Culture Differences and Translation in China’s Tourism

邓 健

Abstract:China, as a beautiful country with her long history and splendid culture, attracts so many tourists from different countries. Meanwhile, her various geography conditions and abundant propagation resources are also spectacular. China is a big touristy country. However, as the necessary component of China's tourism, the translation can't follow the step of the development of China's tourism. Sometimes, there are even some problems and mistakes in the translation of China's tourism. So, here author wants to have a discussion about the translation in China's tourism.

Key words:Culture Differences tourism translation tourist materials

International touristy is a sufficient way for the culture exchange of different countries. As a big touristy country, Chinas tourism takes a very fast step in recent years. More and more tourist materials need to be translated, and their qualities have become the key point in our tourism. How to translate the tourist materials accurately, fully and objectively has also been more and more urgent. The terminal purpose of translation in tourism is to attract the tourists according to the information transfer. So to deal with the culture information is the first important step.

The translation of culture information is the nodus in China's tourism. The culture differences are the roots of this problem. If a good version of tourism translation is expected, to have a comprehension of the culture differences is necessary.

1 The culture differences between China and western countries

1.1 Differences between system, religion and world view

These differences come with the differences of language and thoughtway.

1.2 Differences between culture back ground

China is an agriculture country in history. So her culture often goes with the agriculture characteristics, for example:

骨瘦如柴:be lean with a rake;对牛弹琴 :cast pearls before swine In contrast, England is an island country, of course its culture often has close relationship with water:

To do with the stream :随波逐流;To tide over difficulties:度过难关。

1.3 Differences between the symbol of the language meaning

1.3.1 The same thing stands for different symbols:

Owl in Chinese culture stands for rough luck or doom, while western people take it as the symbol of the wisdom and fortitude. They often describe people "as wisdom as an owl". In China, dog is always used in derogatory place, where in western countries, it always stands for lovely pets and faithful friends.

1.3.2 Using different things to show the same symbol

Take "the king of the beast" for example, in china, tiger is always used to stand for it, while in western countries, it changes to the lion.

1.4 Differences between the custom

As for this aspect, we can take "love" for example, when Chinese people and English people say "I love you with my heart", the Africa people always say "love with my liver," or "love with my stomach".

1.5 Culture blanks and culture conflicts

Culture blanks mean that there is something one country owning but the others not. There are some examples to give some general description about that. In Chinese, 老油条、跑龙套、拍马屁、班门弄斧 are some special usage. Some English phrases, like “a green eye”, “a white lie(善意的谎言)”etc. are also cant be understand by Chinese people if we translated them directly. Meanwhile, culture conflicts are also the problem in translation. It is the well-known facts for all the Chinese people that "kick the ball" means buck-passing, but for the foreigners, they can't understand it properly. Maybe they will ask, "Why will you kick the ball?"

In total, if we want to gain a good translation in China's tourism, we must pay attention to the culture differences between China and western countries when the process of translation is progressing. So when we translate the tourist materials, we should follow some principles.

2 The principles to deal with the culture information in tourisim translation

The basic purpose for the translation in chinas tourism is to attract the tourists from different countries according to the way of giving a detailed and accurate description to all the tourist materials. So consulting the culture differences and the personal characteristics of tourism itself, we should follow these principles:

2.1 The tourists centered

When we translate the tourist materials, first we should adjust the amount of the information and the context structure. Then using the proper way which is tally with the object language to transfer the true and attractive information about the tour resources of our country. To take a aesthetic feeling to the tourist and arouse their tour interests.

2.2 Don't lose the original meaning of our culture, pay more attention to the contents than to the form.

It means that when we consider the principle faithfulness, we can also change some things in the tourist materials, only with the purpose of make the tourist materials easier to be understood.

2.3The principles referred above is necessary when we are having the translation in China's tourism. If we ignore it, some mistakes will appear in real operation. My hometown--Leshan city is an good example. Lets see some mistakes in translation of Leshans tourism.

There is a bus route which is called “新一中” in Chinese, that means the terminus of this route is the New NO.1 Middle school. But on the route sign, it says “new an inside”. And the slogan used to welcome the visitors“乐山笑迎四方客” is translated to Smiles in Leshan city Greets Cubic visitors”. Here the phrase “四方客” which indicates the visitors coming from all corners of the land is described as a cube.

Another example, “乐山大佛” is a world famous culture heritage. It is also a valuable resource of Leshan city. However, just for this unparalleled statue, it has three versions in English. They are: Grand Buddha, Giant Buddha and Great Buddha. If the visitors know the history of this Buddha, they can understand that there is only one Buddha in Leshan. If no, maybe they will misunderstand that there are three Buddha in Leshan.

