论外宣翻译的译者主体性

摘 要

随着中国的改革开放,作为世界认识中国的媒介，对外宣传材料的翻译变得越来越重要。现阶段对外宣传材料的翻译研究也呈多角度多层次发展。但是长期以来，对外宣传材料的翻译在传统的翻译研究观念“忠实”“对等”的束缚下，着重于语言层面的转换分析,是一种静态的文本分析，几乎完全忽视了译者的主观能动作用。本论文将以关联理论作为理论框架，从认知角度外宣翻译中译者的主体性进行研究，从把翻译看作明示推理的过程在动态语境中找出各种信息之间的最佳关联，对真实交际意图做作出推理，从而能够全面、科学的阐释话语理解，然后从相关理论书籍、报刊杂志、网络资源以及社会生活中的热点进行收集一些常见的外宣翻译举例分析,达到外宣翻译的目的。

关键词：译者；主体性；外宣；翻译

ABSTRACT

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The foreign publicity translation has been becoming more and more important with China?s further integration with other members in the world. The research on foreign publicity translation in current stage enjoys a tendency to develop in a multi-angle and multi-level way. However, in the long past few years, being limited within the “Loyalty” and “Equivalence”, the study on foreign publicity translation focuses on the analysis and transformation of languages from linguistic surface, which is a kind of static analysis. Moreover, the research on subjectivity of translators has been often ignored, especially in foreign publicity translation.

Under the framework of Relevance Theory, this thesis studies the subjectivity of the translator in foreign publicity translation from the cognitive perspective. As a cognitive theory, Relevance theory stresses the importance of “man”. Translator always plays an indispensable role in comprehending, interpreting, rendering the source text. The writer will collect various foreign publicity materials to find the Optimal Relevance among various information, infer and understand true communicative intention, in a overall and scientific way.

Key words：translator; subjectivity; foreign publicity; translation

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Content

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 2. Foreign publicity translation ........................................................................................... 2 2.1 The definition of foreign publicity translation ................................................................. 2 2.2 The characteristics of foreign publicity translation .......................................................... 2 3. The translator’s subjectivity ........................................................................................... 4 3.1The definition of the subjectivity of the translator ............................................................ 4 3.2 The Significance of Translator?s Subjectivity .................................................................. 4 4. Relevance Theory ............................................................................................................. 6 4.1 A general introduction of Relevance Theory ................................................................... 6 4.2 Principle of Relevance ..................................................................................................... 6 4.2.1 Cognitive Principle of Relevance Cognitive ................................................................. 7 4.2.2 Communicative Principle of Relevance ........................................................................ 7 4.2.3 Optimal Relevance ........................................................................................................ 8 5. The subjectivity of the translator for foreign publicity translation under the framework of relevance theory ........................................................................................... 9 5.1 The subjectivity of the translator in the first ostensive-inferential Communication. ....... 9 5.2 The subjectivity of the translator in the second ostensive-inferential communication .. 10 6. The problems and strategies in foreign publicity translation from the two ostensive-inferential communication processes ............................................................... 11 6.1 Inaccurate comprehension of the ST .............................................................................. 11 6.2 Translator?s incompetence in rendering of the TT ......................................................... 12 6.3 Strategies ....................................................................................................................... 14 6.3.1 Reconstructing............................................................................................................. 14 6.3.1.1 The restructuring of titles ......................................................................................... 14 6.3.1.2 The restructuring of discourse patterns .................................................................... 15 6.3.2 Addition ....................................................................................................................... 17 6.3.2.1 The addition to cultural and historical background .................................................. 18 6.3.2.2 The addition to political writing and economic phrases .......................................... 19 6.3.3 Omission ..................................................................................................................... 20 7. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 22 Acknowledgements ............................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。 References ........................................................................................................................... 22

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1. Introduction

While the world is getting smaller and smaller, the relationship between different countries becomes more and closer. China, in which people from different parts in this ever smaller global is working as an essential member, doing her best to create a friendly and harmonious contact with all other nations. Therefore, foreign publicity and its translation are of vital importance. With the efforts of the governments and various kinds of other organizations, foreign publicity translation enjoys a boom in recent years. Under the framework of Relevance Theory, this paper studies the subjectivity of the translator for foreign publicity translation from the cognitive perspective. As a cognitive theory, Relevance Theory stresses the importance of “man”. Translator always plays an indispensable role in comprehending, interpreting, and rendering the source text. Besides, under dynamic context, this paper regards translation as two ostensive-inferential communication process, finding the Optimal Relevance among various information, infer and understand true communicative intention, in an overall and scientific way.

