International Publicity Material Translation:A Discourse Integration Perspective

Shenyang University,Liaoning,China Email:izhouhailin@126.com

[Abstract]This paper discusses about the discourse integration strategy’s application in international publicity material translation.As an important translation strategy,discourse integration empowers the translated text to be readable,acceptable to the readers who live in a completed different cultural background.Restructuring the text,cultural default compensation and focusing on the acceptability of the text are three main ways to realize the high-quality international publicity material translation.

[Keywords]publicity material;translation;discourse integration;publicity effect

Introduction

International publicity material plays a significant role in image-building,product-promoting and soft power reinforcing.The translation of international publicity material requires the translators to output the translation text not only grammatically correct but also reaching excellent publicity effect.Because of the great difference between Chinese and English discourses,the readers’cultural background,reading habits are different.The translators should take that into consideration and always keep in mind that the publicity material cannot be translated mechanically,which will bring tremendous trouble in reading to the foreign readers.The translators should adopt the strategy of discourse integration,making the English text acceptable and readable.To realize this,the translators should restructure the whole text generally,apply the cultural default compensation strategy,and focus on the acceptability of the text.These three means of discourse integration can greatly improve the quality of the translation text,empowering the readers better understand and accept the international publicity material,and the Chinese text writers better convey their ideas.By restructuring the whole text,making some rearrangements about the main parts,the translators can output the English text that is friendly to readers,adapt to the reading habits.By applying the cultural default compensation strategy,the information unfamiliar to the foreigner readers who live in a complete cultural background is either compensated in the text or explained in the notes,such strategy can help in making smooth English text for the readers.By focusing on acceptability of the text,the translators can make some necessary changes about the source language text in order to make the target readers better understand the English text,to create a barrier-free context,further improving the publicity effect of the international publicity material.

International Publicity Material Translation

With the development of globalization,especially since the reform and opening up in China,governments in all levels,companies,institutions,schools and etc.pay special attention to international publicity.It is an effective way to make connections with and cooperate with the world,letting themselves be better known and telling their own stories.Also,the international publicity can improve the country’s image,discourse power in the global level and further promote the country’s soft power universally.The Chinese stories,voices and culture go global via translation,the discourse system with Chinese characteristics can be perfected(Pan & Yang,2019).In order to realize all these purposes,proper and high-quality translation of international publicity materials is highly expected.International publicity translation is a special kind of translation.It refers to a communicative activity that uses Chinese as the information source,English and other foreign languages as the carrier,the media as the channels and the foreigners as the publicity objectives(Zhang,2016).Such translation of international publicity materials can remove the communication barriers and misunderstandings,making the target readers better informed.In this way,the international publicity material can reach positive transmission effect,which is helpful for image-construction,business promotion and soft power consolidation.

In the process of publicity material translation,the foreign readers’acceptance levels are the key for the translators to bear in mind.If the publicity material is translated“word to word”,or translated mechanically,without thinking about the foreign readers’acceptance levels,then the background information about Chinese culture and the unique expressions in Chinese cannot be understood by the target readers.That will greatly influence the publicity effect of international publicity material.So proper strategies should be adopted in the process of translating the publicity material with the aim of outputting high-quality translation.The difference in culture,especially the difference between eastern and western cultures,makes people in different cultural backgrounds have different perception for the events or ideas in the same news(Zhang,2013).Discourse integration serves to solve this problem,it is an important means for translating international publicity material.It refers to the integration of ideas and discourses,it is a translation strategy adopted for target readers’reading and thinking habit(Zeng,2018).It provides effective strategies in the translation process.With all these strategies applied,the quality of translation can be assured that the intended meanings of source language can be expressed properly and the transmission effect can be reached that the translators can get the information conveyed effectively.

Discourse Integration in International Publicity Material Translation

General Restructuring of the Text

Chinese and English are two completely different discourse systems.While the same contents in Chinese and English texts have corresponding relationship,the process of translation is absolutely not translating Chinese into English word by word without any change.The Chinese text structure,expression ways that are suitable for Chinese readers may not be acceptable for English readers.The structures and expression methods in the two languages are diverse,and the foreign readers cannot well perceive the English text with the Chinese-style structure and expression methods.It is necessary to integrate the Chinese language with English language without changing the basic facts,making the translated text readable and acceptable.It is also necessary for the translators to get to know about the whole source text before translation or have deep discussion with the source text writers about the information they intend to convey.In this way,the translators can better know about the core facts of the source text and be influenced the least by the structure of it.

