Education, Society and Human Studies ISSN 2690-3679 (Print) ISSN 2690-3687 (Online) Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs 1 Original Paper Research into English Translation of Chinese Tourism Materials from the Perspective of Cross-culture Communication Yi An-yin1* 1 Institute of Pre-college Education School for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China * Yi An-yin, Institute of Pre-college Education School for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China Received: June 6, 2022 Accepted: June 19, 2021 Online Published: June 28, 2022 doi:10.22158/eshs.v3n3p1 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/eshs.v3n3p1 Abstract From the Perspective of Cross-culture Communication, the characteristics in the titles and materials of Chinese tourist sports are analyzed and paid attention to the intercultural communication strategy and consciousness while changing them into English is put forward, which can improve the quality of English translation from Chinese tourism materials and finally enhance the communication and development between international cultures. Keywords cross-culture communication, Chinese tourism materials, English translation 1. Introduction With the deepening of globalization, cross-cultural communication is becoming a new subject, and people pay more and more attention to it. Different language structures and cultural backgrounds lead to communication barriers to some extent. Translation is to promote exchanges between China and foreign countries, so that foreign tourists can better understand domestic tourist attractions. Therefore, at present, many domestic tourist attractions have English names, and many domestic famous tourist attractions have English introductions. However, there is no standard in the English translation of Chinese tourist materials for domestic tourist attractions. As a result, the quality of translated materials is uneven. It is difficult for foreign tourists to understand the meaning of these materials. In addition, cultural differences may even lead to cultural misunderstanding, which is very detrimental to the communication with foreign tourists. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 2 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 2. Characteristics of Names and Materials of Domestic Tourist Attractions Nowadays, the tourism industry at home and abroad is also developing rapidly. As an important means of cross-cultural communication, tourism can promote people from different regions and cultural backgrounds to communicate and understand. Translation is a very important means to promote domestic tourism resources to the international market, so special attention should be paid to the characteristics of the names of tourist attractions and their materials when translating, so as to ensure the quality of translated materials. 2.1 Characteristics of Names of Tourist Attractions Many tourist attractions in China are named on the basis of China’s cultural background. Their names are named according to geographical location, historical figures, myths and legends, historical allusions, religion and other aspects closely related to history and culture, such as the broken bridge of Hangzhou West Lake, which witnessed the legendary romantic love story between Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian, and the bridge at the Northeast starting point of the Ming Great Wall in Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan, known as the first pass in the world, and Yangzhou Slender West Lake, known as “Penglai on the lake”. These names are very concise, full of aesthetic feeling and rich in connotation. Therefore, when translating the names of tourist attractions, the translator should fully analyze and study the naming characteristics of the names of tourist attractions, try his best not to lose their own cultural level, accurately translate, and transmit accurate information to tourists, so as to attract tourists’ sightseeing and tourism, and finally achieve the purpose of promoting cross-cultural communication. 2.2 Characteristics of Tourist Attractions 2.2.1 In terms of purpose Tourism information is an inductive text that gives tourists a better understanding of tourist attractions. As the core structure of information, tourists’ understanding of tourism information determines the quality of tourism information. Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism materials, it is necessary to consider the cultural background of foreign countries. Starting from their reading habits and appreciation methods, and on the basis of ensuring the connotation of the original materials to the greatest extent the Chinese materials are translated, and finally the English information is formed and conveyed to foreign tourists. Finally, the expected effect of the translation of Chinese tourism materials is achieved, so that tourists can have a sense of cultural identity and more easily understand the scenic spots, Stimulate tourists’ interest in tourism and attract them to visit again next time. 2.2.2 In terms of content In content, tourism activities include a wide range of disciplines, from astronomy and geography to local customs, from natural science to social science, and even culture, entertainment, food, clothing, housing. For different types of tourist attractions, the focus of translating into English tourism materials is also different. For example, the translation of historical scenic spots focuses on the introduction of historical events. When translating cultural scenic spots, they focus on the introduction of customs and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 3 Published by SCHOLINK INC. culture. The translation of natural scenic spots focuses on the description of landscapes and landforms. Some tourist attractions integrate all the above features, so attention should be paid to integrating these features when translating, so as to systematically and completely translate Chinese tourist materials, and finally ensure their translation quality. For example, the Chinese brief introduction to the famous natural scenic spot Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is: “...It is located in the south of Wulingyuan scenic spot, with a total area of 481000 square meters... within the park, more than 8000 strange peaks and rocks have sprung up, overlapping in succession, in a variety of forms, and with great momentum...” 