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2. Foreign publicity translation

Foreign publicity translation means the foreign publicity translation being translated into another language by the translator. And these materials cover various kind of fields, such as social, political, cultural aspect. As foreign publicity translation is meant for external output, it can be regarded as a “window” to China?s interaction with other members in the international community. In order to present a good foreign publicity translation version, the translator must keep in mind the characteristics of foreign publicity translation. The translation should be targeted to the foreign readers, showing the communicative intention and the connection between publicity and politics, besides, ensuring it is positive.

2.1 The definition of foreign publicity translation

As the name implies, foreign publicity translation refers to the translation, both as a product and as a process, of foreign publicity materials. Publicity, according to Webster?s New World College Dictionary, carries the meaning of “any information, promotional material, etc. which brings a person, place, product or cause to the notice of the public” and the definition extends into “the work or business of preparing and disseminating such material”. Chinese foreign publicity can be considered as the spread and promotion of information concerning Chinese issues through the means of mass media, such as books, newspapers, broadcasting, television, the Internet, and international conferences etc. to foreign countries

[1]1

.With China?s tremendous

development and opening-up, almost every field needs foreign publicity, so foreign publicity translation is a bridge or a tool for China?s communication with the outside world.

2.2 The characteristics of foreign publicity translation

First, foreign publicity translation should be target-reader oriented. Eugene A. Nida insisted that the reader of a translated text should be able to comprehend it to the point

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that they can conceive of how the original readers of the text can understand and appreciate it [2]118.The reader of Foreign publicity materials is “foreigners and overseas Chinese who don?t know China but are interested in China”, and through reading the materials they can get as much as information. Thus readers can build a positive image of China and are willing to exchange and interact with other members in the world.

Besides, some pre-treatments should be done to meet the needs of the foreign readers, due to the different cultural backgrounds, values and thinking patterns between English and Chinese.

Second, foreign publicity translation enjoys a communicative nature. It is “an intentional communication carried out by a source to change the attitudes of audience members” [3]22. The reader is not only captive or passive receivers of the translation but also participator of this give-and-take process. This process is not a monologue of the translator, but a dialogue between the communicator and receiver.

Third, there is a close relationship between external publicity and politics. On one hand, foreign publicity materials must be accord with the country?s politics; and on the other hand, foreign publicity, when it functions in a good way, help exert a good and profound influence on the image and status of one country.

Fourth, publicity materials are always positive publicity translation. It is natural every country wants to set up a good and objective image rather than a poor or arrogant image in the whole world.

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3. The translator’s subjectivity

The translator is the subject of the translation. Under the prerequisite of respecting the original text, the translator has to meet the needs of target culture to realize the purpose of translation. He embodies his subjectivity in his self-conscious awareness, humane quality and aesthetic creativity when selecting the text, the purpose of the culture and translation methods. The significance of the translator?s subjectivity is definite. Because it is important in understanding the nature , the process, criticism and disciplinary development of translation.

3.1The definition of the subjectivity of the translator

Subject, a philosophical term, is defined as the one that has the capacity to perceive and practice[3]52-53.Translator?s subjectivity refers that, as the subject of translation, in order to realize the goal of translation, the translator would take advantage of his subjective initiative with the prerequisite of respecting the source version[4]22. The main feature of translator?s subjectivity is the awareness of the cultural consciousness, human character, and cultural and aesthetic creativity [4]22. Based on various materials collected, the translator?s subjectivity in this thesis refers to the subjectivity application of the translator shown in the translation process; it is featured by initiative, objectivity, as well as creativity capacity. Specifically, it consists of the translator?s cultural awareness, aesthetic assessment, and creativity ability, etc. That is to say, the subjectivity in translation denotes the subjectivity and inter-subjectivity of all subjects containing the translator, the author and the readers [4]19-24.

