功能对等视角下公示语的翻译

论文总字数：28015字

摘 要

在日常生活中，我们发现公示语随处可见，已逐渐与我们的生活息息相关。公示语被称作城市的面孔，随着我国的国际交往日益频繁，双语公示语应经成为外国友人了解城市，熟悉环境的“窗口”。因此，公示语应遵循一定的准则，将有用的信息准确无误的传达给公众。

在查阅了相关资料后，本文将例举大量的实例进行分析，尝试着探讨了公示语翻译中使用功能翻译对等理论的必要性，其不仅仅简单的强调所谓的“对等”，而是根据译语文化语境，实现预期达到的交际功能。

关键词：公示语；功能对等理论；翻译原则

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 Introduction of Eugene A.Nida 3

2.2 Dynamic Equivalence and Formal Equivalence 3

2.3 The Functional Equivalence Theory 4

3. Features of Public Signs 4

3.1 Definition of Public signs 4

3.2 Classification of Public Signs 5

3.3 Language Features of Public Signs 7

4.Translation Problems in Chinese-English Public Signs 8

4.1 Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue 8

4.2 The Misuse of Words 8

5. Application of Function Theory into the C-E Translation of Public Signs 9

5.1 The Principle of Simplicity 10

5.2 The Principle of Acceptance 10

6.Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

The development of Chinese translation theories has been experienced for many years. In Tang Dynasty, the first translator Xuanzang’s theory is “accurate and easy to understand”. With the reform and opening policy, Yanfu has proposed the new theory as “faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance”, which is widely available for future generations. All of these theories has provided valuable reference to our translation work. Since twenty century, many western translation theories has introduced to China.Among these theories, the most famous is Nida’s Functional Equivalence. To a certain extent, Nida’s theory has made a great contribution to Chinese translation theory.

In this paper, the text consists of four parts. The first chapter is a brief introduction of Nida"s functional equivalence’s theory. The second chapter gives the definition of the public signs and analyzes the remarkable functional and language features of it. In this part, we should pay attention to that public sign contains various kinds of forms. The third chapter focuses on existing problems shown in the Chinese-English translation of public signs, covering the negative transfer of the mother tongue and the misuse of the words. The most important is that we have to pay more attention to the culture and history in different countries. The fourth chapter discusses the application of Function Equivalence into the translation of Public Signs. It contains two principles, one is simple and the other is acceptable. In this thesis, I take a great amount examples to help readers understand easily.

2. Literature Review

There are two basic reasons that I choose this theme as my paper. First of all, with the development of China, the translation of public signs has a great significance both in our culture and economy. More and more people have a trip to our country. And the public signs have made a great influence in our daily communication. Since the reform and opening, China has an important position in the world. So we need to pay more attention to some details such as public signs.

Let’s take a picture, there is a door being painted with a public sign “油漆未干，请勿触碰”. If a foreigner come across it, he doesn’t know the meaning of the sign. And he maybe misunderstand and touch it. So the translation of public signs is important as to improve our international image. Since the reform in 1978, China aimed at prompting the relationship with other nations. It is common to see people travel to China, in some way, the public signs have a great effect on their daily life in trip. Hence, the good translation of public signs can provide foreigner more convenient. If foreigners can see the signs like in their own country, they will speak highly of China.

Secondly, to correct the translation problems of public signs is the crucial issues. These problems, to some degree, have damaged our international imagine. At the same time, it has negative effect on the communication with other countries. So it is important to study the translation of public signs.

In 1998, Duan Liancheng, who is a senior journalist and published an article named How to Help Foreigners Know China, he has pointed out that it is necessary to improve the imagination of China. Nowadays, many translator has devoted themselves to researching the translation strategy. Among these, the most famous is Nida’s functional equivalence theory. And Katharina Resis, who is the first person that introduced the functional equivalence theory into the public signs’ translation.

As an important window to the outside word, the translation of public signs must be accurate and exact. And that requires us to treat English version carefully.