Integrating all the above, the culture differences is an indubitable and important thing in translation in China's Tourism. We should take some efficient way or find some useful method to surmount the culture differences and improve the whole quality of our translation in tourism.

3 The detailed methods for improving translation in Chinas Tourism

Taking one with another, different tourist materials need different way to deal with. If we gather all them up, there are additive method, expurgatory method and analogy method or recreation method.

3.1 Additive method

This method is used to give some additional explanation or context information for the tourist materials which need to be translated. In many aspects, this way can be used.

3.1.1 The translation of literary quotation and legendary

Take the way that using direct translation with commentary. For example,"叶公好龙”, Lord Ye's love of dragons ( Lord Ye was do fond of dragons that he adorned his whole palace with drawing and carvings of them But when a real dragon heard of his affection and paid him a visit he was frightened out of his wits).

3.1.2 The translation of the famous people's name and placename or the name of the scenic spots.

As for this aspect, if we translate them as what they were called in the history, maybe the foreign visitors can't know what they mean. So we should add some additional explanation or change it to the name they are called today. We can see the following example,刘备章武三年病故白帝城,五月归葬于成都。Liu Bei died of illness in 233 at White King town( at present-day Fengjie County, Sichuan province) and was buried in Chengdu in May.

3.1.3 The translation of dietary culture

Because of the rich and colorful history and the various landform of our country, many characteristic diets come out from this land. When we translate them, we should consider the culture differences carefully, sometimes adding the commentaries such as the cooking materials and cooking way if it needed. Let's have a look at the followings, 饺子Jiaozi (Chinese-style Ravioli) 、包子Baozi (Stuffed Bun) 、锅贴Guotie (Pot Stickers)。

3.2 Expurgatory method

This method is often used to deal with the long sentences and articles. Some times, it is also used to give a brief explanatory explanation to some scenic spots. Because the Chinese description of the scenic spot is often elaborate and detailed. So occasionally even Chinese people can't understand it completely, how do you think the foreign visitors can understand it? If we use the way of expurgatory, it will be easier for the foreigners.

Here is a Chinese description of the Feng River in Xi'an. "在我国最早的典籍中,就有关于这条河的记载,尚书禹贡:“漆沮既从,沣水攸同”,诗经大雅:“沣水东流,维禹之绩”,说明沣水在远古就是一条著名的河流。”It quotes many history examples or authority woks to prove the long history of Feng River. However, for some of the Chinese people, it is not so easy to understand these quotations, for the foreigners, they even can't know what you want to express. So if we cancel what we have referred above, and change it to "Records about this river can be found that even in the earliest Chinese classics, which proves that the Feng River has been well known since ancient times.

3.3 Analogy method or recreation method.

About this method, it means to use the things and people which the foreign visitors are familiar with to substitute the things and people appear in Chinese materials. To assimilate the hero and heroin of Chinese love story“梁山伯与祝英台”to the hero and heroin in western legendary “Romeo and Julia” or take“苏州”as the famous water city Venice in Italy are both the good examples.

In conclusion, tourism is in fact a kind of communication between cultures. The tourists not only want to have a good appreciation of the beautiful scene they have visited. To have a full comprehension of the culture is also their expectation. China is a beautiful country with long history and splendid culture. As an translator or an interpreter in China's tourism, we should try our best to familiar with our own culture and to do some research on the culture differences between China and western countries. Thus, we can transfer the in information containing in the tourist materials accurately to the foreign visitors. To attract more overseas visitors to our country and promote the development of Chinas tourism is just the basic purpose of translation in Chinas tourism.

References:

[1]姜治文,文军.翻译批评论[M].重庆大学出版社,1999.

[2]郭建中.文化与翻译[M].中国对外翻译出版公司,2000.

[3]张林.旅游资料翻译反映出的文化因素[J].中国翻译,2000,(5):51.

[4]任津升.进一步谈谈中国菜的英译[J].中国翻译,2001,(6):56.

[5]王群.中西文化差异与旅游资料的翻译[J].教育与教学研究,2004,(2).

[6]沈群英.浅谈旅游宣传资料的汉译英[J].康定民族师范高等专科学校学报,2004,13(1).

[7]孔令翠.文化、宗教、职业道德与旅游翻译——试析旅游城市乐山翻译中存在的几个问题[J].绵阳师范学院学报,2004,23(1).

[8]陈红.旅游资料翻译技巧探析[J].信阳师范学院学报,2003,(4).

[9]苏丽琴.功能角度看旅游资料英译[J].上饶师范学院学报,2001.