On Translation Of Public Signs From Chinese Into English: A Relevance Perspective

With China's entering into the World Trade Organization, the translation of Chinese-English (hereafter referred as C-E) public signs is an important part of building a good international language profile as well as a window for English native speakers to better know China. However, inappropriate translation of public signs from Chinese into English (hereafter referred to as TPSCE) may fail to serve convenience for English native speakers, and to some extent, tarnished Chinese international language environment and image. In addition, as the 29th Olympic Games was held in Beijing , 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai and 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou are drawing near, which has attracted the unprecedentedly enormous influxes of English native speakers into China and more English native speakers will come to China. Attention is increasingly paid attention to TPSCE. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt an appropriate way to translate C-E public signs for better understanding and providing convenience for English native speakers in China.This thesis draws on Sperber&Wilsion's Relevance Theory as the theoretical foundation. Relevance theory can be used to guide the analysis of public signs translation from Chinese into English and to ensure the feasibility and acceptance of TPSCE under the particular linguistic, cognitive and communicative context of C-E public signs. From relevance theory perspective, the study reaches a conclusion that the optimal relevance of public sign translation should be optimal relevance of both translator and reader.Chapter one is introduction. Chapter two is literature review of public signs. It discusses the concept of public sign, the function of public signs, namely, directing, restricting, prompting and compelling; the characteristic of public sign, namely, conciseness, clearness and simple word, conventionalization, combining of words and symbols or images, use of abbreviation, use of commands and imperative sentences, use of nouns and noun phrases. Chapter three explains relevance theory and relevance-based model of translation. At first, the author reviews relevance and optimal relevance, context and mutual cognitive environment, ostensive-inferential communication and communicative success, in addition, translation as an interpretive resemblance of source text, translation as act of cross-cultural communication, translation as a process of transferring optimal relevance. Chapter four and five are the main part of this thesis. It discusses inappropriateness at syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and other levels TPSCE, the possibility of relevance theory for TPSCE, the significance of relevance theory on reader of C-E public signs, the significance of relevance theory to translator of C-E public signs. The last chapter is conclusion that the optimal relevance of public signs translation should be optimal relevance of both translator and reader.