and explore improving strategies under the guidance of the skopostheorie.

2. On Electric Appliance Manuals

2.1 Definition of Electric Appliance Manuals

According to Dong Xiaobo, “Product instruction in project management is a structured format of presenting information about a project product. Product description is usually created by the project manager and approved by the product board.” (Dong Xiaobo, 2012: 107) As they are widely used, there are various types of product manuals. In terms of object and industry, there are industrial product manuals, agricultural product manuals, and insurance product manuals and so on. With respect to the form, they have clauses-typed product manuals, chart-typed product instructions, audio-and-video product descriptions, and online shopping product instructions and so forth.

However, no matter what type of product manuals, descriptions, or instructions they are, this kind of text has three main functions. The first is information function, which means to provide specific information about the features and usage of the product. The second is aesthetic function, which means to give consumers sensual pleasures through presenting vivid text descriptions. And the third is vocative function, which means to make text readers take actions as the text expects. (Zhang Wei, 2008: 124) Usually, the content of a complete user manual of electric appliance，including safety information, operating instructions, care and cleaning, installation, troubleshooting tips, consumer support, is presented with words, indicating diagrams, vivid pictures and varied signs, so that it can help consumers know the product and more importantly drive them into purchasing it.

2.2 Linguistic Features of Electric Appliance Manuals

Like the other scientific and technology text, electric appliance manual also has its own linguistic features.

2.2.1 Lexical Features

Usually, a user’s manual is written with simple and concise words, and some professional terminologies are used when necessary. The following are some lines from the users’ manual of GE Air Conditioner:

On Heat/Cool models, the fan switch lever is located in a hole through the control panel. To reach it, you need to remove the front grille. Use a small screwdriver to change the setting. Cool only models have a rocker switch on the front of the control box. When set at CYCLE (down) the fan cycles on and off when cooling or heating. When set at CONT (continuous, up) the fan runs all the time. The unit is shipped in the CONT setting.

The above lines are about the controls of the air conditioner. The words used are simple, precise, and understandable, so that consumers can learn easily about the use of the machine. And as we see, words like fan switch lever, control panel, front grille, screwdriver, rocker switch are all professional terminologies of the electric appliance industry.

2.2.2 Use of Simple Present Tense

Simple present tense is used to describe objective reality, which is unconstrained by time horizon, including objective truth, adage, scientific fact, and the other facts. And the main function and aim of a user manual is to give timeless descriptions and instructions on the function and usage of the product. Thus this type of text is usually written in simple present tense. (Fu Meina,2008:127-128) For example, the following are some lines about mode controls from the user’s manual of GE Air Conditioner.

HIGH COOL and LOW COOL provide cooling with different fan speeds.

HIGH HEAT and LOW HEAT provide heating with different fan speeds.

LOW FAN or HIGH FAN provides air circulation and filtering without cooling or heating.

These three sentences are all in their simple present tense, because they are statement about the functions of the air conditioner, which is not a temporary or single phenomenon but a fact that will never change. And this can’t be expressed in any other tense.

2.2.3 Use of Passive Voice

That passive voice is often used in product descriptions or user manuals is because the basic function of a product description is to offer concrete information about the features and usage of the product. It is documented for the product itself and focuses on an objective description, which makes it unnecessary to tell exactly the actor. For example,

The vent control is located behind the front grille on the right side of the air discharge area. When set at CLOSE, only the air inside the room will be circulated and conditioned. When set at OPEN, some inside air is exhausted outside.

Above is a paragraph in the user’s manual of GE Air Conditioner. All the sentences used passive voice to introduce the vent control, as what is important is the act of operation not the operator.

2.2.4 Use of Elliptical Sentences and Simple Sentences

Given merely a limited space, and with the purpose of introducing the product objectively and authentically, and teaching consumers how to use the product, user manuals usually uses simple sentences and sometimes even incomplete sentences or sentence fragments. For example, the following is a part of the wicking filter maintenance in the Vicks Humidifier.

Wicking Filter performance will diminish depending on the mineral content of the water and the amount of airborne dust in the environment.

IMPORTANT: CHECK WICKING FILTER REGULARLY. Any of the following conditions indicate that it is time to replace the Wicking Filter.

• A buildup of impurities and minerals on the Wicking Filter (evidenced by discoloration of the Wicking Filter)

• An appreciable decrease in Humidifier output

• The top of the Wicking Filter is not moist to the touch

• The Wicking Filter has large holes or tears

Almost all the above sentences are simple sentences, even though the first one is not, containing an adverbial clause, or otherwise a composite sentence or compound sentence, it is clearly structured and not incomprehensible. Besides, ‘An appreciable decrease in Humidifier output’ is not even a complete sentence, whereas readers are sure to be able to understand the words. In this sentence, we don’t have the subject, the predicate or the object, but the adverbial. Elliptical sentence is often used to save space for generally a user’s manual of electric appliance is not a single page but a little book. Too much content may drive the reader bored.

