摘　要

公示语是指在公共场所展示给公众观看的用以表达某种交际目的的特殊中英文文体。中英文公示语在与人们息息相关的日常生活中发挥着传达信息的重要作用，为中国的国际化交流和世界形象的树立提供了一定的保障。中英文公示语逐渐成为中国走向世界的桥梁。简洁、明了、贴切的中英文公示语遍布于全国。它广泛使用名词、动词、动名词、祈使句、缩略图、拼音、文字与图标结合，从而构成了中英公示语独特的语言特点。但是公示语英汉翻译的现状不容乐观，存在着诸多缺憾，例如拼写错误、语法错误、词汇滥用等。规范公示语翻译的策略有很多，诸如采取拿来主义、掌握英汉文化差异等。总而言之，本文对公示语的语言特点及汉英翻译进行了分析和研究。

关键词：公示语；语言特点；翻译
 
Abstract

Chinese-English public signs are words which shown in public places and translated into both Chinese and English. It is a special kind of style capable of fulfilling a certain communicative purpose. The Chinese-English public signs play an important role in people’s daily life which is closely linked to them and bring the useful information to the public. What’s more, the public signs also do a great contribution to the international communication and image of China. Day after day, the Chinese-English public signs have gradually served as a bridge between China and the world. It is not difficult to find that clear, concise and corrective public signs have soon widely used in every corner of China. Public signs always use nouns, verbs, nominal phrases, verbal phrases, imperative sentences, capitalizations, pinyin and words combined with pictures. Thus, public signs are made up of its unique language features. But the translation of public signs is not good enough. There are many problems with the translation of the public signs, such as spelling errors, grammar errors, linguistic translation errors and so on. There are many strategies to avoid those mistakes, such as the way of borrowing, imaging transfer across culture and so on. All in all, this thesis has done a detailed analysis and research on the language features and Chinese-English translation of public signs, and expounded its indispensable role in China’s globalization.

Key words: public signs; language features; translation

1    Introduction
   Public signs are meant to convey useful and necessary information to the public by means of simple words. A public sign can be defined as piece of paper, metal or billboard in a public place with words or drawings on it that provides information or arouses people’s attention. Public sign used to be called “sign”, sign is given various definitions in dictionaries. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s English---Chinese Dictionary, “sign” is defined as “board, noticed, etc that directs sb. towards sth., gives a warning, advertises a business, etc.” In the Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, “sign” refers to “a lettered board or other public display placed on or before a building, room, shop or office to advertise business there transacted or the name of person or firm conducting it”.