導(dǎo)游翻譯技巧的研究
I. The Introduction to the Present Situation of Tourism and Guide Interpretation
1.1 The Present Situation of Tourism and Guide Interpretation
China is one of four countries with ancient civilization，not only boasting a long history and high civilization, but also having magnificent scenery, so more and more foreigners wish to visit china. With the furthering reforms and opening wider to the outside world, maximizing the development of international tourism, holding the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, the tourism of China exhibits a flourishing tendency. Nowadays, after the 30 years of reforming and opening to the outside world, Chinese tourism has become an important industry of national economy and China has become a great tourist country and reception country. How to introduce Chinese land of glories and splendid culture to the world and how to make the foreign tourists understand our tour guide’s language, have been focused by the public spotlight. However, the major tourist generating countries are Euro-American countries where people speak English as their mother tongue or their second language. So, English become the most important language during the process of tourist reception. Meanwhile, more and more eyes of people are upon the guide interpretation that emerges with the tourism demand and it has been seen as the bridge between spreading culture and strengthening friendship.
Nevertheless, owing to the complexity and diversity of guide interpretation, qualified English tour guide (guide interpreter) and outstanding ones are deficient, and irrelevant interpretation can be found everywhere, which harms Chinese international image and the development of Chinese tourism.
1.2 The Importance of Guide Interpretation
The guide interpretation is a cross-cultural and international communication among people who come from different countries. It’s also a kind of face-to-face, formal or informal, clear-aimed communication that gets an instant effect. Compared to the other types of interpretation, cross-culture is reflected directly and obviously in it. It possesses not only the objective and persuasion of tourism, but also the vividness and grace of translation, flexibility and promptness. All of those result in that guide interpreter should continuously instill new knowledge and profound language foundation, neatly master the skills of interpretation, properly hold cross-cultural conciseness and rightly speak English.
As one of the cradles of human civilization, China is a vast land, rich in tourism resources. It comes out in front of the world in scenic spots and historical sites, spectacular landscapes, and colorful and varied national customs, all of these attacked lots of foreign tourists to visit China. However, tourists would not know the value of these precious tourism resources and realize the intellectual assets unless the guide interpreter gives the explanation and illustration that are full of knowledge and art. International tourism circles hold a view like that it is not a perfect travel without a tour guide, even loses its soul.The importance of guide interpretation depends on the quality of guide’s interpretation, the soul and core of guide’s interpretation lie in the skills and language of tour guide’s interpretation. There is an old saying: “whether China has great mountains and rivers or not depends on the tour guide’s interpretation.” (Ling Bin, 2005:4) It provides a good explanation for the importance of guide interpretation.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
II. The Characteristics of Guide Interpretation
2.1 Cross-culture
Different nations have variety of culture. Cross-culture is a cultural communication and dialogue among different nations. As the globalization of economy, politics and social activities, intercultural communication has been on the rise in recent years. More and more interpersonal communications are arising among the persons who have different cultural background. Language becomes a vital communicative tool. Language has a close relationship with culture, and it is a major part of culture and form of cultural expression.In contrast, culture infiltrates into language. We have had the cultural communication since the human being’s culture came into being, but cross-cultural communication has to be completed by the interpreter, so the tour guide interpreter should assume this great responsibility in the tourism. As the international tourism fast growing, the guide interpretation becomes an important medium of communication. Every country has different traditional culture, local conditions and customs, social taboo, and people have various modes of thinking, value orientation and ideology, which cause the cross-culture of guide interpretation. The guide interpreter works in the environment that is full of cultural differences and conflicts among different countries, so the cross-cultural awareness is very important for the guide interpreter. Good communicative skill is the basic factor of quality service. The tour guide should make all-out effect to improve his or her applied ability of Chinese and English, and cultivate him or her cross-cultural awareness for the efficiency of communication. The tour guide also should draw a cultural comparison from the cross-cultural aspect between two countries and master the features of which two different kinds of culture are complementary to one another in nature. The tour guide should eliminate cross-cultural obstacle during the process of sightseeing and strengthen mutual understanding and appreciation between two countries, which play a pivotal role in the responsibility of spreading culture.
