2023年7月9日发(作者：)

编号：

本科毕业设计（论文）

题目：从目的论三原则分析与改进企业简介英译

——以宝石集团为例

Study on the Chinese Profile Translation of GEMSY Group

--- From the Perspective of Skopostheorie Rules

诚 信 承 诺

我谨在此承诺：本人所写的毕业论文《英语基本颜色词的研究》均系本人独立完成，没有抄袭行为，凡涉及其他作者的观点和材料，均作了注释，若有不实，后果由本人承担。

承诺人（签名）:

年 月 日 摘要

【摘要】企业简介用于企业宣传及产业介绍。众多研究者对于其功能已做过众多研究，同时指出中国企业简介在英译过程中出现的问题。笔者将针对宝石集团的企业简介英译，结合目的论三原则进行分析，挖掘该集团企业简介不同版本出现的英译问题。此类问题同时也出现在其他中文简介中，笔者希望在目的论三原则指导下，通过改译宝石集团的英文简介，帮助其他译者避免此类问题。

【关键字】企业简介英译，目的论三原则，英译问题

Study on the Chinese Profile Translation of GEMSY Group

--- From the Perspective of Skopostheorie Rules

Abstract

【ABSTRACT】 Company profiles, especially those posted online, introduce the companies and products

to the world. As for its functions, researches have been done on the translation of the Chinese company

profiles from different aspects. Researchers have also pointed out the problems in the translation of Chinese

company profiles. The thesis will study on the translation problems in a specific company profile of

GEMSY Sewing Machine Group, which are not coherent with the skopostheorie rules. These problems,

also bothering other translators, will be given revised translation in the thesis.

【KEYWORDS】 the translation of Company profiles, skopostheorie rules, problems

Contents

诚信承诺……………………………………………………………………………………………….

摘要……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Study on the Chinese Profile Translation of GEMSY Group

--- From the Perspective of Skopostheorie Rules……………………………………………………….

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Contents……………………………………………………………………….........................................

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..

1.1 Research Background…………………………………………………………………………….

1.2 Research Questions……………………………………………………………………………….

2. Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………………

2.1 Skopostheorie……………………………………………………………………………………….

2.2 Rules of Skopostheorie……………………………………………………………………………...

3. Previous Researches on the Translation of Chinese Company Profiles…………………………………..

3.1 Differences in Sentence Structure……………………………………………………………………

3.2 Differences in Text Structure………………………………………………………………………..

3.3 Difference in Rhetorical Devices……………………………………………………………………

4. Problems in the Translation of Chinese Company Profiles--- illustrated by GEMSY Group……………..

4.1 Graphological Errors…………………………………………………………………………………..

4.2 Structure………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4.2.1 Sentence Structure………………………………………………………………………………

4.2.2 Text Structure…………………………………………………………………………………...

4.3 Rhetorical Devices……………………………………………………………………………………..

Application of the Skopostheorie Rules in the Translation of Chinese Company Profiles---Illustrated

by GEMSY Group……………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………

6.1 Major Findings………………………………………………………………………………………..

6.2 Limitations and Suggestions………………………………………………………………………….

Reference……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………

1. Introduction

Company profiles compare to the recommendation for a graduate applying for a decent job. A good

recommendation presents the advantages and abilities of the student, who can make a good impression on

his interviewer. For competitive companies, proper and understandable company profiles help to

introduce the companies and products to the potential customers or partners. It is an irreversible historical

trend to globalize the trade, which requires the companies establish efficient information platform. The

company profiles are one of the vital elements on the electronic platform. Anyone can easily know the

business status of a company by logging on it. However, variously, lots of problems can be observed in

the translation of the Chinese company profiles. Studies done to solve the problems have based on the

skopostheorie, functional theory, register theory or discuss from the perspective of language or

information. For its functions of the company profiles, the translation of the Chinese company profiles

should consider more about the differences of company profiles between China and USA or China and

UK so that the translation can clearly and exactly deliver the information in the original text. The thesis

will conclude the problems in the translations, because of the ignorance of these differences, supported by

the rules of Skopostheorie.

