学位论文-—从社会符号学论校园公示语翻译英语.doc

编号 200804152008041521

南京航空航天大学金城学院
毕业论文
题 目
On the Translation of Public Signs on Campus from the Perspective of Social Semiotics
从社会符号学论校园公示语翻译

学生姓名
****
学 号
2008041521
学 院
英语系
专 业
英语（商务翻译）
班 级
20080415
指导教师
**** 讲师

二〇一二年五月

南京航空航天大学金城学院
本科毕业设计（论文）诚信承诺书

本人郑重声明：所呈交的毕业设计（论文）（题目：On the Translation of Public Signs on Campus from the Perspective of Social Semiotics）是本人在导师的指导下独立进行研究所取得的成果。尽本人所知，除了毕业设计（论文）中特别加以标注引用的内容外，本毕业设计（论文）不包含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写的成果作品。

作者签名： 年 月 日
（学号）：

毕业论文专用纸

Acknowledgments

Upon the accomplishment of this thesis, I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to many people who have contributed to the implementation and the completion of this thesis.
First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my supervisor, tutor Kong Yan, for her resources, academic direction, continuous feedbacks, and for her understanding and encouragement during the process of my writing this thesis. Without her valuable guidance and constant help, it would be impossible to complete this thesis so successfully.
My heartfelt respect is also extended to my parents. During the period of my thesis writing, they gave the most help in my daily life and encouragement whenever I came to bottlenecks in writing. It was their help that made me confident and get over all troubles.
I also want to give my thanks to my boss and colleges who helped and taught me a lot so that I can have enough time to complete my thesis.

Table of Contents

Abstract i
摘 要 ii
Introduction 1
I. Literature Review 2
A. Definition of Public Signs 2
B. Development of Social Semiotics 3
C. Three Meanings Expressed by Social Semiotics 4
D. Six Functions Expressed by Social Semiotics 5
II. Present Status of Public Signs Translation on Campus 8
A. Merits of Public Signs Translation 8
B. Demerits of Public Signs Translation 9
III. Strategies in Translating Public Signs on Campus 12
A. Translating Referential Meanings 12
B. Translating Linguistic Meanings 13
C. Translating Pragmatic Meanings 13
Conclusion 15
References 16
目录中的Introduction; Conclusion; Appendix 不列入章节排序；
每一标题，如果题目很长，到了第二行，第二行的首字母与该标题第一个字母对齐。

毕业论文专用纸

On the Translation of Public Signs on Campus from the Perspective of Social Semiotics

Abstract

With the frequent academic exchanges between international colleges, more attentions have been put on the translation of campus public signs and on the researches towards the translation strategies. It can not be denied that translation of public signs on campus has been increasingly important. However, the truth is that many nonstandard or poor translations still exist. In consequence, the standardization of translations of campus public signs has become an urgent work.
With regard to the theory closely related to campus public signs translation, social semiotics is considered as the most comprehensive translation theory dealing with signs. And it can help translators to understand and express designative meaning and associative meaning. Consequently, in this thesis, the author intends to explore the C-E translation of public signs from the perspective of social semiotics. Under the guidance of social semiotics, the author will analyze the current situation of public signs translation on campus by using specific examples. Based on the merits and demerits of translations pointed out, the author tends to suggest several translation strategies from three aspects, namely, the referential meaning, the linguistic meaning and the pragmatic meaning.
By displaying the situation of the translation of campus public signs in reality, the author hopes to raise attentions of translators and relevant authorities on the standardization of public signs. As a conclusion, the author has suggested some solutions, with the hope that the quality of public signs on campus will soon be improved through efforts from multi-parties.