2.2 Flexibility
During the tourism activity, the tour guide introduces not only scenic spots and historical sites to the foreign tourists, but also our country’s history, customs and well-known sayings through the ages according to the specific situations. Sometimes tour guide has to rise to the occasion to answer the questions asked by foreign tourists on the spots. In order to offer perfect service, the tour guide has to grasp the flexibility of guide interpretation in addition to a wide range of knowledge; the tour guide should have abundant vocabularies and solid language grounding. The guide interpretation is a cross-cultural international and interpersonal communication among people who come from different countries, so it is also a kind of non-governmental diplomatic activity and the guide interpreter is the non-governmental diplomatic representative. The tour guide is not only a common interpreter, but also a Chinese banner to a certain sense. He or she represents Chinese diplomatic image. Therefore, the tour guide should conscientiously defend national sovereignty and interest, rise to the occasion to deal with emergency and preserve national reputation. The tour guide plays one or two even more roles under different circumstances. Sometimes he or she holds official diplomatic interpreter, or assume the interpreter for the foreign affairs on informal occasion or informal occasion and sometimes he or she also takes on interpreter for daily reception work and spots interpretation. The multiple qualities of the work results in its flexibility which not only comes from diplomatic interpretation which is needed by policy, content and culture, but also comes from the tourism which involved major consciousness, aesthetic standards and thought pattern of tourists. The guide interpretation is a specialized interpretation that has the characteristics of both translation and common interpretation at the same time. Its language not only embodies the vividness and grace of translation, but also includes the flexibility and promptness of guide interpretation on the spots. The feature of guide interpretation’s dual quality causes its special flexibility. Whatever people will view it from any angle, the flexibility of guide interpretation is unique. The tour guide interpreter should hold the cross-cultural awareness, flexibly use the skills of interpretation on the basic of defending national interests, and reach the goal that preserves our nation’s reputation and meets the foreign tourist’s demands.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
2.3 Vividness
The tour guide uses an informative, vivid spoken language in a precise, clear, graphic and humorous way for communication with foreign tourists, and gives interpretation and spreads Chinese culture. The way of guide’s expression will influence directly tourists’ mood. So the guide interpreter should make efforts to improve the level of English. First, tour guide should use graphic and descriptive language to provide a beautiful mood of literary work for the tourists. It is said that listening is much better than seeing when you go sightseeing, which shows the charm of guide-interpreter’s language. The guide’s primary task is to give guidance and interpretation to the foreign tourists with English except that guide has to interpret passively under some formal circumstance. How to tap potentially cultural meaning of the scenic spots and make it leave a clear and vivid impression on the tourists, which makes a high demand for the guide’s ability of both Chinese and English; Second, the tour guide should make the tourists enjoy their travel through using vivid and humorous language. Personally, through traveling, people want to enrich their knowledge, broaden their eye view, know more people and appreciate the beauty of nature, whatever they are actuated by motives of travel, they have a point in common is that they all want to enjoy their tour time. One of important focal points is that they hope to experience and appreciate the charm and beauty of nature and national culture, including the tour guide’s elegant language. The glamour of guide interpreter’s language embodies not only in civilized language, respectful remarks and self-depreciatory expression, but also in vividness. For the most people, they want to have a good time by traveling, but the foreign tourists who come to China are not really for that, most of them expect to know much more about China which is an ancient country with a long history of more than 5000 years, rich culture and civilization and abundant tourism resources. So the tour guide interpreter should create an environment, which is full of vigor and charm for the tourists with graphic and humorous language, delight them and maximize their understanding of Chinese culture. An American psychologist said: “Humor is the most interesting, most appealing art that is full of universal significance” (Ling Bin, 2005:3), it is a kind of national feature for the western countries. If the tour guide gives interpretation in a humorous and vivid way, it would stir up the tourist’s enthusiasm once again and spread Chinese culture at the same time.