1.1 Research Background

Nowadays, surfing the internet can get any information about anything, including the products.

Individuals shop online, while companies find their suppliers also through the internet. Except the pictures,

people get the useful information mainly by reading. But many companies send the negative information

to its potential partners or customers for the problems in the translation of the company profiles.

Translation is an activity. This means that the translation reflects lots of subjectivity of the translators,

who are hired by the companies. The problems of the translation of Chinese company profiles need to be

found out and solved as soon as possible to build good images of the companies. GEMSY Group is a

successful sewing machine company in Taizhou and even in the whole country. From the two translations

of its Chinese company profile, problems, which also exist in other company profile translation, are so

obvious that it may affect the company image. Thus, these problems have to be analyzed and a new translation is also needed.

1.2 Research Questions

Lots of theses, articles and periodicals from the data library, such as CNKI, have been read over, which

are all on the translation of the Chinese company profiles. They discuss on the project based on different

theories or from the unique prospect. The thesis selects the skopostheorie to study on the problems of the

translation of the company profiles. To make the thesis convincing, it will explain the following questions:

what are the rules of the skopostheorie? What are problems in the translations of the Chinese company

profiles?

2. Literature Review

2.1 Skopostheorie

Skopostheorie is the nucleus of German Functional School. Its main idea is that translators should hold

the thought from the perspective of the target readers during the process of translation. Translators should

consider now and then about what the function of translation text is, what the target reader‟ demand is and

even what communicative situation is. Thus, the choice of translation strategies is decided by the purpose

of the translation text, in order to achieve a better function text.

Katharina Reiss firstly described about the skoposthorie officially in 1971. She holds the thought that

all the types of translation mentioned may be justified in certain circumstances. She emphasizes on the

importance of the equivalence between the source text and the target text. The source text should be the

center during the translation. She also refers that, when the translation is an end in itself, in the sense of

simply seeking to extend an originally monolingual communicative process to include receivers in

another language, it must be conceived as an interal communicative performance, which without any

extratextual additions(notes,explanations etc.) provides an insight into the cognitive meaning, linguistic

form and communicative function of the SL text. [1977]

Later, Hans J. Vermeer, the student of Katharina Reiss and the representative in the second period of

the skopostheorie, develops the ideas of his teacher. He breaks the old theoretical framework, constructed

by Reiss, that the source text is always the center in the translation. He puts forward that translation is an

activity. It means that a theory of human action or activity. The parameters of action theory may help to

explain some aspects of translation. He thinks that any form of translational actions, including the

translation itself, may be conceived as action. It goes without saying that every action may carry an aim,

a purpose. The word “ skopos” means the “aim” or “purpose in Greek. What the skopos states is that one

must translate, consciously and consistently, in accordance with some principle respecting the target text.

If a company wants a business letter translated, the natural assumption is that the letter will be used by

the company in question (and in most cases the translator will already be sufficiently familiar with the

company‟s own house style, etc.)

In the third stage developing the skopostheorie, Christiane Nord gives a conclusion, comprehensively and systematically, for the theories of the functionalists. She points out that when playing roles of

senders in communication, people have communicative purposes that they try to put into practice by

means of texts. Communicative purposes are aimed at other people who are playing the role of receivers.

How people communicative are affected by different situation, which are embedded in a cultural habit.

Thus, language is to be regarded as part of culture. And communication is conditioned by the constraints

of the situation- in- culture. Since functionalist approaches have been developed mainly within university

translator-training institution, they are normative or evaluative to the extent that they include the

evaluation of translations with regard to their functionality in a given situation-in-culture; future

professional translators must be trained not only to produce “good” (that is, functional) translations

satisfying their products against unjustified criticism from clients and users. (see Nord [1988] 1991:28 ff

and 1993:17 ff). It is precisely the combination of the two principles that matters, even though there may

be cases where they seem to be contrary to each other. Function refers to the interpersonal relationship

between the translator, the source- text sender, the target- text addresses and the initiator. Loyalty limits

the range of justifiable target-text functions for a particular text and makes a negotiation of the

translation assignment between translators and their clients.

