introduction

Museums are non-profit organizations that provide social services, responsible for researching, collecting, protecting, interpreting, and displaying heritage. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of museums and called for the inheritance and display of excellent achievements of Chinese civilization. Nantong City is the birthplace of modern Chinese museum industry, with 31 museums. General Secretary Xi Jinping once pointed out that Nantong Museum has educational significance and should be used as a patriotic education base. The translation of museum introduction materials is crucial for spreading local culture. However, there are various problems with the translation materials of Nantong Museum, such as lack of translations, excessive transliteration, and inaccurate translation of professional terminology, which may hinder the local culture from going global. This article takes Newmark's translation theory as a perspective to study the English Chinese bilingual introduction materials of Nantong China Charity Museum and Nantong China Abacus Museum, and explore translation principles and coping strategies.

semantic translation and communicative translation

Peter Newmark applied various theories to translation research and proposed two main translation methods: communicative translation and semantic translation. Communicative translation emphasizes the communicative function of language, pursues consistency between the translated text and the original reader effect, and is applicable to non literary texts. Semantic translation, influenced by Chomsky, strives to accurately reproduce the contextual meaning of the original text within the grammar and semantic structure of the target language, and is applicable to texts that are equally important as the content in a specific language. Newmark believes that when translating, both methods should be combined to accurately reproduce the original meaning as the standard of measurement.

Text Types and Translation Principles

Newmark divides text functions into three categories: expression, information, and call. Among them, museum material translation mainly reflects the information function, conveying the historical background and value significance of exhibits. When translating, it is necessary to balance literal meaning and cultural curiosity, and stimulate interest in Chinese history and culture. Newmark proposed three translation principles: the "original author first" principle for expressive texts, the "authenticity first" principle for informative texts, and the "reader first" principle for call out texts, which are applicable to the translation of museum materials.

Translation Methods of Museum Materials from the Perspectives of Semantic Translation and Communicative Translation

Explored the translation methods for museum introduction materials within the framework of Newmark translation theory. Firstly, the free translation method was introduced, which is a translation approach that pursues natural and fluent translations without being restricted by the wording of the original text. It is particularly suitable for informational and call for action texts such as museum materials. The free translation method emphasizes the accuracy and accessibility of language, by adjusting the structure and content of the translation to better suit the reading habits of the target language readers, while maintaining the authenticity of the original text. For example, in the historical introduction of the Red Cross Society of China, the method of free translation can more accurately convey the connotation of the original text, correct translation errors of proper nouns, and improve the readability of the translation.

conclusion

Museums are important tools for cultural dissemination and enhancing the international influence of Chinese culture, and the quality of their translated materials is crucial for cross-cultural communication and promotion of Chinese culture. With the frequent exchange of Chinese and Western cultures, museum translation plays a dual role in information transmission and cultural dissemination. High quality translation can enhance the image of museums and promote cultural understanding and exchange. This article proposes translation strategies aimed at improving the quality of museum text translation, enhancing the image of museums and cities, attracting international tourists, and promoting the "going global" of Chinese local culture.