宁夏旅游景点英文翻译现状研究

【Abstract】With the development of the economy and the improvement of peoples living standards， tourism has become more and more popular. Ningxia， the cradle of the Xixia Empire， has attracted many visitors， too. There being more and more foreign visitors， the English translation in scenic spots is becoming much more significant. However， whenever tourists visit these scenic spots， they will discover that there are many problems existing in the English translations there and the level of the English translation in Ningxia scenic spots needs urgent improvement. In this thesis， the author talks about the problems existing in English translations in Ningxia scenic spots and presents the solutions to these problems.

【Key words】scenic spot； English translation； problem； solution

1. Introduction

With the development of the economy and the improvement of peoples living standards， tourism has become a significant industry in China. Ningxia， the cradle of the Xixia Empire， has attracted many foreign tourists， too. Therefore， more attention should be paid to the English translations in Ningxia scenic spots. However， whenever tourists visit these scenic spots， they will find there are many problems existing in the English translations there and the level of the English translations in Ningxia scenic spots needs urgent improvement.

2. Existing Problems in English Translations in Ningxia Scenic Spots

According to the study， some problems exist in the English translation in Ningxia scenic spots. The problems are listed as follows.

2.1 Multiple Translations of the Name of a Scenic Spot

Multiple translations of the name of a scenic spot refer to the phenomenon that the name of a scenic spot is translated into different English versions， which can be found in many Ningxia scenic spots. These different versions may mislead the foreign tourists， making them think these different versions refer to different places. It will also bring foreign tourists inconvenience when they are visiting.

2.2 Cultural Mistranslation

Cultural mistranslation refers to the improper translation which is led to by the misunderstanding of different culture. Some of the scenic spots are relevant to the traditional historical allusion and mythology， and some contain deeper meaning. Without any understanding of the hidden culture， the translators will definitely make some mistakes while translating. For example， in The Prehistoric Rock Art， the translator translates “龍王” into “ The Dragon King”. However， some western tourists will be confused.endprint

2.3 Over-Translation

Over-translation refers to translators overestimation of foreign tourists understanding of Chinese culture. As is known to everyone， Chinese culture is different from Western culture and there is a cultural blank between Chinese culture and Western culture. Chinese publicity materials in scenic spots contain much cultural background knowledge and traditional Chinese mythology， so translators will make some mistakes when they are translating. For example， in the introductory material of Zhenbeipu Western Studio， the translator translates “风水先生” and “阴阳太极图” into “Feng Shui Master” and “The Yingyang Circle”. After seeing such translations， the foreign tourists can not understand what they are trying to illustrate and will fail to understand the Chinese culture.

3. Solutions to the Problems

In order to solve the existing problems in Ningxia scenic spots translations， some solutions are put forward.

3.1 Standardizing the English Translation of Scenic Spots Names

The translation of names in scenic spots， which has an effect on the first impression of tourists， is an important part in the translations of publicity materials in scenic spots. There are two principles that translators should follow when they are translating. Firstly， the translation should be in accordance with foreign tourists language habit. Secondly， the translation should transmit Chinese culture to foreign tourists. Generally speaking， there are two translation techniques in translating scenic spots names. They are transliteration and free translation.

Firstly， transliteration is a passive translation technique through which translators translate the materials according to the pronunciation. In the English translations in Ningxia scenic spots， the English translations of some scenic spots names are not standardized. For example， “六盘山” is translated into “The Liupan Mountain” and “The Liupanshan Mountain”. According to the first principle， the translation should agree with foreign tourists language habit and “The Liupanshan Mountain” is better.

Secondly， free translation is a translation technique which is often used in C-E translation. Free translation can keep the original culture and provide foreign tourists with a visualized image of the scenic spot. Besides， it also helps transmit the hidden culture of the scenic spot. For example， “臉谱人面像”， a spot in “The Prehistoric Rock Art”， is translated into “Abstract Image of Human Faces”. This is a good translation.endprint

3.2 Considering Cultural Background

Not only should English translation in scenic spots overstep the language barriers， but also it has to span the cultural gap. Chinese culture is different from western culture and Ningxia， where the Hui nationality lives， attracts many foreign tourists by its special regional features and traditions. Therefore， foreign tourists want to learn more about the culture when they are visiting. As a result， translators should pay attention to religious belief. Religion is a special form and component of culture. Religious culture， which is made up of religious belief and religious consciousness， also has its own ethnic and regional features. For example， “圣像壁” in The Prehistoric Rock Art is translated into “Engravings of Deities”. As is known to everyone， Deity is the literary form of God. In the introduction of the scenic spot， people get to know that “圣像” here refers to sixty human images and thirty signs which are regarded as the totems of the tribe. Therefore， “圣像壁” should be translated into “Engravings of Totems”.

3.3 Supplying Explanatory Translation

Explanatory translation is a translation technique which adds some information to explain the knowledge that is difficult to be understood by foreign tourists. It is necessary to explain some information and supply important cultural background knowledge.

When visiting， tourists will find that many historical events are involved in the introduction materials in Ningxia scenic spots. By supplying the historical background knowledge of the events， such as the time and meaning， the foreign tourists will have a better understanding of the scenic spot. For instance， “黨项族” is mentioned in the introductory materials in Xixia Mausoleum for many times， and the translator translates it into “Dangxiang” by transliteration. As every Chinese knows， “党项族” is a minority nationality in ancient China and doesnt exist now， but almost all foreign tourists have no idea about it. Therefore， when translating it， the translator should supply the explanation and translate it into “Dangxiang （one of the ancient minorities lived in the Northwest of China which is disappeared now）” so that foreign tourists will know more about it.

4. Conclusion

For foreign tourists， English translations in scenic spots are considered as a signboard， so the level of English translations there plays a significant role in increasing the popularity of the scenic spot， attracting more foreign tourists and encouraging the development of the scenic spot. However， there exist so many problems in the English translations in Ningxia scenic spots， which prevents these scenic spots from developing. The problems need solving urgently.endprint

To improve the level of English translation in Ningxia scenic spots， translators should have good understanding of the source text， especially the cultural knowledge， and pay attention to the differences between Chinese and English. In addition， translators should master the translation techniques well so that they will do a good job when translating the publicity materials in scenic spots. Through translators effort， the English translation in Ningxia scenic spots will be better and better and Ningxia scenic spots， with special natural scenery and colorful cultural landscape， will attract more and more foreign tourists.

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【基金项目】2015年度宁夏大学新华学院科学研究基金项目“宁夏旅游景点英文翻译现状的研究”（项目编号：14XHKY20）。

作者简介：吕春敏（1988.2-），女，汉族，宁夏银川人，硕士，宁夏大学新华学院助教，研究方向为翻译理论与实践。endprint