Guide-interpreters As Culture Disseminators

The present paper attempts to apply the Functional Theories of Translation to the Chinese-English translation of guides' commentaries. Within the framework of Skopostheorie, the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose of the overall translational action. Through the analysis of the text type of guides' commentaries along with the general translation purpose and the translation brief, the author asserts that the E-C translation of guides' commentaries aims at facilitating foreign tourists' understanding of China along with its culture by means of guides' oral presentation. Based upon this purpose, the translator is required to be fully aware of the comprehensive characteristics (informative, expressive and operative) of guides' commentaries and strictly observe the corresponding translation brief and the two major guidelines within the theoretical framework, namely the Skopos rule and the loyalty principle.The author conducts a critical evaluation of the translated guides' commentaries of the Chen Clan Temple in terms of the cultural and linguistic translation problems, with corresponding strategies and improvement enclosed. Following the theoretical and practical analysis, the author proposes two major principles in the C-E translation of guides' commentaries: to be tourist-oriented and aim at promoting Chinese culture. Translated guides' commentaries under the guidance of the two major principles can authentically enable guide-interpreters to be real "envoys of friendship and disseminators of culture".