2.2 Rules of Skopostheorie

There are three main rules which are skopos rule, coherence rule and fidelity rule.

(1) Skopos Rule

Skopos is a Greek word standing for “aim” or “purpose”. The top-ranking rule for any translations is

thus the „skopos rule‟, which means that a translation action is determined by its skopos; that is, „the

end justifies the means‟ by Reiss and Vermeer.

The main idea of Skopostheorie can be paraphrased as “ the translation purpose justifies the

translation procedures”.

Vermeer also stresses on many occasions that the skopos rule is a general rule, and translation

strategies and methods are determined by the purpose and the intended function of the target text.

(2) Coherence Rule

The coherence rule states that the target text “must be interpretable as coherent with the target text

receiver‟s situation”. In other words, the target text must be translated in such a way that it is coherent

for the target text receivers, given their circumstances and knowledge.

In terms of coherence rule, the source text is no longer of most authority but only part of the translation belief. It is only an offer of information for the translator, who in turn picks out what he

considers to be meaningful in the receiver‟s situation.

(3) Fidelity Rule

Translation is a preceding offer of information. It is expected to bear some relationship with the

corresponding source text. Vermeer calls this relationship “ intertextural coherence” or “fidelity”. This

is postulated as a further principle, referred to as the “fidelity rule” by Reiss and Vermeer in 1984. The

fidelity rule merely states that there must be coherence between the translated version and the source

text.

（4）The Relationship among the Rules

Fidelity rule is considered subordinate to coherence rule, and both are subordinate to the skopos

rule. If the skopos requires a change of function, the criterion will no longer be fidelity to the source

text but adequacy or appropriateness with regard to the skopos. And if the skopos demands

intra-textual incoherence, the standard of coherence rule is no long vivid.

3. Previous Researches on the Translation of Chinese

Company Profiles

Since the international trade boomed in China, the practical translations are applied in different

industries, which help introduce Chinese products and companies to the international market. The

translation of Chinese company profiles naturally are put into the vital place. But it is obvious that

differences exist between the Chinese company profiles and foreign company profiles. Studies have been

done on the differences analyzing.

3.1 Differences in Sentence Structure

It is now universally accepted that the sentence is the key linguistic unit to realize communication. Any

language has its finite rules to build infinite sentences. Studies show that English and Chinese have not

much in common. The English sentence centers on the verb and so the basic sentence patterns are formed

according to the structure of the Vph( verb-phrase). In contrast, the Chinese sentence does not necessarily

center on the s but on the basis of amalgamation of words.

Zhao Xueai and Zhen Yanyan, collecting 30 company profiles of Top 500 companies around the world,

has found that declarative sentences make up the main sentence structure in these texts. The proportion of

the declarative sentence is 86 %, while the elliptical sentences occupy 11%. Imperative sentences and

interrogative sentences are as less as 2% and 1%.

Another researcher, Li Yonghong, conclude that in many English- speaking countries, the company

profiles tend to use declarative sentences, imperative sentences and interrogative sentences to produce

texts which can be well expressed and easily understood. Chinese company profiles consist of neat and

parallel sentences, modified by brilliant adjectives and adjuncts, which leads to a powerful and

exaggerative company profiles. For example:

(1) The P&G community consists of over 138 000 employees working in pver 80 countries

worldwide.

(2) Toys “R” Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer with more than

1 500 freestanding destination toy and baby speciality stores worldwide. Both declarative sentences send the valuable information to the receivers clearly. And the simply

sentence structures can be understood by receivers in different cultures and levels.

