Analysis on the Problems
of Translating Geographic Names in China
Abstract: As the single romanization of geographic names was introduced by the United Nations to the whole world, Chinese government selected Hanyu Pinyin Fang’an—Chinese Phonetic Alphabet as the only spelling system for the romanization of geographic names in China. However, many problems still exists during the single romanization process in many cities. Now, the situation is that many kinds of ill-fromed spelling froms are popular among the public but the leagle ones are disappearing. My essay introduced the development of the romanization systems for Chinese character in the history, listed out different ill-forms of romanized geographic names and analyzed the reasons that caused these problems. The aim in this dissertation is to arouse public attention in the single romanization of geographic names in China and advocate the scientific and proper romanization system. Through this, promote the healthy development of the sigle romanization in China.
Key Words: the Single Romanization; Geographic Names; Hanyu Pinyin; Chinese Phonetic Alphabet
中国地名翻译中存在问题的分析
摘 要：随着联合国地名单一罗马化进程在全世界范围内的推广，中国政府采用汉语拼音方案作为国内唯一的地名罗马化拼写系统。然而，单一罗马化进程经过几十年的发展 ，现在在很多城市中仍然存在着各种各样的问题。当前的情况是：各种错误的拼写形式在地名标牌、城市地图和文学作品中广泛流行，而合法的拼写方案却在逐渐消亡。本文介绍了各种汉字罗马化系统在历史上的发展，列举出各种错误的罗马化拼写形式并分析了产生这些错误的原因。本文旨在引起公众对中国地名单一罗马化的关注，倡导使用科学、正确的罗马化方案，促进我国地名单一罗马化的健康发展。
关键词：单一罗马化；地名；汉语拼音方案
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1. Single Romanization 1
1.1 The Origination of the Single Romanization 1
1.2 The Derivation, Development and Decline of Wade-Giles System 2
1.3 The Emergence of Postal System 3
1.4 The Derivation and Prosperity of Hanyu Pinyin System 4
2. Problems of Translating Geographic Names in China 5
2.1 Geographic Names are Translated into English 5
2.2 The Missing of the Symbol for Dividing Syllables 6
2.3 Irregular Abbreviation of Geographic Name 6
3. Analysis on the Translation of Geographic Names 7
3.1 Laws and Regulations Publicized on Geographic Names 7
3.2 International Practice for the Romanization of Geographic Names 8
3.3 Causes of the Problems 9
3.3.1 Misunderstanding the Concept of Connecting to the World 9
3.3.2 Unfamiliar with Relevant Laws and Regulations 9
3.3.3 Wrong Concept of Convenience Providing 9
3.3.4 Inadequate of Seriousness in Making Road Signs 10
4. Conclusion 10
Bibliography 13
Introduction