With knowing about the basic facts,the translators can restructure the text according to the target readers’reading habits and acceptance level in order to reach the best effect of transmission.A case in point is the English version introduction of Shanghai International Studies University(shorted as SISU).It has close connection with the Chinese version translation in terms of sections of the text and basic facts of the university.However,the English version is restructured compared with the Chinese version text,which is shown in the following.First,in the English version text,there are seven parts which is the same with those of the Chinese version text.But,the seven parts are not completely corresponding,compared with the Chinese version,there is one part missing and one new part in the English version text.This shows that the general structure is subtly changed during the translation process for the purpose of better conveying the information.Second,the number of words in the Chinese text is more than 4000,while the number of words in the English text is around 1000.The striking difference shows that there are some contents in the Chinese text are not selected in the English text.This is the basic action for restructuring,because some contents in the Chinese text are not suitable for English readers for the unique expression methods in Chinese.What is acceptable for the Chinese readers,for example,the four-character expression,abstract description,the constant use of a series of verbs,is not suitable for English readers.For instance,in the Chinese introduction of SISU,there are sentences that are long and employ many verbs in just one sentence.In the corresponding English version,the translators did not translate such sentences word by word.Rather,the translators altered the sentences by highlighting the key points,dividing the long Chinese sentences into two or more English sentences on the basis of keeping the basic facts.

The Application of Cultural Default Compensation Strategy

Cultural default refers to omission of the shared cultural background information when the writer communicates with the target readers(Wang,2012).For the reason that Chinese readers share the same Chinese cultural background,it is not necessary to explain the shared information.Nevertheless,considering about different cultural backgrounds of the English and Chinese readers,the translators should first identify what information in the text needs cultural compensation.That is to identify the parts that foreign readers may have trouble understanding because of different cultural backgrounds.Then in the process of translation,the translators should treat the parts that need compensation either by explaining in the text or adding notes.By doing so,the two different discourses can be well integrated,which is beneficial for the foreign readers.

a few examples can serve to explain the application of cultural default compensation strategy.In Chinese text there is information about a meeting“preparatory meeting of the Seventh CPC National Congress”.Such expression can be perfectly acceptable for the Chinese readers,for the reason that the Chinese readers know at least that the meeting was held before reform and opening up period.However,for foreign readers,there is no concept of the meeting,especially when it was held.So,the translators make compensations about in the English text by adding the time of the meeting,what the foreign readers see is“preparatory meeting of the Seventh CPC National Congress in 1945”.Another example of cultural default compensation is the expression“the awareness of keeping in line”.For the Chinese readers,this expression can be only in the political discourse however it may seem to be in the military discourse.But for foreign readers,it is not easy for them to understand it that way.The translators added some information in order to make this expression easy understood for foreign readers“the awareness of keeping in line with the Party Central Committee”.By adding“with the Party Central Committee”,the cultural background information is compensated,making the foreign readers know this is an expression in terms of politics.Also,when the expression“Yan’an Rectification Movement”appears in the Chinese text,the Chinese readers have no difficulty in reading and understanding it as one concept of the sentence.The translators did not compensate the meaning in the text,like what has done with the expression“the awareness of keeping in line”.Rather,the translators explained the“Yan’an Rectification Movement”in the note,with details explained in nearly 100 words at the back of the article.By doing so,the foreign readers are not interrupted by the explanation of this very expression because of the length of it.The examples above show that by compensating the necessary information,the discourse integration is realized and the quality of publicity material is guaranteed.

In some cases,there is no need to compensate the cultural background information.The publicity materials aim to convey the information for the target readers,if some information is irrelevant and not necessary for the readers to know,there is no need to compensate the information.If all the information that is hard to understand for foreign readers is compensated in English text,the readers will have difficulty in finding the key points in the ocean of information.At the same time,the quality of publicity materials and the effect of transmission will be largely affected.For example,in SISU’s Chinese introduction,there is detailed information about the historical development of the university,like the different names the university has used.But,in English introduction,all the information about the school’s historical development is shorted in three words“throughout its history”.For the foreign readers,there is no need to know about the detailed names of the university in different times.These things are what the foreign readers need not to know.So,for the translators,they should be clear about the aim of the international publicity materials,have a thorough understanding of the Chinese text and omit the parts that are not the core information.