2.2.5 Use of Imperative Sentence

As user’s manuals are not only aimed at communicating basic information about products but also at teaching consumers how to use them or operate correctly, the instruction writers often use many imperative sentences to embody the functions of direction and urging, and the function of ordering or warning. (Tang Yujun and Wang Junyuan, 2006: 136) The following excerpt is from the cleaning instructions in the user’s manual of Grindmaster Coffee Grinder.

1 .Remove hopper from grinder and empty all beans.

2. Use a soft, damp cloth with a small amount of liquid soap and clean hopper. Use a clean, damp cloth to remove the soap residue. Do not immerse or fill hopper with water.

3. Allow hopper to completely air dry before refilling with beans.

4. Once the hopper is dry, refill with whole bean coffee, cover and replace on grinder.

Almost all the sentences above are imperative. This is because the main goal of this part of the user’s manual is to direct consumers how to operate and use the product correctly, which indicates the instructing function and warning function of imperative sentences.

3. Introduction to the Skopostheorie

The emergence of the skopostheorie trend was based on profound social background. After the Second World War, the western stepped into post-industrial era, and the society kept developing at an increasingly rapid rate. Thus more and more frequent exchanges in the areas of international politics, culture, and business made the main translation object of practical text. However, traditional concept of translation and methods could no longer meet the needs of fast-paced and efficient life. Readers tend to accept interesting materials which are informatively bright and pertinent. The redundant information, expressions inconsistent with the convention of target language users’, and unprocessed exotic culture not only waste time and energy, but also reduce the interest in reading. (Zhou Hongming, 2013: 199) In that situation, Hans J. Vermeer put forward the skopostheorie in his book Framework for a General Translation Theory, which was the basis of this theory.

As the most important theory among the functionalist theories, Skopostheorie, inheriting the reasonable content in traditional translation theory, has got rid of the doctrine of translation equivalence theory. It is of strong practical significance and maneuverability, and can be widely applied in the translation of practical writings such as news, business letters, advertisements, product instructions and so on.

According to the skopostheorie, translation is a kind of action, which has its own purpose and result, based on the source text. And it should be carried out under a series of rules, including skopos rule, coherence rule, and fidelity rule.

“Vermeer explains the skopos rule in the following way: Each text is produced for a given purpose and should serve this purpose. The skopos rule thus reads as follows: translate/interpret/speak/write in a way that enables your text/translation to function in a situation in which it is used and with the people who want to use it precisely in the way they want it to function.” (Nord, 1986: 29)

According to the coherence rule, the target text must be coherent enough so that the target readers can understand it, given their assumed background knowledge and situational circumstances, as “formal correspondence can only be estab1ished ultimately on the basis of textual equivalence” (Catford, 1965: 18). Literal translation can lead to difficulty in understanding the associative meanings.

The fidelity rule is concerned with intertextual coherence between the translated version and source text. It stipulates that some relationship must remain between source text and target text once the all-important principle of skopos and the rule of coherence have been conformed to.

“According to Skopostheorie, the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose (skopos) of the overall translational action. And that means ‘the end justifies the means’.” (Nord, 1986: 29)

In functionalist skopos theory of translation, though Reiss and Vermeer often use words such as ‘skopos’, ‘purpose’, ‘intention’, and ‘function’ indiscriminately, the concept of ‘function’ mainly filed by Reiss has a more specific meaning, which is relevant to genre and text type. (Bian Jianhua, 2008: 88) Reiss thinks the main function of source text decides the translation methods, which is to say, the translation method should vary according to different text types. On the basis of Buhler’s language function theory, he divided all texts into three types: informative, expressive, operative. According to him, the aim of informative text is to transmit referential content, and the translator should use plain prose with explicitation as required. Expressive text aim to transmit aesthetic form; the translator should adopt perspective of ST author when identifying method. The operative text is aimed at eliciting desired response of reader, and the translation is adaptive, emphasizing equivalent effect. (Zhang Meifang, 2005:71) “However, the classification of source text as belonging to a particular text-type is thus relevant only in special cases where the intended function of the target text is to represent a textual equivalent of the source text.” (Nord, 1986: 10)

So far, most of the scholars in translation circles agree that the functionalist skopos theory is applicable to the translation of intensely targeted non-literary text. Besides, even those translators or researchers engaged with literary text think this theory is apparently suitable for the translation of text using instrumental language, such as operation manuals, news text, advertisement and the like. (Bian Jianhua, 2008:174)

Application of the Skopostheorie to C-E Translation of Manuals

4.1Main Problems in Current Translation of Manuals and the Causes

For a long time, translators have been practicing translating product instructions, and they have conducted numerous studies on and have done a lot of analyses of product instructions. Although the translation of advertisement, packing, and instructions, compared with what it was like several decades ago, has improved a lot, the international market is still inundated by diverse low quality translated product instructions like English rubbish. The same problems also exist in the C-E translation of electric appliance manuals. Through analyzing and summarizing, we find there are three main types of problems existing in current electric appliance manual translation.

4.1.1 Main Problems

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