Here are two examples of Chinese company profiles:

(1)“不到万里长城非好汉，不吃全聚德烤鸭真遗憾！”在百余年里，全聚德菜品经过不断创新发展，形成了以独具特色的全聚德烤鸭为龙头，集“全鸭席”和400多道特色菜品于一体的全聚德菜系，备受各国元首、政府官员、社会各界人士及国内外游客喜爱，被誉为“中华第一吃”。

(2)公司将紧跟时代步伐，顺应现代市场经济的发展趋势，大力推进营销产业化、网络化、现代化、国际化发展战略，不断提高营销增值性、服务综合性、战略前瞻性，精心打造“天物金属”品牌。

Two sentences present the typical sentence structures in Chinese company profiles. Usually, a long

Chinese sentence contains several simple sentences which share a subject. And two or three nouns or

verbs are used together to make the texts literately. According to Liu Xie, a Chinese sentence is built on

the basis of amalgamation of characters. And that is what he says, “The amalgamation of characters makes

a sentence; the accumulation of sentences makes a text.” (Xiao Liming, 2007: 105)

3.2 Differences in Text Structure

A text is a complete linguistic unit to discuss a topic. When people have a communication, they tend to

be affected by the normal pattern of reality or schema. In other words, context is a schematic construct.

The text structure of a Chinese company profile follows the four steps of Chinese regulated classic

writing--- opening, developing, changing and concluding. The company profile from the English-spoken

countries is quite different that it introduces the information of a company gradually with a loose structure.

A company needs to respect the language and culture differences in local and adjusts its own company

profile so that it can do better to attract more attention in the international market. Here are the company

profiles of Panasonic China and Panasonic UK:

(1) 自1918年创业以来，松下电器通过提供高品质、高性能的商品和优质的服务，以“为了使人们的生活变得更加丰富、更加舒适，并为了推动世界文化发展做出贡献”为经营理念，不断推荐各种电子产品的制造和销售。

（2）近年来，我们开发了诸如“VIERA”系列等离子电视、”LUMIX“系列数码相机、滤网自动清洁机器人空调等产品，在相当广泛的领域内提供了优质的商品和服务。

（3）为了继承和弘扬创业以来的经营理念，我由衷地希望松下集团能面对更多的课题，不断提出前所未有的、新的生活提案。由此产生了松下电器的全球品牌标识语“Panasonic ideas for life”。所谓“Panasonic ideas for life” 就是指，通过遍布全球的松下员工，进行研发、生产、销售及服务，为创建丰富多彩的生活和先进美好的社会，不断提供有价值的创意。”

（4）为实现这一目标，松下集团会通过最先端的技术、充满工作热情的全球员工的不懈努力，将每一份真情融入精心制造的产品中。我们会不断将”ideas for life” 奉献给每一位顾客，敬请期待。

（ Words of President, Panasonic China）

(1) Panasonic UK was established in 1972. Since then the company has grown substantially and has

become a leading supplier of consumer and business related electronics products. Its headquarter

is located in Berkshire and this is supported by a national Logistics Centre in Northampton.

(2) The company currently employs more than 500 staff and has an annual turnover in excess of

￡700 m.

(3) There are also separate companies within the UK responsible for the sales of industrial products

such as components and computer peripherals and professional video and broadcast products.

(4) Panasonic’s parent company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. has also established a

number of manufacturing plants in the UK and in total the company new employs around 4,000

people in the UK.

(5) The UK operation is part of a significant European presence, both in manufacturing, sales and

R&D which now employs some 15,000 people in total.

The text structure of Chinese company profile can be concluded as foundation time and idea, main

products, development strategy, aim and slogan. It is in keeping with the Chinese regulated writing style.

As to the Panasonic UK, its text structure is divided into five parts--- foundation time and place, employee

numbers, main products, extending business, status in the field---that accords with the English writing

style, which firstly discusses the thing from inner to outside and then describes on the whole.

Nin Hailin and Xu Jianzhong do a research on the text structure differences between Chinese and

foreign company profiles. They hold that the Chinese company profiles follow the four steps in the texts:

introduction, elucidation of the theme, transition to another viewpoint and summing up. The Chinese

company profiles will introduce firstly the foundation time and idea of the company, then the main

products, developing strategies in the future, aims and slogans. While the foreign company profiles

gradually introduce the key information by a loose text structure. The foreign company profiles begin with

the foundation time and place of the companies, and then the staff numbers, main products, out-branching

and business status.

3.3 Difference in Rhetorical Devices

In this part, the thesis will list the different points of the Chinese and foreign company profiles in

choices of word and figures of speech.