Focus on the Acceptability of the Text

When writing the Chinese text,what the writers have to focus on is the writing itself,just convey the information in Chinese,not to take any other things in consideration.The Chinese text features in flowery languages,with figure of speeches in the text for the readers to grasp the main idea or information.In the Chinese text,it is quite common that some cultural background information,like the quotation of some ancient poems,appears in the text.This is acceptable for the Chinese readers considering the reading and writing habit developed since early age.However,for the English readers,they either do not understand such information or have any systematic concept for that in the English discourse.If the English text they read is full of such information,the readers would have doubts about the credibility of the text,not considering it as text.In this way,it is undoubtedly necessary for the translators to focus on the acceptability of the English text.

In some sense,the Chinese text is just the writing material for the international publicity material translators.Most of the foreign news is edited and then translated rather than mechanical translation of the whole text(Xu,2017).The translators can and must make some necessary changes about the Chinese text without altering the basic facts.What the Chinese readers read and what the English counterparts read are the articles that having different expression styles but having the same core meanings.Some examples from can serve to support this.In Chinese,there is an idiom,literally with the meaning of“Being far away from the emperor,living in the distant mountainous area”.This Chinese expression vividly shows a picture about a person who is far away from the supervision can do whatever he wants.The Chinese readers have no problem in understanding the metaphorical meaning of the expression which forms a picture when hearing it.Such picture comes only from the specific Chinese culture,the Chinese language discourse.Nevertheless,it is confusing for the English readers who do not have so much Chinese cultural background to have a picture formed in mind or fully understand this expression.Also they may have questions about why there is an emperor,why have to be the mountainous area.In the English text,the translators integrate the two discourses by explaining this expression in a way easy for foreign readers’understanding:“In many counties far away from the center,high-level supervision is distant”.Here,the translators use the word“center”instead of“emperor”,using the actual meaning to replace the metaphorical meaning; also they use the word“distant”to replace the figurative expression“mountainous area”,giving the foreign readers clear concept in mind with these well-accepted words.Also,in the Chinese text there is a metaphor indicating something simple,literally“beef stewed with potato”,which is a common dish in China.The translators change it to“a meal of goulash”,which is quite familiar to the English readers.By subtly changing the name of different dishes,the translators have improved the acceptability of the English text and make the text smooth in reading.

Focusing on the acceptability of the international publicity material translation can effectively convey the information and ideas.The reader-oriented material is friendly to the readers,has high credibility among the readers.The translators should realize this point and make necessary changes about the parts that are unfamiliar to the foreign readers or make them frowned,making the two discourses integrated.

Implications and Conclusion

In the international publicity material translation,the translators should focus on discourse integration,for the reason that it is a strategy that can be applied to output the acceptable,readable foreign text.Without considering the difference in the two discourses,without any integration in the process of translating,just simply translating the Chinese text mechanically word to word,sentence to sentence,the English text will not be well accepted,and the information and ideas conveyed by it will not be reach their publicity effects neither.

The three methods of discourse integration,namely,general restructuring of the text,cultural default compensation and focusing on the acceptability of the text can greatly empower the translators in the whole process of translation,making the text friendly,readable and acceptable.Chinese and English texts are not completely corresponding,the structure of Chinese text cannot stay unadjusted when being translated in English text.It needs generally restructuring in order to make the English text more readable.Foreign readers live in a cultural background that is quite different from the Chinese one.When there is something loaded with Chinese cultural information which is familiar to the Chinese readers,the translators have to make cultural default compensation in order to specifically convey the information.Also,it is not necessary to make any cultural compensation when the information is not the core facts.Translators should focus on the acceptability in that if some expressions are not properly dealt with,the English readers will not completely understand or be confused about the expressions translated literally.With all these discourse integration strategies in the translation process,the quality,publicity effect of international publicity material will be guaranteed,the acceptability and credibility of the material will be promoted.

The construction of the discourse system that integrates China and foreign countries should be the shared goal of the Chinese text writers and translators(Zhou,2015).The international publicity material,as the concrete implementation of that construction,is vital for information and ideas conveying.The application of discourse integration strategy in the translation of it greatly helps output the translation text that is reader-oriented,making the publicity effect satisfactory.The translators should pay attention to discourse integration strategy and with its help,make the translation text as perfect as possible.