Key Words： public signs on campus; translation strategies; social semiotics

从社会符号学论校园公示语翻译

摘 要

随着中外学校之间日益频繁的学术交流，越来越多地，人们开始关注校园公示语的翻译以及公示语翻译策略的研究。校园公示语翻译的重要性也不言而喻。然而事实却是，不规范的公示语翻译依然层出不穷。因此，不断规范和完善校园公示语的翻译就已成为一项亟待完成的工作。
当提到与校园公示语翻译密切相关的一项理论时，社会符号学这一旨在研究符号翻译的理论一向被认为是最全面的。同时，学习社会符号学理论有助于译者理解和表达指称意义及相关意义。因此，在本篇论文中，作者将从社会符号学角度阐释校园汉语公示语的英译。在社会符号学翻译理论的基础上，作者将利用具体实例进行例证，分析校园公示语翻译的现状，指出现今校园内公示语英译的成功与不足之处。随后作者将从指称意义，言内意义及语用意义三方面出发，针对翻译的不足之处提出相应的翻译策略。
作者在本篇论文中展示了真实的校园公示语的翻译现状，以期唤起相关部门、翻译人员对公示语规范工作的重视。在论文的总结部分，作者提出了一些建议，借助于此，希望在译者及公众的共同努力下，校园公示语翻译得以改善。

关键词：校园公示语；翻译策略；社会符号学

正文每一章节都需分页。正文中，每页页码居中，不带翅膀，横线之上。

20

On the Translation of Public Signs on Campus from the Perspective of Social Semiotics

Introduction

Public signs on campus, as products of an increasing exchange of communications between colleges home and abroad, are name cards leaving the first impression on all visitors. Whether the translation of public signs can achieve its original function, will not only affect visitors’ schedules, but also reflect a colleges’ general image. However, the fact is that non-standard translations of public signs are not uncommon on campus.
It was not until the 21st century that public signs translation became a hot issue in the translation area. And a lot of projects were carried out by experts and scholars to deal with the translation strategies. By searching academic papers, researches, and periodicals, the author finds little about public signs on campus, not to mention a certain translation theory applied in translating these signs.
As for the translation of campus public signs, social semiotics approach, as a comprehensive theory, deals with all types of signs and codes, and especially with language as the most comprehensive and complex of all the systems of signs which human employs, and this makes semiotics approach over other approaches to interlingual communication. Accordingly, the author finds social semiotics to be a feasible approach to study the translation of public signs on campus. In this thesis, the author will analyze the translation of public signs on campus based on social semiotics approach.