3.2 The Significance of Translator’s Subjectivity

The present research on the translator?s subjectivity prevailing in translation studies is of great significance in several aspects. It plays an indispensable role in exploring the essence, process, criticism and disciplinary construction of translation and

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is to be specifically analyzed as follows:

Firstly, the status of the translator?s subjectivity is significant in understanding the essence of translation. The translator?s subjectivity has crucial meaning in the cognition of the essence of translation. The development of the translator?s subjectivity is related to the development of translation theory and practice. Translation can be seen as a kind of selective activity, in which the translator uses a language to express the meaning of another language. It is obvious that the further study of the translator?s subjectivity will hasten the new cognition of the essence of translation.

Secondly, the study of the translator?s subjectivity will help to deepen the new exploration of the whole translation process. We regard the translator as the manipulator of translation and translation as a creative representation requiring the translator?s subjectivity. Yuan Li said that In fact, when we do not linger to interpret translations in the translated text as the shadows that are equivalent to the source text, but to regard the translated text as a self-efficient product as a result of series of shifts and amendments on the basis of the translator?s own aesthetic orientation and the historical context, it comes immediately that we are confronted with the issue of the translation subjectivity and the corresponding space to exert such subjectivity[5]402. So there comes the key point of translation studies: the process of translation can?t be explored without the study of the relationship between the translator and other elements.

Thirdly, the study of the translator?s subjectivity can provide new perspectives and development for translation criticism. The subject of translation criticism is not only the original work and the readers, but also the translator and the environment he lives in as well as some other elements. There is complementary relationship between these subjects despite of the different function they posses. But translation criticism makes the subjective factors of the translator outstanding, and the study of the translator in turn provides meaningful materials and new principles for translation criticism.

Fourthly, the study of the translator?s subjectivity can provide methodological instruction for the development of translatology and other disciplines. Because we also study the translator?s subjectivity from the inter-subjectivity of all subjects in translation. When science and social science are combined as one discipline based on practice, we can never treat translatology separated with other disciplines, but dependent on the methodology used in social and natural science.

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4. Relevance Theory

Relevance Theory points that human language communication involves the informative intention and communicative intention and ostensive-inferential process. That is, the speaker expresses to deliver the information , and the listener infers the intention of the speaker to reach an conclusion, The key to successful communication is find out the optimal relevance according to the cognitive and communicative principles of Relevance.

4.1 A general introduction of Relevance Theory

Relevance Theory is presented by Sperber and Wilson and it is based on cognitive pragmatics. In human communication, people can understand the meaning of utterance mostly depending on relevance. Relevance, as a core notion in Relevance Theory, is defined by Sperber and Wilson like this: An assumption is relevant in a context if and only if it has some contextual effects in that context [6]125.Among so many details of speech and behaviors, people tend to put their attention on the information that is maximal relevance and mostly worthy to take their time to handle. Between the reader?s cognitive environment and the communicator?s cognitive environment, people can find more relevance with less processing effort and more context effect. Later the influence of Relevance Theory is beyond the field of pragmatics. Sperber and Wilson?s student Gutt finished his dissertation Translation and Relevance which studies a new field of translation phenomena and shows how they can be connected under the relevance theoretic

framework.

Relevance

Theory

regards

translation

a

dynamic

ostensive-inferential interpretation of the primitive language.

4.2 Principle of Relevance

When translating, the translator needs to try his best make close to the understanding about the intention of the original writer with his own language

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competence and inferential ability, that is, looking for the optimal relevance through the source text and the context. Also, the translator must be aware of the cognitive environment he is in, and achieve the successful communicative intention under the communicative principle.

4.2.1 Cognitive Principle of Relevance

Principle is a reasonable explanation of human cognition which is about basic human assumption psychology. Sperber & Wilson relevance, also the First Principle of formulate a cognitive principle of Relevance: Human cognition tends to be geared to the maximization of relevance [6]58.

