Exploring Causal Relationships for Geoheritage Interpretation — Variable Effects of Cenozoic Volcanism in Central European Sedimentary Tablelands

Modern conceptual approach to geointerpretation and geoeducation emphasizes the holistic understanding of the environment and attends to linkages between various abiotic, biotic, and cultural components. In this paper, we highlight multiple relationships between Cenozoic volcanism and host sedimentary rocks, mainly sandstones of Cretaceous age, which can be explored in the context of geotourism and geoeducation in several Central European geoparks (Bohemian Paradise UNESCO Global Geopark, Land of Extinct Volcanoes Aspiring Geopark, Ralsko National Geopark) and their surroundings. These include the effects of magmatism on sandstones, with further consequences for landform development at different spatial scales, the origin of mineral resources, underpinning of biological diversity, and specific land use contrasts. Existing interpretation provisions are reviewed, and a three-tiered framework to show these different linkages is proposed. It is argued that different, but complementary themes can be addressed at the landscape, landform, and individual outcrop (geosite) level.

Developing Culturally Effective Strategies for Chinese to English Geotourism Translation by Corpus-Based Interdisciplinary Translation Analysis

As a new field of translation with its own special genre, geotourism has not yet been firmly established because geotourism translations are currently not of a sufficient professional standard. This situation does not provide geotourists with the genre’s full target of enjoyment, learning and engagement through science popularisation tourism activities. In order to better meet these three definitive purposes in geotourism, this study analyses the three basic categories of geotourism—geological features (GFs), geological processes (GPs) and cultural elements (CEs)—to determine effective strategies of geotourism translation from Chinese into English. Challenges in translation include scientific jargon, language style and cultural gaps. In this article, the advantages of Hu’s Eco-translatology theory are explained and used for minimising translation problems; and the corpus linguistics method, superior for quantitative and qualitative analysis, is utilised. As well, digital auxiliary tools Tmxmall (2014) and Sketch Engine (2003) were employed to facilitate corpus research. Through analysis, effective strategies in each of the key geotourism categories, GFs, GPs and CEs, were identified, shaped and recommended for future translators’ attention. In the results, literal translation, transliteration and free translation, addition and use of official UNESCO names were recommended to render GFs. Division and shift translation, literal translation and shift and division were recommended for GPs. Literal translation, transliteration and free translation and addition were recommended for CEs. Since this is an initial investigation in the genre of geotourism, this study has attempted to build a model platform for future study and wider research in geotourism translation and translation pedagogy for the improvement of geotourism translation quality.