1. Research background

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global language life and language services, and emergency translation services have played an important role in epidemic prevention and control. International reports and guidelines emphasize the importance of providing disaster information translation services for vulnerable groups and multilingual communities. China is still in the initial stage of emergency language services, and there is a gap with developed countries in terms of language awareness, talent, products, and basic service capabilities. The language service function of public signs is insufficient, and the problem of non-standard and inaccurate public signs urgently needs to be solved. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role of public signs in emergency language services, requiring accurate communication of truthful information to fulfill their rescue function.

2 Literature Review

Public signs play a prompting role in public places, with functions of expression, expression, and appeal. They are multifunctional texts that play an important role in regulating behavior, improving environmental quality, and building a harmonious society. Emergency language service is a service that meets the language needs of society and is crucial for reducing public crises and disaster risks. It includes elements such as demand, products, technology, management, resources, etc. Its task is to eliminate information barriers, ensure smooth information flow, provide language comfort and psychological counseling, and play an important role in national security, social stability, production and life, disaster prevention and relief, crisis management, etc.

3 Empirical Studies

In field research conducted in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, the author collected a large number of images and information of public signs and found that public signs often appear in the form of images and text, with standardized language and full of humanistic care. The study collected data from 186 respondents of different nationalities through questionnaire surveys and interviews, with 180 valid questionnaires. The questionnaire design is based on a cross-cultural diversity analysis model and evaluation scale, consisting of 20 questions, analyzed using the Likert 5-point scale. The results show that the warning and epidemic prevention information scores of public signs are high, while the semantic information needs to be strengthened. During the interview, respondents had varying evaluations of the quality of public signs. Some believed that the expression of public signs was lengthy, while in emergency situations, the release of public signs was deemed necessary.

4 Suggestions on Emergency Language Services for Public Signs in China

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, public signs in Canadian cities have played a positive role in alleviating public panic, providing epidemic prevention information, and psychological comfort. However, there are shortcomings in China's emergency language services, and we need to learn from Canada's experience to establish an effective emergency language service mechanism. Specific suggestions include: 1) Drawing on Canadian experience, collecting big data information from both domestic and international sources, and publishing important information in an appropriate and simple form; 2) Use standardized and unified public signs to ensure appropriate, standardized, concise, clear, and acceptable translation; 3) Strengthen talent reserves, rely on the government, society, and universities to select language experts and professional talent pools, and conduct regular training, evaluation, and training; 4) Establish an emergency language service mechanism, develop an epidemic emergency language service plan, establish standards, develop products, provide contingency plans, and ensure effective language warning management, knowledge dissemination, information dissemination, rescue treatment, psychological rehabilitation treatment, and tracking monitoring in the early stages of the epidemic. Through these measures, we can enhance our country's discourse ability and meet the domestic demand for emergency language services.

5 Conclusion

The study focuses on emergency language services for public signs in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, and finds that under the COVID-19 pandemic, service capabilities need to be improved and system construction needs to be strengthened. The survey results show that the audience is highly satisfied with public signs, but the transmission of semantic information needs to be strengthened. The epidemic has highlighted the multiple functions of public signs, and there is a gap between China and developed countries in emergency language services. We need to address the translation and standardization issues of bilingual public signs, improve translation to convey information, and enhance service functions. A good environment for public signs is crucial for international image and cultural taste. It is recommended to standardize standards at different stages of the epidemic, strengthen talent reserves, develop software, establish long-term mechanisms to meet diverse needs, and enhance emergency language service capabilities.