从功能翻译理论视角谈旅游翻译(2)
4.2.1 Addition 11
4.2.2 Omission 12
4.2.3 Combination and Division 13
4.2.4 Analogy 14
4.2.5 Adaptation 14
V. Conclusion 16
Bibliography 19
Acknowledgments 20
The Study of Tourism Translation from Functionalist Perspective
I. Introduction
Tourism is one of the biggest cultural activities around the world. With the development of modern society, tourism has already become a necessity for most people all over the world, and the 21st century turns to be the gold century for tourism development. In today’s China, especially, tourism has become an increasingly booming industry due to the reform and opening up policy, the fast development of national economy, and the rise of multinational cooperation, which has effectively promote China’s splendid history, distinctive culture, rich places of interest and beautiful landscapes. According to the prediction of World Tourism Organization, China will have become the biggest tourist destination in the world by 2020. A survey made among tourists from the U.S., Germany, France, U.K. and Japan shows that 100% of them hope to get to know China’s culture and folklore, 80% are desirous of knowing something about China’s long history, and 40% would like to go sightseeing around China.
Every year, tens of millions of overseas visitors are attracted to China for tourism by its charming natural scenery and abundant tourism resources. Tourism industry in China has become an economic pillar which is of significant strategic importance. During the last 20 years, China’s tourism industry has undergone a historical advancement. The number of tourists from English-spoken countries and countries who take English as official or second languages increases dramatically and accounts for 50.6% of the total number. By 2010, foreign currency income earned by tourism industry has amounted to 40 million U.S. dollars; plus domestic tourism income, the total income has come to 1040 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 8% of GDP.The prospering tourism industry in China has given rise to the need of well-translated tourist texts to provide traveling information for foreign visitors and promote the image and popularity of China. However, tourism translation is still an under-explored field which has not yet been adequately studied in the discipline of translation. Many Chinese tourist texts are poorly translated and fail to achieve the function as intended, may damage China’s international image and cause misunderstanding. This phenomenon has already aroused concern among the translation circle. Thus it is urgent to find an adequate translating way to realize the cultural, aesthetic and commercial value of tourism translation.
Ⅱ General Introduction to Tourism Translation
2.1 Tourism and Tourism Translation
WTO defines tourism as “comprises the activities of persons tramelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes”, and tourist is a role taken by people of all social classes, and many of them do not share similarities culturally. Tourism today has become an important industry undergoing an increasingly rapid growth on a global scale. Indeed, the growth rate of tourism has generally surpassed that of the worldwide economy. Most people travel entirely for the purpose of leisure and pleasure, some to visit friends or relatives, some on business. Still others travel to educate themselves. Due to the increased mobility throughout the world, tourism has become a popular global leisure activity.
It is widely acknowledged that tourism is not only an economic activity, but also a cultural activity. Tourism is a part of culture, and in turn, culture plays a vital role in tourism. China, with her 5000-year-long splendid humanity history, is a highly-civilized nation. The profound Chinese culture creates unique Chinese tourism culture which is the soul of tourism and ensures the sustainable development of China’s tourism industry.