A Study of Pragmatic Equivalence in C-E Translation of Public Signs: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

Abstract

Nowadays, bilingual public signs have great significance to China’s cultural exchanges and economic cooperation with other countries. However, pragmatic failures in C-E translation of public signs occur so frequently that they lower the translation quality and even impair the charm and international image of the cities. The paper introduces Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory and analyzes its application to C-E translation of public signs. Functional Equivalence Theory proves to be quite effective and instructive in the translation of public signs. However, through the practice of the translation of public signs, the author finds that the limitation of this theory is inevitable. Further exploration and enrichment are needed to provide guidance for translation practice.

Key words: Public signs; Pragmatic failure; Functional equivalence