For translators, it is thorny to translate the words carrying the Chinese culture, which are used in the

profiles frequently, such as awards, titles, to raise the reputation and popularity of the companies.

According to the study of Nin Hailin and Xu Jianzhong, most of the awards are presented by the country or

local governments that may confuse the foreign receivers. However, in the UK and USA, few awards are

presented at the name of the government. The criteria of company‟s competition ability are measured by the

annual sales volume and staff numbers.

Lin Zonghao, Li Jie and Zhu yan have surveyed the problems in the translation of companies‟ websites.

They think that the Chinese company profiles stress on the expression function, thus a number of antithesis,

repetition, parallelism, simile and exaggeration are used in the company profiles. For example:

面对新的百年，青啤公司将不断创新，打造学习型企业，提高核心竞争力，创建国际化的大公司，做国际市场的价值专家、中国啤酒市场的领导者和超级明星，谱写新百年的辉煌。

While the foreign company profiles choose the simple words clearly offering useful information to the

receivers, rather than making promise to them.

4. Problems in the Translation of Chinese Company

Profiles--- illustrated by GEMSY Group

GEMSY Sewing Machine Group is one of the leading companies in Taizhou, which specializes in

sewing machines. Founded in 1994, the private company has developed its trade overseas. According to a

2010 ranking list from , GEMSY Sewing Machine Group is in top 10 sewing machine

brands of which five are from Taizhou. The first place is taken by Feiyue Group located in Jiaojiang,

Taizhou. Except for three foreign brands and two brands from Shanghai, the list is filled by brands from

Taizhou which shows the competitive power of Taizhou sewing machines. GEMSY is one of the top

companies. In the international market, forty percent of the gross production of the sewing machines is

made up by companies from Taizhou, which is the largest sewing machine production base in the world.

The president of the GEMSY began to develop the market overseas in 90s all by himself. He was an

ordinary farmer who made a fortune starting from scratch. Besides its business status and situation, the

company profile, written in Chinese, presents the typical features which are concluded according to

quantities of Chinese company profiles.

The company profile is posted in the homepage of the GEMSY Sewing Machine Group. The first

paragraph is a brief introduction about the location, scale, main industries of the company, which is

followed by a whole paragraph of titles. In the third paragraph, the technical achievements are presented in

detail. The last two paragraphs show the culture and spirit of the company. The structure of the company

profile corresponds to conclusion of the research by Nin Hailin and Xu Jianzhong. The typical sentence

structure of Chinese company profiles is that several verbs are juxtaposed, sharing the same subject.

Sometimes, a paragraph only has a subject steering several predicates and objects. For example, the second

paragraph of the company profile of the GEMSY Group, a subject is shared by six predicates at the very

beginning. The profile also applies the rhetorical device such as parallelism, exaggeration, and antithesis.

Lots of phrases are deeply involved in Chinese modern society and ancient culture. For example, so many

the titles are listed in the second paragraph, which is hard to be understood by the foreign readers and even

meaningless to them.

GEMSY Sewing Machine Group has posted two versions of company profile translation on the homepage in 2010 and 2011. The earlier version is “GEMSY sewing machine group”, while the latter is

“INTRODUCTION OF GEMSY GROUP”. The total words of the two versions are 393 and 553 both

including 5 paragraphs. “INTRPDUCTION OF GEMSY GROUP” has replaced the “ GEMSY sewing

machine group” in the new year for some reason. It is certain that the latter seems to be meaningful and

professional. The thesis will analyze the two target texts from the following aspects.

4.1 Graphological Errors

20 companies at the top of manufacturing in Taizhou are selected. Most of the translations of their

company profiles have the graphological errors including the Geely, Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd. As to the

GEMSY, graphological errors are also made. For example, the title should be capitalized. In the third

paragraph, a meaningless bracket is put behind sub-enterprise. The translator also puts “as” instead of “an”

which certainly can be a reading obstacle. What‟s more, a comma is next to a comma.

The very beginning of the second target text seems to make less graphological errors. But in the

following paragraphs, lots of capital errors are made such as “China Famous Brand products”, “China

Exporting Famous Brands Products”, “GEMSY group”. “Abroad” is miswritten by “aboard”. And it also

has the punctuation fault such as “all-over-the world sells network”.

