A Study On Strategies Of Public Sign Pragmatic Failures In English Translation

With the development of China and the rise of its international status,as an important part of the social language,the public signs are the first step for foreign friends to get in touch with China.Public signs take such an important position in transmitting information.How to show Chinese excellent culture and international image through public signs becomes the key point of cross-cultural study.English translation of public signs is an integral part of intercultural communication activities guiding people to use different language symbol to communicate with each other,as well as convey information.Due to the uniqueness of language function and the limitation of linguistic form,the relatively special application language system of public signs is not centered on whether the translation can accurately reproduce the original semantic meaning but emphasizes the contagion of the translated public signs,which can enhance a practical effect.It also concentrates on whether it can arouse the reader's intention,cognition and emotion or not.The purpose of the public signs translator is to reproduce or even surpass the effect of the original text.This requires that the pragmatic rules of the two languages are involved in English translation.They form the pragmatic rules of different languages.Therefore,pragmatic failures come into being in translating public signs,pragmatic principles that the target language often encounters the native language or even totally contrary to the situations are different.Based on Jenny Thomas' pragmatic failure theory and functional equivalency theory of Eugene Nida,this paper detected the problem of English translations of public signs like insufficient information and poor function.This thesis is an attempt to apply analysis approach to an exhaustive study of public signs translation in China.Pragmatic failures in English translation of public signs are divided into pragmalinguistic failure and sociopragmatic failure.Combining with the linguistic features of public signs,it is believed that the differences between China and the West in cultural background and thinking pattern are the main reasons for the pragmatic failure of public signs in English translation.Finally,formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence of Functional Equivalence Theory are applied into some strategies.These strategies includ literal translation,free translation and non-translation,which are used to avoid pragmatic failure.Therefore,the pragmatic failures in English translation of public signs could be valued and corrected;likewise the difficulties and challenges in translating public signs could be reduced,too.Chinese culture and international exchanges can be shown from the small window of human environment to the world.Eventually,it will provide impetus and support the realization of the Chinese Dream.In addition,there is still much room for the improvement of the present study,owing to the limitation of the author's understanding about theories.The author hopes that new perspective and new efforts can be added to Public Signs translation.