It?s known that the aim of the human cognitive system is to effectively correct and improve the cognitive environment of the individual. According to Sperber and Wilson, the individual receive and analyze the information according to the total cognitive environments in which he is in, all the facts that are clear to him. That is the way his physical environments functions and he also uses his cognitive abilities to receive and infer in this process. Thus the cognitive environment consists of not only all the facts that he is aware of, but also all the facts that he is capable of becoming aware of, in his physical environments [6]5.

4.2.2 Communicative Principle of Relevance

Translation is a communication activity. So does the foreign publicity translation under the framework of Relevance Theory. Communicative principle of Relevance is meant for the optimal relevance for which people seek in this communication process. Sperber and Wilson argues that a rational communicator must intend the stimulus she uses to appear relevant enough to the addressee to attract his attention and make him willing to spend the effort needed for comprehension[6]260. In making the speech, the communicator is expected to gain a certain amount of relevance on the side of the audience and the audience is willing to spare their processing efforts so as to interpreting

communicator?s

informative

and

communicative

intentions.

Communicators audiences are assumed by Sperber and Wilson as rational, and a rational audience will not expect there?s no more relevance than the communicator is willing and able to reach. And point of expecting the communicator to give information she doesn?t posses or produce a stimulus she is unable to come to mind at that time. So

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the subjectivity must involve in the foreign publicity translation. For example:

ST: 禁止在馆内酗酒、斗殴、赌博、吸毒、卖淫、传播和放映淫秽、迷信的书画、录像等违法活动。

TT: No drunken brawls, gambling, drug taking and prostitution are allowed in the hotel, nor should any pornographic or superstitious books and pictures be circulated. Pornographic cassettes or video tapes are strictly forbidden.

We can see the Chinese in some public places, and Chinese people get familiar with these rules and regulations. But it seems difficult acceptable to foreigners. It is too rigid and harsh, and may make people scared .So the translator should have a subjective pre-treatment of the ST in order to be aware of the different cultural background between the internal publicity and the external publicity. We should translate it in a more gentle way, like a warm warning. My translation version should be like:

TT: Please behave yourself by not drinking, gambling, drug, prostituting, or circulating any pornographic or superstitious books and pictures.

Second, the proper names such as name of people, name of place, company, and organization have fixed English expression. Those proper names are not replaced by other expressions. If we are lack of the lexical information in target language, those errors often happen. For example,“商务部”in the United States was translated from English: “Department of Commerce” If we translated it according to the word, we will have many versions. The foreigner will be confused what the exact one we are talking about. “廉政公署” is a name of organ in Hong Kong. It belongs to proper name which can be changed freely. Since the Hong Kong people name it “The Independent Commission against Corruption”, we have no right to change it. [11]79.

Third, there is different logic in different languages and cultures. So when the translators make the inference, they have to bear the logic of target language and culture in mind. Otherwise the audiences of the target language will get confused.

ST: 推进义务教育均衡发展，/加快课程体系改革和招生考试制度改革，/不断加强教师队伍，提高基础教育整体水平。

TT: More support will be given to education promote balanced development of compulsory education. / We will push for curriculum and examination-based enrollment secondary school students. / We will continuously improve the competence of teachers and upgrade the overall level of primary education.

In Chinese, we tend to use one verb in one sentence, and the structure is

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parallelism. While in English, there many more than one forms of verbs and the structure is clear in different levels. Otherwise, Chinese always depend on context when expressing, which is different for English depending on correlative words. So a better translation can be given to the above example:

TT: To improve the overall quality of basic education, we will take various measures, such as promoting the balanced development of compulsory education, accelerating reforms of curricula and entrance examinations, as well as improving the skills of teachers.

6.3 Strategies

When confronted with the above problems, there is an urgent need for the translator to correct and improve the foreign publicity translation. Necessary and relevant strategies must be adopted. The translator should be able to decide the proper strategies according to different situations, such as reconstruct, addition or omission.

6.3.1 Reconstructing

According to functionalist approaches, the functional units or components that are specific to the source culture or are used for different purpose in the target culture has to be adapted in order to meet the requirements of the target situation[13]70.

