ABSTRACT

Public signs are widely used and play an increasingly important role in public life. Based on researches of translation of public signs home and abroad, this paper aims to study translation of public signs from the perspective of cross-cultural communication. With public signs in tourist attractions in Zhenjiang and Yangzhou as examples, translation of public signs is analyzed from religion, history, tradition and other different cultural aspects. It is found that, in translating public signs, people pay great attention to collocation, spelling, grammar and other linguistic aspects, but ignore cultural elements, which inevitably resulted in failing to function well in cross-cultural communications. In the end, some suggestions regarding translating public signs from the perspective of cross-culture are put forward. 

Key words: public signs; cross-culture; translation strategy

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-2

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-3

Chapter Three BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF TRANSLATION OF PUBLIC SIGNS-5

3.1 Definition and features of public signs-5

3.2 Functions of public signs-6

3.2.1 Instructing-6

3.2.2 Prompting-6

3.2.3 Restrictive-7

3.2.4 Compelling-7

3.3 Translation of public signs-7

Chapter Four CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES OF TRANSLATION OF PUBLIC SIGNS-9

4.1 Cross-cultural communication-9

4.2 Cross-cultural communication and translation of public signs-10

4.3 Case studies-11

4.3.1 Linguistic convention-12

4.3.2 Cultural factors-13

Chapter Five STRATEGIES FOR SIGN TRANSLATION-16

5.1 Literal translation & free translation-16

5.2 Addition & deletion-17

5.3 Domestication & foreignization-17

5.4 Functional equivalence-18

Chapter Six CONCLUSION-20

REFERENCES-22