公示语的语用失误及翻译策略_英语论文

The Pragmatic Failures in the Public Sign Translations

摘要

随着改革开放的不断深入，中国在世界上的影响力越来越大，其与世界各国的交流也越来越频繁。中国的国际形象也越来越受到人们的重视，其中一点便体现在城市形象的建设方面。如今，越来越多的城市公示语开始采用双语来展现其现代化及国际接轨的程度。为此，公示语翻译逐渐受到学界的关注。

目前，我国公示语翻译研究正蓬勃发展，研究成果也层出不穷，这些都为双语公示语的普及做出了很大的贡献。但是，由于公示语具有其独特的文本及功能特点，所以公示语的汉英翻译仍然面临着巨大的困难和挑战。另外，公示语汉英翻译研究也尚显不足，翻译水平有待进一步提高。尤其是公示语汉英翻译过程中出现的大量语用失误现象更是给双语公示语的正确使用增添了很大的困难。

本文基于托马斯的语用失误理论及其分析原则，通过对研究过程中所收集到的双语公示语进行了定量和定性分析，发现汉语公示语英译中很多问题都源于语用失误。比如遗漏某些单词、单词拼写错误、语法错误、逐字翻译，所有这些都无法表达所需要的含义。这种情况源于语用失误。最后，本文提出应对语用失误的相应对策，认为以期望汉英公示语翻译中的语用失误问题能够避免。

关键词：公示语；语用失误；翻译策略

Abstract

With the deepening of the reform and open-up policy, China is gaining more and more influence all over the world. Because of this, China’s international images are drawing increasingly more attention across the world, which, in one respect, is embodied in the construction of the images of the cities. Recently, more and more cities employ bilingual public signs to show the levels of modernization and international development. Thereby, English translations of Chinese public signs arouse more and more concerns in the academic circles.

At present, studies of C-E translation of public signs in our country are booming and the research findings emerge endlessly, which contributes a lot to the popularization of the bilingual public signs. However, due to the peculiar text types and the functions of the public signs, C-E translation of public signs is still faced with great difficulties and challenges. Future studies of C-E translation of public signs are still not enough and the translation skills need improving. Besides, the growing number pragmatic failure appears in the course of C-E translation of public signs. All of these add great troubles to the appropriate use of the bilingual public signs.

This paper, based on Thomas’ Pragmatic Failure Theory (1983) and its analysis principles, conducts both a quantitative and qualitative study on more than one piece of public signs collected in many areas, and finds out more problems in C-E translation of public signs originate from pragmatic failures, such misusing and mispelling some words, syntax errors, and word for word translation, all of which fail to express the desired meanings. The phenomena were due to the pragmatic failures. 

At last, the paper put forward some strategies with the intention that the pragmatic failures in C-E translation of public signs can be avoided completely.

Key words: Public signs; pragmatic failures; translation strategies

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Research Designs 3

2.1 Research Questions 3

2.2 Data Collecting and Research Methodology 4

2.3 Procedures of the Research 5

3 Literature Review 5

3.1 Introduction to Public Signs 5

3.2 Previous Studies at Home and Abroad 6

3.3 Limitations of Previous Studies 9

4 The Theoretical Framework 10

4.1 Introduction to Pragmatic Failures 10

4.2 Classifications of Pragmatic Failures 12

4.3 Causes of Pragmatic Failures in the Language Translation 13

5 Strategies for Avoiding Pragmatic Failures of Public Sign Translations 14

5.1 Techniques in Public Sign Translation 14

5.2 Strategies of Semantic Translation 18

5.3 Strategies of Aesthetics-oriented Translation 19

6 Conclusion 20

References 22