Ⅲ. The Skills of Guide Interpretation
3.1 Strengthening Cross-cultural Awareness
The cross-cultural communication always appears among people who have different cultural background. In the globalization era, China is sure one of the most attractive tourism attractions in the world, the tour guide should master the global culture, and introduce Chinese culture to the world. The tourism activity is a typical intercultural communication, the English-speaking guide interpretation is not only a code switching, but also a transformation of culture pattern. For this reason, the cross-cultural awareness is very important for the guide interpreter during the process of interpretation. According to the Haney’s view: “Cross-cultural awareness is a sensitive cognition for the interpreter to the cultural factors of whatever are in his or her native culture or foreign culture.”(Wang Xiaohui,2003:2) The interpreting covers many aspects of knowledge, including history, geography, customs, art and so on. So, the guide interpreter should master solid language background, and possess sensitive intercultural awareness, on the basic of these factors, the quality of interpreting would be guaranteed.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
3.1.1 The Cross-cultural Awareness in the Local Conditions
The travel is a conflict and communication between the foreign culture and local culture. There are great differences in the cultures and customs between eastern and western countries. So, in the tour-guide environment, the tour guide should interpret from the cross-cultural angle in order to make sure foreign tourists are easy to understand and sense the Chinese culture. For example, rich-endowed Hangjiaping plain is famous for rice and fish, the expression in Chinese English is: “a land of fish and rice”, just like “it’s a land flowing with milk and honey” (Lin Bing, 2005:2) in some western countries. If the tour guide adds one sentence after it like this for explanation by comparison and supplement, the foreign tourists would understand and develop interest in it by using idioms which they are familiar with, but not every Chinese idiom has correspondence with English or similar idiom. The tour guide does not have to adopt real English, just realistically describes it and retains the characteristics of Chinese culture, which not only raises the tourists’ novelty because of different culture, but also leaves a very deep impression on them. The most notable festival for Dai people in Yunnan of China is the Water Splashing Festival, which is held to greet spring sowing, invoke longevity and receive a bumper harvest. If the tour guide only introduces its name without any supplement and explanation, maybe some of foreign tourists would consider this Chinese traditional Festival as a day which Chinese people only sprinkle water to each other for no reason. They will not know the inner cultural meaning of it. What’s worse, lots of foreign tourists are in mistaken belief that it is a festival like Citrus Festival in western countries and lead to cultural misunderstanding. If the tour guide adds some explanation like this “It’s an important Dai nationality festival in Yunnan, in which people splash water to one another with the purpose of wishing every happiness”(Ran Longde and Wang Liping,2004:169) It will help the foreign tourists to understand Chinese customs and culture and make them be fond of Chinese culture when they enjoy their travel. Dragon is the totem of China. At the mention of word “dragon”,
Chinese people definitely think of a gigantic beast with the head of on ox, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a shrimp, the claws of a hawk, the body of a snake, the tail of a lion whose body covered by fish scales. In Chinese tradition, 12 animals … rat, buffalo, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake and … are used to represent a cycle of 12 years. The dragon is the only animal that is imaginary. Therefore, it’s full of power and grandeur. For thousands of years, the Chinese people regarded the dragon as a deity with absolute power. China was regarded as the land of the dragon and the Chinese people as the dragon’s descendants.(Zhu Qixin and Zhang Xiugui,1998:527) #p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
So many people always say it like this“望子成龍” (hope their children will have a bright future). Some parents choose name for their children with word “龍”. For example, the famous movie superstar Chenglong (成龍), his name is a good example for this point as above-mentioned. However, “dragon” is a bloodthirsty monster which throw out fire (fire dragon) in western countries, it is also a wicked symbol. So the tour guide should help foreign tourist to understand rightly the dragon’s cultural meaning by comparing with the significance of “tiger” in western countries.
