| Since the G20 Summit,Hangzhou’s international fame has increased significantly,and the upcoming Asian Games this year also presents a major opportunity for Hangzhou to enhance its international influence.As the primary destination for international tourists visiting Hangzhou,the West Lake Scenic Area serves as a prominent “business card” for the city,directly influencing the perception of international visitors towards Hangzhou.In this context,this study,drawing on the theory of linguistic landscape and taking the bilingual and multilingual signs in the West Lake Scenic Area as the research objects,aims to explore the role of translation landscape in the image building of Hangzhou as an international metropolis.This paper begins by comprehensively organizing and classifying 800 samples collected from photography.Through quantitative statistics and qualitative analysis,it describes the general picture of translation landscape in the West Lake Scenic Area and summarizes the significant achievements and major issues.The research findings reveal that,on one hand,it has the following advantages: extensive and high-quality English translation,multimodal forms and creative design,perfect integration of landscape and local features,and profound educational and social significance.On the other hand,several prominent issues exist,including the disparity between official and private translation landscape,discrepancy between original text and English translation,and insufficiency in timely rectification and maintenance.Furthermore,based on the current status of translation landscape in the West Lake Scenic Area,this paper discusses its role in the image building of Hangzhou as an international metropolis.On one hand,the advantages can contribute to Hangzhou’s image building by showcasing the prosperity of its economy,the diversity of its culture,the harmony of its ecology,and the vitality of its society.On the other hand,the issues may pose risks to Hangzhou’s image building,such as exposing the ineffective enforcement of language policy in private sphere,creating a feeling of disrespect and discrimination,as well as reflecting the irresponsibility of relevant authorities.Finally,in response to the problems identified,this paper proposes the following recommendations: 1)implementing official language policy in the private sphere;2)providing equivalent information for local people and foreign tourists;and 3)performing regular rectification and maintenance.In conclusion,by examining the translation landscape in the West Lake Scenic Area and its role in Hangzhou’s image building as an example,this study aims to provide valuable insights for Chinese cities to better shape their international images in the context of globalization... |