The “functional equivalence” is emphasized in the translation not limited to correspondence of each character, but pay attention to functional equivalence between the two languages. Nida’s translation definition indicates that translation contains not only the equivalence of meaning, but also the equivalence of semantic and style. The information which the translation need to convey contained both the surface meaning and the deep culture information.

2.1 Introduction of Eugene A.Nida

Eugene A.Nida is one of the most famous representatives of the translation theory in western linguistics. He is proficient in many languages and surveyed more than one hundred kinds of languages. He has been engaged in the research of linguistics, semantics, anthropology, communication engineering and so on. What deserves to be mentioned the most is that he also worked on the translation of the Bible.After the research of translation theory and continuous practice in translation for more than fifty years, he has made great achievement in translation theory.

From 1945 to 1997, he has published more than 200 articles and nearly 40 books. And among these, there are about 20 books on the theory of language and translation theory. He also published a collection of papers. His important works include Toward a Science of Translating which published in 1964 and he wrote The Theory and Practice of Translation with Charles Taber in 1969. Also in 1975, he published Componential Analysis of Meaning and Language Structure and Translation: Essays by Eugene A.Nida, ed. By Anwar. S. Dil. He wrote The Socialinguistics of the Interlingual Communication in 1996 and so on.

2.2 Dynamic Equivalence and Formal Equivalence

Nida first proposed the concept of formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence in Toward a Science of Translating. He made a distiction between the two concepts in the book and Nida emphasized the latter. He argued that all languages had various differences in form and content, so formal equivalence translation is very rare.

Then in The Theory and Practice of Translation, Nida gave the definition of dynamic equivalence explicitly that “Dynamic equivalence is therefore to be defined in terms of the degree to which the receptors of the message in the receptor language respond to it in substantially the same manner as the receptors in the source language.” (Nida,1964:159) Nida’ s dynamic equivalence means “basically, functional equivalence has been described in terms of dynamic theory.” (Warrdamp;Nida,1986) In short, the target text should be closet and natural equivalence to the source language.

2.3 The Functional Equivalence Theory

In1993, Nida substituted functional equivalence for dynamic equivalence. He stressed that “Equivalence cannot be understood in its mathematical meaning of identity, but only in terms of proximity, i.e.on the basis of degrees of closeness to functional identity.” (Nida,1993:117) Functional equivalence by Eugene proposed that the definition of the theory is the reader of target language can understand the text as the origin reader.Functional equivalence requires the translator see the question from the view of readers and make them understand.This theory stresses the reflection of reader and the status of the reader has never improved so rapidly.It is more flexible than other translation theory which just needs to reach one particular standard.The functional equivalence allows a various diversity appeared in translation.

Nida’ s functional equivalence theory has four principles. The first is to convey the information. And the next one is to express the spirit and style of the original. The third one is to ensure language is fluent and accord with the norm and practice of target language. The last one is to guarantee that the foreign reader has the similar reaction to the translation as the original reader. “In these four principles, Nida believes that meaning is the most important, formal is followed.” (Guo Jianzhong, 2000:67) Only when the translation in accordance with the four principles, can it express clearly with the original meaning.

3. Features of Public Signs

3.1 Definition of Public signs

According to Oxford English Dictionary(2003), “public sign is a characteristic device attached to, or placed in front of an inn or shop, as a means of distinguishing it from others or directing attention to it; in later use it is commonly a board bearing a name or other inscriptions, with or without some ornament or picture.”

In China, there are also many definitions of public signs such as 标志、标识语、公示语 etc. Public signs usually appear in a prominent position to give people an instruction or warnings, such as shops, supermarkets, railway stations, highways, hospitals, schools, restaurants, tourist attractions, a variety of institutions and so on. The public Signs applied and which directly affects every aspect of our lives. “Public signs are a special style that created for a kind of special crowd and to achieve a particular communicative purpose.” (He Xuegeng,2006:57) Professor Lv Hefa defines public signs as “terse and explicit words, sentence, even photographs that are closely related to daily life, production, ecology and professions so as to direct, prompt, restrict, warn or even compel the public.” (Lv Hefa,2005)

From the definition of public signs which we have mentioned above, we find that the application of public signs are so widely. Involving food, accommodation, travel, entertainment and so on. The same as the functions of public signs, which including tips, instructions, directing, warning, service or reference, mandatory and so on. We all know that advertisement and slogan also involves in public signs, therefore, I thought expression, information and infection are also important functions of public signs. And we can give a more comprehensive and simple the definition of public signs as “public signs are the words written for people to know some useful information and the purpose of it is to make the life of people more convenience”.