3.1.2 Cross-cultural Awareness in the Social Etiquettes
China is an ancient country with civilization, it is famous for etiquette all the time, from international proprieties to national etiquette. There are many ways of greeting, “你吃了嗎?” Which is used for a long time, it is a common greeting. In feudal society, most of ordinary people just wish to have food without anything, so this way of greeting is a way of caring. As the improvement of people’s living standard, the problem of food has been solved in China, but this kind of greeting has been handed down. Now, it has become a way of greeting without the original meaning.
An American will say “Hello” or “Hi” when he or she meets and greets his or her acquaintances on the way, but Chinese people will say: “Have you eaten yet?” (你吃飯了嗎?). Americans always feel puzzled even they are angry after hearing greeting like this. American thinks that you want to have lunch with him or you are inviting him to have dinner. If you often greet him in this way, some of them think that you want to treat him because he has no money for dinner. Obviously, the cross-cultural awareness results in the communicative obstacle. “您辛苦啦!” Chinese people use it widely, but there is no equivalent expression in English. When the tour guide supplies the reception service and gives a welcome speech, some of guides will say: “You must have been tired now” or “You have had a tiring journey” in order to express respect and consideration for the foreign tourists, but his or her words produce exactly opposite results. The foreign tourist thinks the tour guide wants to express: “You are too weak to withstand wind.” They will be unhappy for this. If the tour guide greets them in this way: “Did you have a pleasant trip?” they will be glade to answer. Take another example, a foreign tourist always says: “Thank you!” for thanks after getting helps from the tour guide. If tour guide answers: “It’s my duty”, which will cause misunderstanding. The foreign tourists consider that tour guide give him a hint that tour guide does not want to help him at all, but he has to do it because of job responsibility. In fact, “It’s my duty”(這是我的職責(zé)), this expression is very common in China, it is a polite formula which is used in answering thanks. However, the foreign tourist does not know Chinese social etiquette and the mode of common expression, which result in his misunderstanding, and the tour guide hasn’t use local English and leads to appear communicative obstacle. If the tour guide changes another way to express: “It’s my pleasure!” or “Not at all”, it really expresses what he or she wants to say. #p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
3.1.3 Cross-cultural Awareness in the Historical Allusions and Folk Legends
The history of Chinese culture has run a long course from remote sources, nearly the most of scenic spots have one or two historical allusion or folk legend. In the tour activity, if the tour guide only gives a short introduction about these historical stories and legends to the foreign tourists, most of them will be confused because of lacking of concerned historical and cultural knowledge. Using comparison to familiar something is called the method of tracing analogy between two events. Giving a introduction with this method, the tourists can easily comprehend unfamiliar things as if they were in the old surrounding. In this case, if the tour guide interprets it with this method, it will yield desired effect. Similar examples are: compare Liangshanbo and Zhuyingtai to the Romeo and Juliet when the tour guide tells tourists the story of “Butterfly’s love”; Compare Shunwukong(monkey) and Zhubajian(pig) to Mick Mouse and Donald Duck when the tour guide describes the famous works Journey to the West; For another example people established a memorial hall for Jigong, there is a sentence in the hall like this: “濟(jì)公劫富濟(jì)貧，深受窮困人民的愛戴”(Chen Donghong, 2004:2)) If the tour guide just interprets it like this: Jigong is a hero, he likes to help poor people and punished the rich. People all like him.” maybe lots of foreign tourists will ask: Who is Jigong?” Under this circumstance, if the tour guide interprets it in this way: “Jigong, Robin Hood in China, robbed the rich and helped the poor.”