I. Literature Review

Public signs on campus, as a media to inform the public and display the overall quality, are essential to the images of colleges. Consequently, the definition of public signs should be made clear before starting our research on the current situation of the translation of campus public signs.
As a translation approach, social semiotics theory is considered to be the most comprehensive one and has the most merits. We find that the two disciplines, social semiotics and translation studies, underscore aspects of communication, and both deal with interpretation, manipulation and uses of meanings of signs. Though social semiotics has been adopted in translations, seldom has it been applied in the translation of public signs. Hence, in this thesis, the author would like to explore the social semiotics approach to public signs translation, especially public signs on campus. Hence, it is necessary to introduce what is social semiotics in detail before starting the discussion.
A. Definition of Public Signs
Public signs are also called public notices, slogans, instructions, public directives, etc. According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2001: 1334), a public sign is a piece of paper, metal, or wood in a public place with words or drawings on it that give people information, warning or instructions. In Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary, a public sign means “written or printed news or information, usually displayed publicly” and “a sign is a board, notice that directs somebody towards something, giving a warning, advertises a business, etc” (2001:1406). Mary Snell-Hornby mentions in her book, Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach that “the public directive is a text type restricted to written language, as found in signs and notices displayed for public attention”(Snell-Hornby, 2001: 87). Common knowledge shared by all the definitions above is that public signs should provide certain information and they are written or printed. Hence, to speak in the simplest way, public signs refer to signs that offer information publicly, meanwhile, in a short and brief way, with the intention to inform, direct, prompt or warn the public.
As is implied by the name, public signs on campus refer to signs used on campus. The only difference is the narrowing of the range of the public, including students, teachers and staff members and visitors to colleges. Due to a frequent academic exchange between Chinese and western schools, even foreign visitors have become the target groups. In consequence, to ensure the standardization of public signs on campus is an urgent and arduous task.
B. Development of Social Semiotics
Social semiotics does not appear until the late 20th century. Before the introduction of social semiotics, scholars of western countries had spent years studying another similar theory, namely, semiotics. As a derivation of semiotics, social semiotics requires more study of its origin and its development, which will help us to learn the definition much easier. In the following part of this chapter, the author will introduce them in detail.
1. Semiotics
Semiotics has a very long history and the origin of it can be traced back to the ancient time. Both Plato and Aristotle wrote essays on semiotics. But semiotics, as an independent discipline, only came into being in the late 19th century and early 20th century. A famous linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure, is considered as the founder of modern semiotics. The first person who actually developed semiotics into a science was American philosopher Charles Pierce. He divided semiotics into three branches, namely, pure grammar, logic proper and pure rhetoric (Hatim, 1988: 112). Another American philosopher Charles Morris developed Pierce’s theory of signs further. He regarded semiotics as a comprehensive science about symbolization. According to Morris, semiotics consists three branches -- grammar, semantics and pragmatics. Corresponding to the three dimensions are his three categories of sign meanings, that is, linguistic meaning, referential meaning and pragmatic meaning respectively (Morris, 1971: 87). By then, the definition of semiotics was basically formed.
To conclude, semiotics is the study of signs and sign processes, indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. Semiotics is closely related to the field of linguistics, which, for its part, studies the structure and meaning of language more specifically.
2. Social Semiotics and Social Semiotics Approach
Halliday was the first person who explored the social semiotic nature of language on the basis of Saussure’s idea that language is a social reality systematically. In his opinion, the language is social semiotics (Yang Yiqiu, 2009: 97). And Halliday illustrated the relation between language sign system and social structure. His thoughts laid a solid foundation for the science of social semiotics.
Since there is such a holistic approach to language study, some translators begin to think about how to introduce this method into translation studies. The most influential advocate of social semiotic approach to translation is Eugene A. Nida, a famous American translator of the Bible. Nida regards translation process as a process of communication, which is based on semiotics in his book Toward a Science of Translating (Nida, 1964: 97). Besides, Nida further explores the issues of meaning by adopting a social semiotic approach. He believes that the social semiotic approach can help one to understand and express designative meaning and associative meaning. As far as Nida is considered, the core of the social semiotic approach is Charles Morris’s semiotic approach to meaning and the text cannot be isolated from social context. To sum up, Nida’s works holds that translating is more a social semiotic interaction than merely an activity of verbal communication.
Since then, social semiotics approach is used in translation as Nida pointed out that it was the most comprehensive translation theory with the most merits. Scholars of foreign language learning have furthered the study of translation on the basis of social semiotics. For example, Applying of Semiotics in the Practice of Translation by Wu Jin, A Study of Translation from the Social Semiotics Approach by Yang Huihui, Guidance of Social Semiotics Approach to the Practice of Translation by Yu Fengjun etc, all these works have showed Chinese scholars’ exploration towards social semiotics translation theory (Zhang Wei, 2007: 65).
C. Three Meanings Expressed by Social Semiotics
As what has been discussed above, based on Saussure’s and Pierce’s ideas, Morris classified the relation between signified and signifier into three types and elaborated three kinds of meanings, namely, the referential (or designative) meaning, the linguistic meaning, and the pragmatic meaning, according to grammar, semantics and pragmatics. In the following part of the thesis, the author would like to discuss the three categories of meanings specifically.
1. The Referential (or Designative) Meaning
The referential meaning or designative meaning is built on the relation between a sign and its object. It is the basic meaning of language carried by language signs and is often thought of as “dictionary meaning”(陈宏薇, 1996: 92). It stands for the relation between the sign and the object it signifies, including things and events in the objective and subjective worlds the sign describes.
For example, “Conference Hall(报告厅）” and “No. 1 Student Canteen（学生第一食堂）” , both signs reflect the exact meanings what are supposed by the words on board. The meanings expressed are the referential meanings, that is, the literal meaning.
2. The Linguistic Meaning
Linguistic meaning is built on the relationship between the signs themselves. “Linguistic meaning must be carefully distinguished from other types of meaning, for the linguistic signification of a form does not refer to anything outside of language itself, as does referential meaning or emotive meaning, but rather to the meaningful relations which exist within language.” (彭叶, 2010: 43) Signs including linguistic signs form an integral part of a certain language system. No sign is isolated from each other. They are closely related to each other to produce the meaning.
Examples can be found from many aspects. To state with an example, “No Parking（禁止泊车）” points out that parking is forbidden and punishment may be imposed on anyone who ignores the sign. A deeper understanding of the meaning is usually the linguistic meanin