Public Signs In China

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The rapid economic growth has widely motivated the communication between China and other countries. Under such a circumstance, the proliferation of mutual contacts calls for China’s readiness to create a livable and convenient environment for its international visitors. Public signs as part of the environment on the one hand provide necessary information for people; on the other, they definitely display the level of civilization of the country.
Along with the strategic implementation of the New Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013, the Development Plan of the Blue Economic Zone in Shandong Peninsula was approved as a national strategy of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). And the Five-Year Plan from 2016 …show more content…

Abbreviations are often applied in public signs, such as “贵宾室/VIP,”, “特快专递/ EMS”.
The simple present tense is used most frequently in public signs in order to give real-time direction, suggestion, restriction, or waning to the target readers, for example: “小心碰头/Mind Your Head”, “禁止通行/Don’t …show more content…

The combination of words, pictures or drawings is often used, which is of great help to make the public signs easily understood.
Moreover, specific expressions in public signs vary from country to country due to cultural differentiations though they refer to the same object. For instance, the word “W.C”, which originated in U.K. is well acknowledged in China, while other English-speaking countries prefer “Toilet”; American English “Garbage Can” is expressed as “Rubbish Bin” by the British; “ First Floor” in U.K. is “ Second Floor” in America, etc.
2.2 Functions of Public Signs
Public signs usually carry four functions (Bei and Shan, 2002) which are informational function, directive function, restrictive function, and mandatory function.
Informational Function
Target readers get necessary information from signs in public places such as “问询服务/INFORMATION”, “租车服务/CAR REANTAL”.
Directive Function
Public signs offer a suggestion or direction, for example, “小心地滑/ WET FLOOR” , “售完/SOLD OUT”.
Restrictive Function
Public signs may restrict people’s actions to comply with the social conventions, for instance, “右侧行驶/KEEP RIGHT”, “残疾人专用通道/ WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE”.
Mandatory

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