(Chen Donghong, 2004:3) In this way, it will make the foreign tourists easily understand and warm their hearts. When people go to the West Lake, the tourists will be attracted by its natural beauty and folk legend. At the north end of causeway is the well-known Broken Bridge (Duan Qiao) so named because the bridge looks artistically broken in distance when winter snows first melt at the bridge. According to the Tale of White Snake, this was the very place where the hero and heroine met and fell in love, and later on got reunited after many hardships and difficulties. “Near the forest there once was a cave which was said to be the very place where lady white cultivated herself”(Lu Zhibao, 2003:185) “who is the lady white why did she cultivate herself in the cave?”, maybe most of foreign tourists will ask after hearing this legend. “Is there any connection with the legend?” In this case, if the tour guide interprets like this: “Near the forest there once was a cave which was said to be the very place where lady white, the legendary heroine of the Tale of White Snake, cultivated herself according to Buddhist doctrine for punishment”, maybe most of foreign tourists will ask after hearing this legend. “Is there any connection with the legend?” In this case, if the tour guide interprets like this: “Near the forest there once was a cave which was said to be the verty place where lady white, the legendary heroine of the Tale of White Snake, cultivated herself according to the Buddhist doctrine for punishment”(Lu Zhibao, 2003:185) foreign tourists will comprehend deeply the legend and its inner culture by adding some background knowledge for explanation. #p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
3.2 Using the Skills of Interpretation Flexibly
The guide interpreting is a kind of intercultural communication. Lots of foreign tourists cannot comprehend the information deeply from the tourism propaganda material, which will overshadow the enthusiasm of sightseeing because they are lack of historical knowledge and background information involved. Under this circumstance, tour guide should understand thoroughly the text messages and makes appropriate adaptations. The tour guide should make an appropriate readjustment to the information from the foreign tourist’s angle which is suitable for their language appreciative habit and psychology cognition, and tour guide also should make sure the way of expression which is easily for the foreign tourists to accept (the way of expression connects meaning transference and acceptability), so the foreign tourists can enjoy magnificent scenic spots at the same time.
3.2.1 Interpretation of Scenic Spot’s Name
China is a country with thousands years of civilization, lots of names of scenic spots and historical sites have abundant meaning, so in the touring environment, the tour guide cannot interpret scenic spots’ names only with the Transliteration. Sometimes, the tour guide needs to interpret with combining Free Translation and Transliteration. For example, “Taihedian” is the Palace Museum. If the tour guide interprets it like this: “Taihedian”（the Throne Hall of Supreme Harmony）with combining Free Translation and Transliteration for supplement. The foreign tourists will comprehend it easily. Take another example, “Jiuzhaigou” Chinese famous tourism resort, which literally meaning “the nine-village valley” is name after the nine Tibetan-style villages situated in the valley. If the tour guide interprets it like this: This is Jiuzhaigou (The Ravine of nine Tibetan villages), most of the foreign tourists will be confused about it, but if the tour guide adds some background of it, which will product a good effect. When visit Yuefei’s Temple in Hangzhou, if the tour guide interprets: “This is Yuefei’s Temple and his tomb”. “What are you talking about?” “Who is he?” perhaps some of tourists will ask. Most of foreign tourists have little historical knowledge about China, so it is difficult for them to understand, but if the guide interpreter explains it: “We are going to visit the memorial hall of General Yuefei, an army general of southern song Dynasty when Hongzhou was the capital of China.” In this way, it can deepen the tourist’s understanding. If the “Santanyinyue”(三潭印月) is interpreted like this: “The isle of Santanyinyue”, which has lost aesthetic feeling of its primary name and the tourists cannot find the beauty of name. If tour guide interprets it with Free Translation, which will strengthen effects on the spots. “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon”, after hearing this name, tourists must realize the sense of beauty of its name, and their enthusiasm of tourism will be stirred up again. Lots of people pronounce “Hupaoquan”（虎跑泉）in a wrong way, so “Hupaoquan” was mistranslated as “ Tiger Running Spring”. “跑” is a polysyllabic word, one pronounce “pao1”(means someone or animal is running), another pronounce “pao2” (means animals paw the ground). There was a story about its name. It is said that a monk called Xingkong came to a place and wanted to live there, but he had to leave because of having lack water. On one night, a supernatural being told him in his dream, “There is a Tongzi Spring in Nanyue (Mount Hengshan), I will sent two tigers to remove it.” In the next morning, the monk saw two tigers were pawing the ground and water sprang up from the ground. So he decided to live there and named the spring as “Hupaoquan” (Lin Bing, 2005:2). Therefore, it should be pronounced as “pao2”.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