2.2.3 In terms of language In terms of language, most of the tourist attractions in China have the following main characteristics. First, Chinese uses a lot of language modification techniques and modifiers, and the words are gorgeous. In terms of language, it pays more attention to abstract expression, which is easier to stimulate people’s imagination and create a beautiful image. Second, when writing prose, the Chinese people have a unique language phenomenon, that is, they like to use the four character lattice. The four character lattice pigeon language form can make the sentences full of momentum, easier to speak, more fluent in form, and loud and magnificent to read. For example, the description of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a famous tourist attraction, described under the title 2.2.2 above, uses the four character form to highlight the uniqueness of Zhangjiajie. Third, the Chinese materials are good at using various rhetorical devices such as metaphor, personification, parallelism, etc. to make the scenery more vivid and vivid in front of the readers, so as to achieve the goal of getting twice the result with half the effort, and make the tourists have a very strong interest. Fourth, poems are often used in Chinese materials because many famous poems have been left in many places of interest in China. For example, there are nearly 30 ancient poems describing the scenery of Lushan Mountain. For example, the great poet Li Bai wrote in “looking at Lushan waterfall” that “the incense stove in the sunshine produces purple smoke, and the waterfall hangs in front of the river. The river flows down 3000 feet, which is suspected to be the Milky way falling nine days”. Another example is the famous poem “the difficulty of the Shu Road is difficult to reach the sky” written in the difficulty of the Shu Road, which is a true portrayal of the famous scenic spot Jianmen pass. These poems were left by the ancient literati when they visited these scenic spots. They not only have beautiful words and accurately describe the beauty of the scenery, but also carry the flavor of history and inherit the culture of thousands of years. Therefore, many tourist attractions use these poems to render the beauty of the scenery, which is more attractive to tourists. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 4 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 3. The Application of Cross-cultural Translation Strategies in the Translation of Tourist Attractions Tourism is an important way of communication between human society, and language is the carrier of this means of communication. The process of translation is not only the conversion of words between two languages, but also the exchange of two cultures and the transmission of information. A good translation material can introduce scenic spots to tourists and use Chinese culture to attract foreign tourists. Therefore, for tourist attractions to attract customers, translation material is a very important carrier. Therefore, when translating tourism materials, the following points should be paid attention to in the process of translating Chinese tourism materials into English in order to make the tourism materials accurate and thorough so that readers of different levels can understand them and ensure the quality of their translation. 3.1 Pay Attention to the Purpose of Tourism Translation When translating Chinese tourism materials into English, it’s necessary to correctly understand the purpose of tourism translation and rely on its main purpose. Translation is a very important means in tourism. Although many tourism scenes provide foreign tourists with some English materials, and the dissemination of tourism information and tourism methods also show the characteristics of diversification, the quality of tourism materials in different tourism scenes is uneven, which leads to tourists’ inability to well understand the meaning of the translation, so as to achieve the desired purpose. For example, when introducing the famous tourist city “Guiyang”, someone once translated it as “the expensive sun”, which can only make jokes and make people misunderstand. 3.2 Considering the Customs of Tourists, Retain the Original Flavor When translating Chinese tourist materials into English, the translator should fully consider the readers’ receptive ability, language habits and aesthetic views. He should not just convert words between languages, nor mechanically copy the original culture that the readers do not understand, so that the readers can get cultural resonance from the translated materials, so as to better promote tourist attractions. When translating Chinese tourism materials into English, the cultural information of the original Chinese materials should be retained to the greatest extent, and the cultural background should be fully considered in the process of English translation, so as to attract tourists and achieve the purpose of tourism culture exchange. For example, the most famous scenic spot in Hangzhou, Su Di Chunxiao, is the first of the ten scenic spots in the West Lake. As far as the name of the scenic spot is concerned, its correct English translation is “spring dawn on the Su Causeway”. However, foreign tourists do not know who “Su” is. Therefore, when describing the scenic spot in detail, it is necessary to add an introduction to Su Dongpo, Specifically, “Su Causeway became a tourist attraction as early as 1090. that year, Su Dongpo, a fame pocket in Song Dynasty and the governor of Hangzhou, had the lake dredged. The sit and debris were piloted up and formed into a causeway”. After such translation, foreign tourists will naturally understand the origin of the causeway of this scenic spot, deepen their www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 5 Published by SCHOLINK INC. understanding of Chinese traditional culture, and further promote the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. 3.3 Pay Attention to Translation Methods When translating, special attention should be paid to cross-cultural translation strategies, such as transliteration, transliteration annotation, addition, deletion, literal translation, free translation and domestication. These methods can not only retain Chinese cultural characteristics, help foreign tourists understand Chinese culture, conform to western aesthetic characteristics, but also eliminate tourists’ sense of strangeness. Only in this way can tourists enjoy the fun of cultural exchange, Carry forward China’s tourism culture. For example, the place name “Leshan” in the scenic spot of “Leshan Giant Buddha” should be translated into English and translated into “Leshan”. When translating the famous scenic spot “Bamboo Sea”, if it is translated into “Bamboo Sea”, foreign tourists will not be able to understand the relationship between “bamboo and sea”. Therefore, the scenic spot is translated into “bamboo forest” with the help of domestication, which is in line with the cultural habits of target language tourists. 