公示语汉英翻译中的语用等效分析

An Analysis of Chinese-English Translation of Public Signs from the Perspective of Pragmatic Equivalence

随着汉英公示语的普及,对公示语翻译的研究引起了越来越多的研究者关注。公示语是应用性很强的感召类文本,具有提示、警告、警示、劝导、感染等功能。公示语的翻译重在语用功能对等以及达到与原文相同的交际目的。本文基于语用翻译理论,探讨了公示语翻译中的语用等效现象,指出当前公示语汉英翻译中存在的信息累赘、文化误译、对原文语用意图的曲解以及用词中式思维等问题。译者应在语用等效的前提下,灵活处理原文,使译文地道、自然,符合目标语的语言规范和文化心理。

English translation of public signs has been attracting the attention among the scholars. Public signs be-long to vocative texts, which are used to direct, prompt, warn, persuade or motivate readers. Therefore, translation of public signs should be focused on achieving equivalent pragmatic function and communicative purpose. Based on the pragmatic translation theories, this paper discusses the typical mistranslation of public signs ,＇ including informa- tion redundancy, cultural inappropriateness, misunderstanding of the source version＇ s pragmatic meaning and Chinglish expressions. In translating public signs, translators should render the source text flexibly and the ren-dered version should be natural, idiomatic and culturally appropriate.