3.2.2 Interpretation on the Spots
Interpretation on the spots is different from guidebook is translated in advance, tour guide should bring his or her aptitude into play and gives on-the-spot guidance. Therefore, the guide should master rich knowledge, have broad experience, and grasp the way of making appropriate adaptations in the light of specific conditions. Tour guide should interpret flexibly according to the situation by using reserved knowledge, try his or her best to cater to the tourist’s taste and make them happy. Before visiting the Guilin, tour guide will say: “Beijing’s leg, Xian’s mouth, Guilin’s mountains and rivers.”(北京的腿， 西安的嘴，桂林的山和水), I believe the most of foreign tourists will be puzzled. Under this circumstance, if the tour guide explains it like this: “In Beijing, the tourist guide has to walk a lot because there are so many places to see; In Xian, he has to talk a lot because there are so many histories to tell; In Guilin, he doesn’t have to talk or walk a lot because the beautiful mountains and rivers are attractive enough for the travelers themselves to see and enjoy.” (Chen Xiaowei, 2006:271) On the way of visiting the Confucius temple in Tianjin, the tour guide will give a short introduction about some humanistic knowledge involved. “在中國(guó)，一提到孔子上至白發(fā)蒼蒼的老人， 下至天真幼稚的頑童， 無(wú)人不知，無(wú)人不曉。人們?yōu)榱思o(jì)念他，在許多地方都建有祭祀他的寺廟，天津也不例外。” Obviously, the original is typical Chinese expression including antithesis and rhyme, tour guide interprets it according to the mode of western expression “Confucius is a household name in China. Temples in memory of him could be found everywhere in China and Tianjin is no exception.” Although the tour guide simplifies many information and uses the “household ” instead of “上至白發(fā)蒼蒼的老人， 下至天真幼稚的頑童” and makes the interpretation concise and explicit in the view of meaning transference and acceptability of information to the foreign tourists. Owing to lack of humanistic knowledge involved, most of tourists know little about Confucius, so the tour guide should give some information about him before interpreting his temple. “Confucius is the great Chinese thinker and educator, he is regarded as a great philosopher and a great sage of China, whose ideas have greatly influenced not only Chinese culture but world civilization.” (Sun Xiaoke, 2001:179) He was welcomed and respected in China like Aristotle in Greece. It will be helpful to the foreign tourists.
3.3 Using Understandable and Graphic Language
Language is a means of transmitting information and exchanging people’s thoughts and feeling for reaching the goal of mutual understanding. The occupation of tour guide is to explain natural landscape and cultural phenomena through his or her language that makes tourists obtain knowledge and artistic enjoyment. Guidebook language is translated in advance, but it is also an oral language which is used by tour guide to communicate with tourists when tour guide describes the scenic spots, it possesses multiple functions, including conveying service information, guiding tourists, interpreting the background of spots and fulfilling their aesthetic demand. Although it is a kind of written language, tourists accept the information by hearing, they don’t have too much time to think, if the tour guide uses much literary language and complex sentences to express, it will be difficult for tourists to understand. Using simple, vivid sentences, it will possess meaning transference function, and produce rhythmic and sonorous effect.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
3.3.1 Speaking Real English to Strengthen Spot Effects