6.3.1.1 The restructuring of titles

Proper titles are eye-catching and will make articles more vivid, lively and attracting. Hence, the translation of titles plays a fairly important part in arousing readers? interest. Generally speaking, the language of the Chinese titles is richer because of various rhetorical devices, while English titles enjoy a terse, specific, simple and plain feature. So translators of publicity materials should subjectively reconstruct the titles according to the different characteristics of titles between Chinese and English, and based on the understanding of the whole article. For example:

1. ST: “谁持彩练当空舞”

TT: “Shanghai Mobile: Fast-forward Communication”

The Chinese version of the title is actually quoted from a sentence of a poem of Chairman Mao. Chinese prefer to poem or some famous motto to be the title, because of the aesthetic and artistic feeling the readers can get. But if we translate the poem

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sentence word by word into English, all foreigners would get puzzled what the article is about. So the translator must bravely give up the word-by-word translation, reconstruct it totally according to the main meaning of the article. The English translation version above is met the need for the concise and informative texts which the foreigners are familiar with.

2. ST: “基础”舞剑，意在久远

TT: Infrastructure Construction

The title comes from the Chinese idiom“项庄舞剑，意在沛公”，which implies that the real goal of infrastructure construction is to better serve the development in a long-term. But if we translate it into the exact same implied meaning I explain the last sentence, then the English version title must be too prolix and unintelligible. So the translator recreates this idiom into \Construction\which is clear and concrete.

3. ST: 一脚留在故乡，一脚踏入世界 TT: A Melting pot

We can see the Chinese is describing the integration of diverse cultures. If we adopt the word-by-word translation, maybe the foreign readers will guess the article is talking about the difference between someone?s hometown and another place,. But the foreign publicity translation should be accurate and objective. The translator should be able to provide the best translation version .So here the translator recreate translation successfully, because he holds a deep understanding about the culture and idioms in western countries. As “A Melting pot” is the symbol of American diverse culture, so people will grasp the main idea of the following article.

6.3.1.2 The restructuring of discourse patterns

The process of translating is not a matter of matching source speech act with target act, but rather transferring the entire act of discourse from source to target language, and this further more, according to the requirements of the client for whom the translator is working [13]157.Kaplan once claimed in his lectures that “rhetorical logic, how ideas are arranged in a text, is shaped by culture and there is a preference for certain discourse pattern in each culture”

[14]

. That is to say, differences in logic among different

languages affect the way of a text?s organization. For example:

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1. ST: ?羌人建房不画图，不放线，全凭手眼的配合，虽说不上天衣无缝，但也规整坚固。?数十米的碉楼在经历了地震和数百年的风雨侵蚀后，依然巍然耸立。?放眼繁衍生息了世代羌人的石头寨，只用了三种材料：石头、泥土、木头。④这个寨子里最古老的建筑是用黄泥、片石作材料建成的，集数学、几何、力学为一体，显示了羌族这个古老民族在历史上的辉煌。

TT: On a nearby mountain slope stand two nice-story hexahedral blockhouses,④in whose construction mathematics, geometry and mechanics were obviously used.?Despite their 30-meter height, they have survived erosion and frequent earthquakes.?The Qiangs build their homes using stone, timber and clay, judging all measures by eye rather than using a design or plan, yet ?all buildings stand firm, straight and long.

---China Daily, Tuesday, March 12, 1996

We can see The TT has rearranged the structure of the ST mainly due to the different thought patterns of Chinese and westerners. The English paragraph is straightforward and the main idea is made clear first, and then followed by examples and reasons to support or expound the main idea. While the Chinese paragraph may be turning in a widening gyre. Things are developed in terms of what they are not, rather than in terms of what they are. There is a lot of seemingly unnecessary wandering about the topic. The writing is characterized by an inability to get to the point and stick with it

[14]

. The reconstructing of discourse pattern makes the TT reads natural, smooth, fluent,

2. ST:刘备章武三年病死于白帝城永安宫，五月运回成都，八月葬于惠陵。

and idiomatic.

TT: Liu Bei died of illness in 233 at present-day Fengjie County, Sichuan Province, and was buried here in the same year. r.

This ST includes ancient Chinese names of place, age and official position in each clause sentence. If we translate directly by Chinese pinyin, the foreign reader will be confused the whole meaning of the original text. So we should rewrite the names of place, age and official position into their contemporary counterparts, thus the TT is intelligible and fluent.

