旅遊英文近年在應用語言學領域愈受重視。為了對相關研究做出貢獻,此研究即是深入了解在逢甲夜市與師大夜市裡使用雙語菜單的真實情況調查。主要研究問題包括: 1. 有多少比例及哪種類的夜市攤販使用雙語菜單? 2. 這些使用或未使用雙語菜單的攤販們是基於何種理由? 3. 夜市雙語菜單所使用的翻譯策略為何? 在2011年的2月,總共264間的夜市小吃攤販參予此研究的田野調查 (183位在逢甲,81位在師大),其中,「食物種類」、「價位」、「攤販總類」和「連鎖店」為四個主要的研究變數。在264位攤販哩,其中35位作為此研究深入訪談的對象。研究結果顯示18%的逢甲夜市攤販和33%的師大攤販有使用雙語菜單。在使用SPSS軟體的分析下,我們發現賣傳統台灣小吃的路邊攤販,以及其所賣的食物低於50元者,較不傾向使用雙語菜單(p<0.001)。反之,賣異國食物且價位較高、有加入連鎖企業的店面小吃攤較易使用雙語菜單。透過訪談,我們了解大多數攤販自2008年起開始使用雙語菜單,其主要原因是因為大量增加的外國顧客與其所需的溝通需求所致。至於那些未使用雙語菜單的攤販,最主要的原因即為英語能力的好壞,會有所影響。那些英語能力強的攤販即可透過口語的溝通來得知外國攤販的需求;而那些英語過差的攤販則表示沒有能力製作雙語菜單,且害怕與外國人做言語上的接觸。然而,約一半的訪談者透露出他們未來想要做雙語菜單的意願。從觀察中,我們發現80%的店家使用全「同化策略」(即意譯)的翻譯手法。除此之外,我們發現雙語菜單不只有溝通的功能,約一半的訪談者認為透過雙語菜單能使顧客認為他們家的店比別家高級。雙語菜單扮演一個文化橋樑的角色,它能推廣台灣夜市及其所含的在地文化元素,並傳至全世界。
English for tourism has begun to receive much attention in applied linguistics. To contribute to the field, this research examines the uses of bilingual menus in Feng-Chia and Shih-Ta night markets in Taiwan. Research questions are: 1. How many and what kinds of vendors in Feng-Chia and Shih-Ta night market used bilingual menus? 2. What were vendors’ possible reasons and perceptions of using or not using bilingual menus? 3. What were the translation strategies that the vendors used in night markets? In February 2011, a survey on food categories, price range, vendor types (shop or booth), and chain store was conducted on 183 Feng-Chia and 81 Shih-Ta vendors. 35 vendors were interviewed on their perceptions of bilingual menus. The survey finds that 33% of Shih-Ta and 18% Feng-Chia vendors used bilingual menus. Chi-square analyses show that booth vendors of traditional Taiwanese food with price range below NT 50 are less likely to have bilingual menus (p<0.001). On the other hand, if the vendor sold foreign foods with higher price in chain store shop, they were more likely to use bilingual menus. Most vendors started using bilingual menus from 2008, mainly because of communicative purpose for the increasing number of foreigners. And for those who did not use bilingual menus, the main reason was vendors’ English proficiency. Those with sufficient English proficiency chose not to use bilingual menus because they can communicate orally; while those without English proficiency could not make bilingual menus and some were afraid to attract foreigners with bilingual menus. However, half of the interviewees who did not use bilingual menus showed their intentions to make bilingual menus in the future. As for translation strategy, more than 80% of the vendors applied Domesticating strategy to translate the meaning. Bilingual menus have many functions in addition to communication. Half of the interviewed vendors agreed that bilingual menus enhanced customers’ images of their quality. The role of bilingual menu in the future is like a cultural bridge to promote Taiwanese local features to the worldwide.