When the tour guide interprets scenic spots to foreign tourists, a qualified tour guide should try his or her best to speak real English, for his or her work is to contact the English-speaking foreign tourists, which will bring about kinetic art and strengthen infectivity. For example, Linying Temple in Hangzhou, the most famous stone statue is Maitreya Buddha(Milefo), it’s dull only to interpret “Milefo”, if the tour guide adds some others “Welcome Buddha, Beer-belly Buddha, Laughing Buddha”, and adds a Chinese saying like this: “A care-free mind, a fatty kind” and a well-known message in American “It’s a Kadak moment”. These humorous sentences surely stir up tourist’s laughing. If tour guide pays much attention to the immediate effect, which will make tourists more comfortable and delighted. For example, a guide interpreter brings a tour group to the outside of Suzhou city, tour guide describes it like this “Suzhou is famous for beautiful gardens as well as interesting green hills. Look at those hills of different shapes, Lingyan Hill is just like a prostrating elephant; Tianping Hill is just like a leopard; Jingshan Hill is just like a crouching dragon; Huqiu Hill looks like a lion looking at Huqiu Hill.” The corresponding guidebook language is “蘇州城內(nèi)園林美， 城外青山更有趣。那一座座山頭活脫脫像一頭頭猛獸：靈巖山像伏地的大象；天平山像金錢豹；金山像臥龍；虎丘山猶如蹲伏的猛虎；獅子山的模樣活似回頭望著虎丘的獅子，那是蘇州一景，名叫獅子回望看虎丘。” (Lin Bing, 2005:3) Another tour guide gives a completely different interpretation in the same place, “You can see Lingyan Hill over there. That is Tianping Hill, over there is Jinshan Hill, and over there is Huqiu Hill. That’s Shizi Hill.” The corresponding guidebook language is “那是靈巖山，那是天平山，那是金山，那是虎丘山，那是獅子山” View above-mentioned two different interpretations, the former is vivid, the latter is dull. Compared to the former, the latter tour guide just conveys some information about the spots, which cuts down the charm of scene and makes tourist be fed up with the interpretation. The guide’s language is used for meeting tourist’s demand from many aspects, so the tour guide should avoid interpreting with trite and dull English or Chinglish that make tourists have an aversion to the scene. Vivid and lifelike language will be absorbing.
3.3.2 Speaking Humorous English to Stir up Tourist’s Passion
A qualified tour guide always uses some humorous language properly, including proverb, slang and riddle which foreign tourists are familiar with. For example, “我走乏拉”，after the whole tour group walk for a long time, if tour guide says “My legs are killing me, do you have the same feeling?” What he or she said must invigorate atmosphere on the spot, and promote friendship with tourists. When tour guide arranges tourists to check in a luxury hotel with all necessary fittings, enthusiastic greeting and considerate service, if the tour guide says: “This is really a tip-top hotel.”, which not only make tourists believe that they will enjoy the service of the top hotel, but also make them happier. After a day-traveling, most of tourists have been exhausted, but they have to get up earlier for the next scenic spot in the next tomorrow morning, at this moment, if the tour guide says: “It’s a drug to catch an early morning flight, I think lots of people will think it like this, but I must give you a surprise at the lunch time tomorrow, I will take you to a restaurant, it’s the last word on cooking in there. Do you want to have a try?” Using those lively and vivid descriptions, not only makes the tour guide interpretation be full of wit and humor, but also stimulates the tourist’s interest .#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
IV. Conclusion
Tourism is now viewed as one of the most important and fastest growing industries in this rapidly changing world, which generates mores jobs and benefits more people than most other industries throughout all levels of local, regional, national and international economies. It has become one of the world’s biggest industries, and is a major component of world economy. For many countries, tourism has become an important means of promoting economic development and a major source of foreign currency and China is not exception. As the rapid development of Chinese tourism, the communication between Chinese and western people is inevitable. Tour guide interpretation becomes the key factor of intercultural communication. For tour guide, the major task is not only how to interpret Chinese scenic spots and historical sites, but also how to detect cultural meaning of these tourism resources and show it to the foreign tourists. With the development of International tourism, tour guide interpretation faces to a great challenge, it will integrate with global service standard. More and more foreign tourists present higher demand for our guide interpreters. Therefore, the tour guide should learn from other people’s experiences and accumulate knowledge in routine work and detect skills which are suitable for himself or herself, collect English-speaking countries’ background knowledge, cultivate cross-cultural ability, grasp the principles of guide interpretation and use an informative, vivid spoken language in a precise, clear, graphic and humorous way.
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