3. ST:在中国一提到孔子，上至白发苍苍的老人下至天真幼稚的顽童，不知，无人不晓。人们为了纪念他，在许多地方都建有祭祀他的寺庙，也不例外。

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TT: Confucius is a household name in China. Temples in memory of him can be found everywhere in China. Tianjin is no exception.

We can see Confucius is a household name in China can shed light on all the meanings the long Chinese sentence want to convey. This version is more defined and it is more fitful to the aesthetical standard for language of the foreign audiences.

4. ST:（大家快走啊，前面是无锡胜景之一，）先睹为快啊！ TT: The sooner you see, the happier you will be!

If we translate this sentence into “It?s a great pleasure to be among the first to see.” It can express the information of the sentence but can?t keep the expressive function. This translation can?t stimulate the tourists? enthusiasm to go on visiting the scene.

5. ST:满树金花，芳香四溢的金桂；花白如雪，香气扑鼻的银桂；红里透黄，花多味浓的紫砂桂；花色似银，季季有花的四季桂，竞相开放，争艳媲美。进入桂花公园，阵阵桂花花香扑鼻而来。

TT: The Park of Sweet Osmanthus is known for its profusion of osmanthus trees and variety of osmanthus, purple osmanthus, four-season osmanthus, and much more. They are in full bloom in the golden fall, filling the whole garden with their sweet fragrance [15]30.

Obviously, in the source text the writer list flowers and plants? names and add the relative description of them aim to attract more tourists and set up Shanghai's image. But if we translate it completely according with the Chinese order, the TT version must be too prolix in content and messy in structure. So here, the translator use two SV sentences to organize the original sentences combined by the phrases and four-word phrases to express the meaning completely and concisely.

6. ST: 出手不凡钻石表

TT: Ask for a Diamond brand, if every second counts for you [16]87.

The translator is wise enough to use the “second” and “count”. These two words not only express the exact meaning of the sentence but also stress the quality of the watch.

6.3.2 Addition

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Since the target reader is foreigners who enjoy a different cultural, historical and political background, there must occur some vague and unintelligible information to the readers. Therefore the translator should add some explanation to that message.

6.3.2.1 The addition to cultural and historical background

The overall frame of reference for the translator should not be the original and its function as equivalence-based translation theory would have it, but the function or set of functions the target text is to achieve in the target culture [17]39.A lot of Chinese terms is very specific and has a long deep history, so just explaining the surface meaning is not enough. Translation allows a communicative act to take place which because of existing linguistic and cultural barriers would not have been possible without it [18]28. Therefore, extra background information added in an English version might well impress the foreign readers. For examples:

1. ST: 端午节前后，花药上了市，人们便上街采购，用来防病治病。 TT: The orchid harvest took place around the Double Fifth Festival, and on that day locals flocked to the market to buy orchids to use as preventive medicine.

The Double Fifth Festival is o the 5th day of the5th lunar month, also know as the Dragon Boat Festival. Duanwu commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, he was a loyal minister that served the King of Chu during the Warring States Period in 3 centuries BC. At the age of 37, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Milo River. The local people began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for their lost hero. The following year, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began.

Here, westerners do not have this festival, so the translator should add the background information to the readers. Thus people can get a better understanding about this sentence.

2. ST:我属猪，我从来不吃猪肉，猪年是我的本命年。

TT: I was born in the Year of the Pig. I never eat pork.

Chinese people traditionally use 12 animals, representing the 12 Earthly Branches, to symbolize the year in which a person is born. Twelve years stand for one cycle. The Year of the Pig is the last one of the cycle.

Here, since foreigners do not have this custom tradition, the translator should add

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the source and the special meaning of this culture, so as to make all the readers understandable.