4. The Importance of Cross-cultural Awareness in the Translation of Tourist Attractions The successful implementation of cross-cultural translation strategies is an effective means to ensure the quality of English translation of Chinese tourism materials. Only by making translators form and cultivate the awareness of cross-cultural communication can the quality of English translation materials be improved. Language is an external embodiment of culture, and it is not the right way to deal with language that is not based on cultural background. Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism materials into English, it’s also necessary to balance the cultural effects. On this basis, we should translate the historical origins and cultural traditions. This is not only for the purpose of attracting tourists to tourist attractions, but also for the purpose of disseminating cultural information. Before translating Chinese tourism materials, translators should first improve their awareness of cross-cultural communication, master the strategies of cross-cultural communication, and understand that tourism is an important way of cross-cultural communication; At the same time, it’s very important to strengthen our own cultural cultivation and connotation, understand the language habits and ways of thinking of foreign tourists, and to be able to integrate different cultures, so that foreign tourists can understand Chinese culture, understand Chinese culture, and finally be attracted by it. Secondly, the translator should improve his cultural sensitivity and be able to understand foreign cultural history and current facts, so as to ensure the translator’s creative inspiration and the accuracy of translation. Finally, the translator must have the ability to distinguish the differences between the two cultures, and be able to find out the respective characteristics of the two cultures, so as to analyze and find the differences and intersections between the two cultures. When translating Chinese materials, we should fully consider cultural factors and use cross-cultural translation strategies from the perspective of www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 6 Published by SCHOLINK INC. cross-cultural communication, so as to better ensure the quality of translated materials. For example, when we introduce famous red tourist attractions in China, such as Jinggangshan revolutionary base, Luding Bridge and Deng Xiaoping’s former residence, special attention should be paid to the understanding of the word “red” in both Chinese and English. Because the word “red” is a commendatory word in Chinese, which has revolutionary traditional meaning. The word “red” in English is often associated with “violence, blood and evil”. Therefore, when translating the tourist material “Deng Xiaoping’s former residence is a famous red tourist attraction”, the translator must pay attention to the differences between Chinese and English color cultures. If it is literally translated as “Deng Xiaoping old house is a famous red tourist attraction”, it will make native English speakers feel creepy and afraid of it, Therefore, an additional translation method should be adopted, followed by “with revolutionary trade significance”, so that the translation will conform to the readers’ cultural and aesthetic habits and attract more and more foreign tourists; Of course, there is also a wonderful way to do the same with it, which is to directly use the free translation method to translate it into “Deng Xiaoping old house is a famous revolutionary tourism”. 5. Conclusion In a word, with the rapid development of China’s economy, the tourism industry is also developing rapidly. As an important means of cross-cultural communication, tourism can promote people from different regions and cultural backgrounds to communicate and understand. Tourism materials are one of the most important means of communication. Because of their strong functionality, rich cultural connotation and large amount of information, tourism materials play a very important role in the play of foreign tourism customers. Therefore, when translating Chinese tourism materials, the translator must, from a cross-cultural perspective, cultivate awareness of cross-cultural communication and strategies of cross-cultural communication, analyze and find out the cultural differences at home and abroad, and find out the factors that cause problems. Only in this way can the translator improve the quality of tourism materials translation, make foreign tourists get a good tourism environment, and finally make the culture at home and abroad exchange. References Dai, F. (2009). Untranslatability in the context of cultural differences and Its Countermeasures. Journal of Taiyuan City Polytechnic, 11, 162-164. Li, H. T. (2010). On cultural untranslatability and Its Countermeasures. Journal of Higher Correspondence Education (PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES), 8, 3-9. Ma, C. (2010). The Enlightenment of communicative translation strategies on Chinese-English tourism translation. Journal of Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management (SOCIAL www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eshs Education, Society and Human Studies Vol. 3, No. 3, 2022 7 Published by SCHOLINK INC. SCIENCE EDITION), 6, 119-121. Qiao, R. (2012). Cultural significance and translation strategies in cross-cultural translation. College English (Academic Edition), 1, 199-202. Yu, J. (2008). On the influence of tourism culture on tourism translation. Journal of Heilongjiang Institute of education, 8, 118-119. Author: Yi An-yin (1979-), male, Han People, born in Mian Yang, Sichuan Province,China; a vice professor of English, and a teacher of Institute of Pre-college Education for Ethnic Minorities of Sichuan Minzu College. Research Orientation: Applied Linguistics and translation. Address: Institute of Pre-college Education for Ethnic Minorities, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China, 626001.