Modern Social Science Research

As globalization deepens and China's tourism industry flourishes, the importance of signage language at tourist attractions has become increasingly prominent. The quality of their English translations has emerged as a critical factor influencing foreign visitors' experiences and regional image. This paper systematically examines the standardization of English translations for tourist attraction signage, exploring three dimensions: error types, root causes, and improvement strategies. Through field research and literature analysis, combined with numerous translation examples, three major categories of errors are systematically identified: First, linguistic errors including spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and inappropriate word choice; second, cultural misinterpretations, particularly the mishandling of culturally loaded words; Third, functional failures in information transmission, including redundancy and omissions. Further analysis reveals these issues stem primarily from two core factors: translators' inadequate professional competence and non-standardized translation process management. The former manifests as weak language proficiency, inadequate translation skills, and insufficient cross-cultural awareness; the latter appears as management gaps such as absent review mechanisms, blocked feedback channels, and delayed maintenance updates. Addressing these issues, this paper proposes a standardized approach centered on talent development and process management, aiming to enhance tourism translation quality and facilitate cross-cultural communication.

Tourism; Signage; English translation; Standardization; Cultural differences