6.3.2.2 The addition to political writing and economic phrases

Political terms or sayings are inevitable in foreign publicity translation. They are usually some big words, long sentences or articles concerned with political affairs. They have fixed expressions in Chinese and Chinese people can reflect what the meaning it is. However, most foreign readers do not posses this information knowledge. Likewise, the economic words or sentence often have some particular meaning or idea. Although we Chinese version of these materials is are valid, concise and intelligible, they cause great trouble in rendering them into English. Because most of them are products of typical Chinese political and social life, it is very difficult to find their counterparts in English, thus adding related information in the translation is highly necessary. For example:

1. ST:建设社会主义新农村全面建设小康社会和现代化建设全局有重要意义。 TT: Building a new socialist countryside has an overall impact on building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and modernizing the country.

The concept of “Building a new socialist countryside” first appeared in early 2005 in a major policy paper on rural development. The CPC-proposed a blueprint for the country?s 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10). It portrays the “new countryside” as featuring “advanced production, a well-to-do life, civilized folkways, a neat look, and democratic management”. As part of the campaign, the central authorities are reorienting public finance to support rural development programs.

2. ST: 对于“三无”人员这样的弱势群体，我们只能通过建立全民福利制度以使其能过上尊严和体面的生活，并实行免费教育以提高国民素质.

TT: For a disadvantaged group such as the “three withouts”in the cities, we should provide a social benefit system to enable them to live with dignity and grace, and provide free education to raise their overall quality of life.

The expression “three withouts” is new to most readers both Chinese and the target language readers. It refers to those who have no ID card, no permanent residence and no working certificate. They haven?t these certificates due to various reasons because they could not find good and well-paid jobs to support their families. In the

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society, they belong to a disadvantaged group.

6.3.3 Omission

In the process of translating the foreign-oriented publicity materials, the translator can omit some message of the source text. The message should be meaningless to the target readers, and will make readers confused and less understandable, without being ignorant of the difference in culture background, political and social life, values and thinking models. For example:

1. ST:进一步做好环保工作:

TT: We will further improve our work relating to environment protection. The word “improve” has entailed the word “further”，the word “further” is a modifier. In Chinese modifier and intensifiers can produce achieve symmetry in language, but they seem too redundant flowery to foreign readers. So the word should therefore be crossed out.

2. ST: “乐山水色山光独特，地理环境优越，素有?绿物夹岸水平铺”之称，举行龙舟竞渡得天独厚。

TT: Famous for its “tranquil river fringed with rich vegetation”, Leshan in Sichuan Province has the ideal setting for its Dragon Boat Festival. [19]61

Though“水色水光独特，地理环境优越”has not been translated, its meaning is self-evident from the context. In fact, “tranquil river fringed with rich vegetation” is just the concrete reflection of the omitted message.

3. ST: **县广播电视局通过多年艰苦努力，取得了巨大的成绩，为宣传**县,提高**县知名度作出了显著贡献. [20]21

TT: Over a number of years in the past, much fruitful work has resulted from the hard working of the County Radio & TV Breau, which made its due contribution to expand the popularity of the county.

In the source text,“巨大的成绩” and “显著贡献”, “宣传**县”and “提高**县知名度”has the exact same meaning, so there is no need to translate it twice literally, one of them should be deleted. This translation is more natural, including all the information of the source text. Besides, since we are just talking about a small county, we do not

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need to use “major achievement” or “outstanding contribution”, instead we should choose a middle-leveled word “fruitful work” which is more acceptable to readers.

4. ST: 上有政策，下有对策，有令不行，有禁不止。

TT: Disobey orders and defy prohibitions 5. ST: :医德医风 TT: medical ethics

In Chinese, repetition of the same idea may be necessary to avoid ambiguity, emphasize meaning, and form antithetical language. But in western cultures, people do not like always talking about the same thing just in different way, and they regard the repeated sentence in bad order and being illogical. Hence, in order to confront with this difference, the translators should subjectively delete the unnecessary the tautological terms instead of translating them mechanically.

6. ST: 尊敬的领导，各位朋友，各位来宾：

在湖南省委、省政府的领导下，在怀化市委、市政府的亲切关怀和具体指导下，在全球反法西斯战争胜利六十周年纪念活动的推动下，在各界爱国人士及兄弟单位的支持下，我们今天在这里隆重举行中华民族抗日战争胜利六十周年纪念活动暨芷江第二界国际和平文化节??