3.2 Classification of Public Signs

The public signs have many functional features. Directing, prompting, restricting and compelling are the four functions we always talk about. Directing public signs are meaning to convey the information to the public and help the public understand their surrounding environment. Or it just want to draw public attention to their specific situation. It shows the thoughtful information service without any restrictions and compulsory significance. Such as Travel Service, Car Rental, Pet Service, General Hospital, Baby Change.

The prompting public signs are the in formation to guide people to do something in public place. What we need to pay attention is that most of them play a role as warm tips to people, such as “Please ring for assistance”. But some of them always have oblivious warning and reminding features. People always feel confused about this feature and compelling signs. After some researches, we could find these prompting signs usually use in conjunction with caution, warning, danger, beware and other terms to tell people to guard against the potential dangers. In order to avoid the unnecessary loss of life or property. For example, Caution: Mind the step! or Danger: High Voltage.

Compelling public signs, just as its name which implies that someone is strictly forbidden to do something in public. Some common sentence patterns in compelling public signs as “No Noun/Gerund”. For instance, No smoking, No parking, No vendors and so on. However, with the progress of society and the strengthen of cultural awareness, we can see the structure is replaced as “please imperative sentence” in many public places. For example, people write “Thank you for not smoking!” and “Please buy your ticket before you travel, otherwise you may have to pay a Penalty Fare!”

Now, we have learned the four functions. However, I find it difficult to classify them especially for the prompting and compelling. So I also divide public signs into the two forms as standard signs and non-standard signs. Standard public signs, including instructions, tips, alarm, indicating. It contains static signs and dynamic signs. Static pubic signs including service, reference, indicative, directing and warning. Dynamic public signs means the restriction and mandatory.

Non-standard public signs contains the slogans of the enterprise and area and the advertisements of products or activities. Its main function contains information, expression and infection. Also it can be subdivided into nine categories.

1) Chinese name in public places, such as: street, shops, public facilities, state enterprises and institutions;

2) Tourism public signs, including the explanatory words of the map, attractions and landscape of tourist area;

3) Advertisements, which contains billboards, fluid wide, electronic and so on;

4) Slogans;

5) Trademark and brand;

6) The brief of enterprise or company;

7) The instructions of products;

8) Menu;

9) Card, including title, work units, business or service scope.

Standard and non-standard public signs are different both in language features and translation strategies. Only when we make a clear classification of public signs, can we do a better translation of it.

3.3 Language Features of Public Signs

According to the functional features of public signs we conclude, we will find some concepts are very similar. Although the main purpose of public signs is to give us a tip about what we can do or not in our daily life. In this part, the paper will detail the language features of public signs, and it will help us more understand the public signs.

If we pay attention to our surrounding, we will find many public signs are composed with noun. For example, Conference Center, Business Center, Roadwork, Tollgate, Pet Food and Beauty Parlor. As we all know that the function of public signs is to give people a tip so it requires the words must be simple and easy understood. When we have a trip to some place, we can see public facilities and services written the abbreviations . For instance, WC, MCA, Famp;B, VIP Suite and Most ATM Cards. All of these are the abbreviation and succinct.

The most important is to avoid using the obscure words, archaisms, slang and jargon. Because we need to consider the cultural level of general citizen. In addition that the tense of the public must use present tense, for it expresses the present state. Such as Keep Dry, Warning: Shark Sighted and Keep out, Give Way to Buses, Fasten Your Seat Belt and Automatic Door Keep Moving. When we see these public signs, we can understand them quickly and avoid the danger. And it dose not take our much time to read .

4.Translation Problems in Chinese-English Public Signs

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