4.2 Structure

In this part, the two target texts of the GEMSY Sewing Machine Group will be analyzed in both sentence

structure and text structure by giving the specific translation from the website of GEMSY Sewing Machine

Group.

4.2.1 Sentence Structure

First of all, syntactic errors should be pointed out. The first paragraph of the first target text is illustrated

as following:

GEMSY sewing machine group was established in 1994, after 14-years development of enterprising

and innovation, now she was developed to be one of the largest corporations which majored in industrial

sewing machine, and involves the business …

Firstly, the “14-years” is quite misunderstanding. If the context needs an adjective, it should be “14-

year”. The fault in the part of speech also goes to “enterprising”. According to the context, the meaning of

the “enterprising” is willing to success in the field that should be an adjective, which can not be put behind

a preposition without a noun. And there exist tense faults such as “now she was developed” and “majored”. After the comma, the verb “ involve” should not be active for the factory can not take over business.

In the second text, syntactic errors are reflected in complete sentence, part of speech, verb forms. For

example:

Under the strategy to pay equal concentration to R&D, Manufature and Sevice. The staple business of

GEMSY Group are M&E integrated industrial Sewing Machine, Precision Foundry…

This part is also extracted from the first paragraph which is literally translated. It seems to follow the

fidelity rule, but the first sentence is adverbial clause which is not a complete sentence. It breaks the

coherence rule definitely.

The Chinese company profile is written in typical Chinese writing style that the object can be modified

by a long attribute consisting of several nouns. Usually, a special attribute structure is put before the object

that is made up by a status phrase and a link morpheme “的” . Here is an example:

“目前宝石拥有国家质监部门与企业合作共同筹建的现代化质量监督检测部门。”

The main structure of the Chinese sentence is very clear. The long attribute combined by nouns and

phrases is not easy for a translator. Here is one version from the second target text:

Now GEMSY and Quality supervision branch together to established the modernization construction

quality supervision, inspection and quarantine of the jointly inspection institute.

It is also a literal translation without changing any position of the words which makes the sentence going

against the English grammatical rules. It is an incomplete sentence without a predicate. “Together” can be

an adjective or an adverb, but can not be a verb. Thus, the translator has misused the word as a verb that

goes against the coherence rule. After “together to”, “established” is not the right form. And lots of nouns

are used to modify an object, which does not accord with the English syntax. As mentioned above, the

English sentence centers on the verb and it many be formulated as below:

S (sentence)= Nph (Noun Phrase) + Vph (Verb Phrase)

(Xiao Liming, 2007:103)

The complication of sentences in English is developed in the way as a tree with its branches produced

form their stem and their twigs produced from the branches. But the complication of sentences in Chinese

is developed in the way a bamboo grows with each upper piece coming out from the lower one which

comes out from the base. (Xiao Liming, 2007: 109) Especially, an English version of a Chinese company

profile is for the foreign readers who pick up English. if a translator transplants a “bamboo type” to the

English sentences, it is not easy for readers to go through the whole passage to get the useful information.

Hence, it goes against the skopos rule and the coherence rule. Another difficult sentence from the Chinese company profile is as following:

长久以来，“以人品制造精品”一直是宝石企业质量理念的核心宗旨，狠抓人品建设，提高员工素质，以“人品打造宝石精品、用诚信铸就金牌品质”是过去、现在、将来宝石不变的追求。

The Chinese language, which has no inflexion in verb forms, may have more than one verb in a sentence

just like the example that has six verbs. Two of the verbs are in the quotation which makes the sentence

more complicated. The translation from the second version strictly follows the Chinese sentence.

GEMSY group has established her quality principles of “good moral quality promoted excellent

products”, build moral quality, improve the character of the staff, “good moral create GEMSY excellent

products and integrity make top quality” is our invariable pursue.

The translation has a serious problem that two complete sentences are put together without a conjunction.