---湖南宣传部原稿 TT: Respected Leaders, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I have the honor to declare the second Zhijiang International Peace Culture Festival be open. I?d like, if I may, to take this opportunity to convey our gratitude to those whose support and assistance have made the festival possible. Our particular thanks should go to . . .

We can see many conventional official words with typical Chinese characteristics in ST. If the translator translates the paragraph word by word, sentence by sentence, the English version will be messy and unclear in content and order. A mechanical literal translation cannot be used here. Instead, the translator should grasp the main idea of the paragraph and infer the intension the original writer wants to express, and then delete the unnecessary wandering and redundant repetition and reorder the sentences into a direct and plain one.

7. ST: 做好党政信息维护工作

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TT: We will do a good job of maintaining the information of the party and government administration.

Here the word \It just tells readers that “maintaining the information of the party and government administration” falls into the category of “job” which is something they already know. According, this noun should be deleted, like:

TT: We will maintain the information of the party and government administration.

7. Conclusion

The translator, as the main receiver and communicator in the whole process of foreign publicity translation, must make good use of their subjective and creativity dynamically. And Relevance Theory provides a new approach to the reach on human communication. Following the cognitive principle and communicative principle, the translator makes a good preparation about what the readers lack and need, then the expected contextual effect can be provided, thus people can infer the intention of the original author. That is how optimal relevance is arrived and the purpose of communication is reached. In the first ostensive-inferential communication process, the translator acts as a receiver of the source text, and needs to comprehend it thoroughly. Then in the second ostensive-inferential communication process, the translator is a communicator, and he has to negotiate between the original writer and the target reader so as to render and interpret in a better way. However, because of the in accurate understanding and the incompetence of the translator in rendering of the ST, some strategies must be adopted. The translator can subjectively reconstruct, add or omit some information, with the precondition of respecting the original source text. Thus the real purpose of foreign publicity translation can be obtained.

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中国最大的论文知识平台www.lwxiezuo.com

[2] Eugene A. Nida. Language, culture, and Translating[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai

Foreign Language education press, 1991.

[3] 刘密庆. 翻译与语言研究[M]. 北京:中国对外翻译出版公司, 2001.

[4] 查明建、田雨. 论译者主体性—从译者文化地位的边缘化谈起[J]. 中国翻译,

2003(1).

[5] 袁莉. 文学翻译主体的诊释学研究构想[J]. 解放军外国语学院学报, 2003(3) [6] Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. Relevance: Communication and Cognition[M]. Beijing:

Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001.

[7] Gutt, Ernst-August. Translation and Relevance[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign

Language Education Press, 2004.

[8] Richards, I.A. Towards a Theory of Translating [J]. Chicago: University of Chicago

Press, 1953. [9] Be11. R. T Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice[M]. Shanghai:

Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001.

[10] Hatim, B. & Mason. Discourse and the Translator[M]. Shanghai: Foreign Language

Education Press, 2001.

[11] 陈小全, 丁衡祁. 汉语新词新语英译质量问题容忽视[J]. 中国翻译，2003(7). [12] 爱泼斯坦, 林戊荪, 沈苏儒. 呼吁重视对外宣传中的外语工作[J]. 中国翻译,

2000(6).

[13] Chan, Sin-wai &Pollard, David. An Encyclopedia of Translation.

Chinese-English[Z]. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1995.

[14] Robert David Kaplan. The Hedgehog Review [J]. Institute for Advanced Studies in

Culture, University of Virginia, 2003.

[15] 闵大勇. 中译英技巧文集[C]. 北京:中国对外翻译出版公司, 1992.

[16] 李灵. 目的性原则与广告翻译[J]. 中国翻译, 2004(3).

[17] Christiana Nord. Text Analysis in Translator Training[M]. Amsterdam: John

Benjamins Publishing Company, 1992.

[18] Christiana Nord. Text Analysis in Translation[M]. Amsterdam: Amsterdam

Publishing Company, 1991. [19] Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. Selected Stories of Lu Xun[M]. Beijing: Foreign

Language Press, 1978.

[20] 刘季春. 汉英翻译练习[J]. 中国翻译, 1992(2).

中国最大的论文知识平台www.lwxiezuo.com

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