Application of Functionalist Approach to Translation in Chinese-English Translation of Public Signs

As a break with the traditional idea of equivalence and an important complement to translation theories,functionalist approach to translation stresses the communicative function in the target culture and believes that the translation purpose determines translation and also decides the translation strategies and methods,which opens up a new perspective to the study on translation strategies of public signs.Focusing on the Chinese-English translation of public signs,with realizing communicative purpose of public signs in mind,this paper firstly analyzes functions of public signs,then emphatically illustrates the translation principles from the perspective of functionalist approach to translation;on the basis of which,it explores the specific translation strategies.