And in the quotation, the verb form is misused. An object after the preposition and a subject in the very

beginning of a sentence both should be gerunds. In a Chinese company profile, a slogan of a company

usually applies a verb structure, while an English profile uses a noun structure. As English language

focusing on the forms, translators need to pay more attention to obey the forms of the language. The

construction of the Chinese sentences does not hold true with respect to the construction of the sentences of

English which has classification as simple, compound, complex and compound complex. If the translator

deals the source language with the rules of source language, it is certain that the readers of the target

language will be confused, which also impact on propagating the company and products, going against the

purpose of a company profile. Thus, the translation is not proper according to the skopos rule.

4.2.2 Text Structure

If people make an indexical connection, they do so by linking features of the language with familiar

features of their world, with what is established in their minds as normal pattern of reality. That is to say,

thought pattern has a great impact on the actual realization of communication. The English thought pattern

is straightforward and the topic is usually developed in a deductive method, while the Chinese thought

pattern is spiral and the topic is usually developed in an inductive method. The Chinese literary

composition used to have rigid forms which are characterized by the EIGHT-PART ESSAY. (Xiao Liming,

2007: 105) Although the modern Chinese has been changed a lot, it is still rooted in the thought pattern of

the spiral. The text structure of a Chinese company profile is based on the four steps of Chinese regulated

classic writing--- opening, developing, changing and concluding. However, the company profile in English

is quite different that it introduces information of a company gradually with a loose structure. The text structure of the Chinese company profile of the GEMSY is created by five parts: foundation,

management ideas, main products, achievements, slogans and targets. It basically follows the typical

Chinese writing style which is completed step by step. The two translations of the Chinese company profile

do not have much in common. The first version “GEMSY sewing machine group” mentions the foundation

time, main products, out-branching, achievements, slogans and target. The second version translates the

Chinese company profile words by words. The differences between the Chinese company profile and the

English company profile have been discussed in the preceding part of the thesis. According to the skopos

rule of the skopostheorie, the company rule aims to send the useful information to the receivers. The

translator should bear the differences between two languages in mind and selectively translate the valuable

information from the angle of the target language receivers. Compared the two versions, the first version is

more accordant with the writing style of English company profile than the second profile. To the receivers

from the English-spoken countries, quantities of titles and awards, most of which are never heard, can not

explain anything but extend the length of the article. The translator should pick out some well-known titles

and awards of the company instead of listing all of them. What‟s more, the endings of the two English

versions stand for nothing to the receivers, just indulging in empty shouting. Usually, in an English

company profile, it will explain the business status of the company in the whole.

4.3 Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are what have been referred to as the “active ways” according to Chen Wangdao. In

the classic English more than two hundreds of rhetoric devices are formed by borrowing from Latin. The

rhetorical devices are created in the long period of the development of the language. The Chinese rhetorical

devices have developed in the same long historical period. The cultural elements have much influence on

the developments of both languages. For example, English and Chinese have much to differ in forming and

using phonetic rhetorical devices, since the second systems of the two languages are quite dissimilar. For

the content of the part, the rewards and figures of speech in the text need to be reconsidered. Therefore,

only a thorough comparative study between the two language and two cultures can shed light on the

similarities and dissimilarities.

In Chinese company profile of GEMSY, parallelism and antithesis are widely used. For example:

“做好人、出精品、求卓越”, “ 以人品打造宝石精品、用诚信铸就金牌品质”, “ 感动客户、感谢供方、感激员工、感恩社会”. These kinds of structures are common in Chinese but not English. Different verbs

and different nouns make the translation more difficulty. The first translation leaves out these phrases. These are all slogans of the company which rarely are mentioned in the English company profile but may

appear in the homepage separately. The main part of the company profile only sends practical message to

the receivers, according to the skopos rule. The second version translates the phrases as following: “be

good man, producing exquisite product, pursuing excellence”, “good moral create GEMSY excellent

products and integrity make top quality”, “Thanks for the customers, employees and the society”. Judging

by the meaning, these translations are correct which conform to the fidelity rule. However, there are so

many grammatical errors resulting in going against coherence rule. For example, “thanks for” should be

followed by the things but not the people. Thus, “thanks for” can be replaced by “thanks to”.

