Similar to the Chinese, there is a variety of expressions to deliver the same meaning in English, and the distinction between the different expressions often lies in the choice of tone and emotion, mood and emotion depends on the specific environment. Therefore the translation must consider the specific occasions. The following are some examples:
In Public places in China, everywhere you can see the words “禁止入内”, “禁止” translated into English is “Do not”, in English, the tone of “Don’t” seems blunt, lack of euphemism.
Such as “Don’t pick the flowers” (prohibited defloration), “Do not the throw something out of the train” (prohibited to throw things out the window), “Do not tread on the lawn (prohibiting off the lawn),” Don’t make noise “(prohibited noise), these sentences either in syntax or meaning are very correct, but it does not suggest to make such translation. Because “Don’t” makes sentences tone too heavy, and easy to engender a sense of distance.
Public places should create a happy casual atmosphere, so that we can better enjoy there. A certain degree of gentle reminder is necessary, but which should try to avoid stiff. English is a language emphasis on euphemism, generally it won’t use “Don’t” such blunt words, such as in the park.
For example “禁止摘花” can be translated as” Keep away from the flowers, please. “Or” Take care of the flowers, please. “Similarly to express a meaning, but the two sentences looked very comfortable.”Take care of” the phrase itself with anthropomorphic color, to remind people to love and concern flowers like we treats a baby.
Another example, “Do not make noise” (禁止喧哗), this brand is also often we can see, we can fully translated it as “Quiet, please.” Very Concisely. Public places without “Don’t” still be able to reach the scheduled effect.
In addition, some prompt in public places often have fixed usage, such as “No spitting”, “No smoking” and so on. “No” and “Don’t” are not the same, the former is used more in the neutral Context.
We have seen that “不许动” in a movie, the translation “Do not move” will immediately flashed in our minds, but in fact the foreign police said was “Freeze” or “Hold it. Therefore, we should grasp the habits of expression in similar circumstances, not to translate in accordance with our own way of thinking and expression, although sometimes the meaning is the same, but, after all, which is not enough authentic.