Application of the Skopostheorie Rules in the

Translation of Chinese Company Profiles---Illustrated by

GEMSY Group

According to the skopostheorie rules and analysis before, the thesis will revise the translation of the

Chinese company profile of GEMSY Group. The new vision will be based on the two translation versions,

keeping the good points and revise the weak points so that the translation accords with the three rules of the

skopostheorie. Here is the new version for the English company profile of GEMSY Group:

GEMSY Group Co., LTD

Zhejiang GEMSY Group Co., LTD was established in 1994. Since then the company has attached equal

importance to invention, production and service. GEMSY Group currently employs 2000 staff. The general

headquarter is located in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. The staple businesses of GEMSY Group are M&E

integrated industrial Sewing Machine, Precision Foundry and Power Saving Servo Motor. There are also

other branch companies in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui building up production bases and responsible for

investment in real estate and hotels.

The major field of GEMSY Group is industrial sewing machine, which includes lockstitch sewing

machine series, overlook sewing machine series, interlock sewing machine series, zigzag sewing machine

series, heavy material sewing machine series and special type sewing machine series, etc., which is

involved in more than 100 varieties. And GEMSY Group is developed from ordinarily industrial sewing

machine to varieties of designs & colors, special usage, high speed and super-high speed sewing machine,

electromechanical oil-less auto-control sewing machine. GEMSY Group becomes the largest special

sewing machine manufacture base in China.

GEMSY Group has been recognized as “China Top Brand Product”, “China Top Export Brand”,

“National Inspection Exemptions Products”, GEMSY® is the “China Well-known Trademark”. In 2007,

GEMSY Group got the highest quality award “National Quality Award” both in sewing industry and

Taizhou. The GEMSY Group has gained ISO 9000 QC, ISO14000 Environmental Management and ISO

18000 Occupational Health and Safety, ISO10012, Measure Management of 2003 and CE, TUV etc.

GEMSY Group undertakes the social responsibility and donates more than 30 million to the public welfare in total.

The GEMSY Group founded an all-over-the-world sells network involved more than 100 countries and

regions. And by now, the Group has set 29 sub-enterprises and agencies in US, Brazil, Thailand, Russia,

Ian, South Africa, etc., and implemented the Customer Agency System over 30 countries. GEMSY Group

always holds the peerless determination on exploring and bases on honesty as usual. Thanks to the

customers, employees and the society. The GEMSY Group will ceaselessly research and develop,

improving the level of invention, production and service.

6. Conclusion

6.1 Major Findings

The main problem of the Chinese company profile translation is that translators stick to adhering to the

source text and ignoring the readers‟ acceptability of the target language. A part of the translators even

translate the source text words by words, ending up with the pretty hard understandable translation or

plenty of meaningless information for the readers of the target language. From the perspective of three rules

of the skopostherio, the paper lists out the problems of the company profile translations of Chinese

company profile of GEMSY Group, analyzed by structures and rhetorical devices. The two versions of the

translations both go against the three rules of skopostheorie in some parts. Most of the errors are made for

the translators tend to ignore the differences between Chinese company profiles and English company

profiles in structures and rhetorical devices. And then the thesis revises the translation of the Chinese

company profile by the three rules of skopostheorie.

6.2 Limitations and Suggestions

The thesis points out the problems in both translations of Chinese company profile of GEMSY Group.

The revised translation is lack of detailed explanation about the translation skills used in the new translation.

Later, the thesis can discuss about the translation skills in detail.

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Acknowledgements

I am greatly indebted to my thesis supervisor, Ms Huang Yulan, for her precious advice,

patient guidance and continual encouragement. In the first year of my college, I was

impressed by the excellent pronunciation and brilliant humor of Ms Wang. Since then, I have

admired her for her personality and become interested in English as well as teaching.

My thanks also go to Mr Wang Jinxiang, Ms Chen Liwen for their help of training my

interpreting skills.

Thanks also go to the teachers who have read the earlier versions of my thesis and given

me their precious advice.

Finally, I would like to extend my appreciation to my dear classmates bringing me an

unforgettable college life.