English-Chinese Advertisement Translation 毕业论文.doc

AbstractAs the product of culture, advertisement can show the close relationship between language and culture. This paper discusses some issues about English-Chinese advertisement translation, and sums up some skills. Instead of being limited in faithfulness, English-Chinese advertisement translation should focus on the purpose of selling products. In the process of translating advertisements, cultural differences and product characteristics should be taken into consideration. Cultural differences can show that it is very important to know the western consumers aesthetic conception and their response to the translated trademarks.Key Wordscultural differences ; advertisement translation; cross-cultural communication; trademarks translationI. Introduction We live in a world of advertisement. As potential consumers, we are endlessly bombarded with all kinds of product or service information from various media including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, posters and Internet, etc. Advertisement becomes indispensable in the modern world.With the entry of China into WTO, lots of foreign products pour into Chinese market and compete with the home-made products. In addition, we need improve our external trade, and expand the foreign market too. Under such English-Chinese and economic circumstances, it is necessary for us to notice and investigate English advertisement.1. The Definition of AdvertisementWhat is advertisement therefore? Advertisement is the not personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuade in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media.Advertisement provides a valuable service to society and its members, because it defines the meaning and the role of products, services, and institutions for consumers. Advertisement also tell the consumer what a specific product, brand or service should do when it is used and thus help him or her to understand and evaluate experience with the products and services that he or she uses. On the other hand, by making people aware of products, service and ideas, advertisement promote sales and profits. Finally, advertisement is one of the major forces that are helping improve the standard of living around the world.2. Basic Functions of Advertisement(1)Information Function (2)Demand Creation Function (3)Get Action Function (4)Goodwill Establishment FunctionII. The Characteristics of Advertisement Translation1. The Characteristics of the Advertisement Languages Advertisement translation is a commercial activity with preset purpose. In order to make the information accessible to audience effectively, the choice of words in advertisement is very cautious and skillful. The aim of the advertiser is quite specific. Lets take a look at the characteristics of the English-Chinese advertisement languages.(1). Rhetorical（修辞的） Characteristics: Pun will leave a deep impression on readers by its readability（有趣）, and humor. (2) Frequent Use of Emotive Words（频繁使用情态动词）:Advertisements use the soft-sell（软推销） technique（手法） is popular. By soft-sell technique we mean the one that favors a more emotive and less directive approach to promote a product, mainly focusing on the building of brand image. Nothing comes closer to home. (Vegetable and Chicken Pasta Bake)Think Lysol is the best disinfecting spray. (Disinfecting Spray) These adjectives help to build a pleasant picture in readers minds and manage to create a belief in the potential consumer: If I buy this product or if I chose this service, I will lead a better life.2. The Principles (准则) of Advertisement TranslationAdvertisement translation should take the functions the target text is to achieve in the target culture as the primary reference. The translation should base on an analysis of the stylistic features, readers response and target culture.When translating Chinese ads, translators should obey the following basic principles: natural and exact, succinct and vivid, easy to read and remember.III. The Cultural DifferencesThe different states cultural differences in advertisement are not allowed to neglect major problem. The cultural difference creates the different thinking mode, the psychological characteristic; the value idea and so on can affect the understanding of the advertisement as well as the advertisement effect. So, the advertisement should change the focal point, angle and style of the advertisement according to the characteristics of different countries when being held to draft people, carry on the new intention to conceive in the way that the audiences can understand, can be accepted, can become interested it. While carrying on the English-Chinese advertisement translating, translators must pay special attention to the cultural differences. We must find one to suit and click in foreign culture and national culture. Cultural differences have an essential bearing upon translation. Most problems, however, concern the core of culture: ways of life, values (including ethical criteria, ideology, religion, and relevant terms of address and relations of kinship) and ways of thinking and writing The varieties of cultural make languages differences between nationalities quite complicated. It is necessary to make intercultural communication today when English-Chinese contacts are more and more frequent. We need not only to master the basic skill of languages, but also to understand cultural differences.1.Differences in National Characteristics and Aesthetic Attitude2。 Differences in Numbers 3。 Differences in Regional Environments 4。 Differences in Colors, Signs and Symbols5。Differences in Psychological Structures6。 Differences in Sense of Cultural Values IV. The Translating Skills of Advertisement TranslationAdvertisement language is concise, vivid, vigorous, and pregnant with meaning. Advertisement translation must express meaning exactly, not apply explanation in the dictionary mechanically. Therefore, translating ads can bring forth new ideas flexibly; above all, it must accord with the conditions of other countries, to make customers pleased to accept the information of the product. The target language must be equal to source language in semantics, social culture, style and pragmatics. The translation needs not only transmit the information of the original text faithfully and precisely, but also conform to the features of advertisement language. That will achieve the effect of source ads, and can gain ideal economic benefit.1. Literal TranslationTranslators can apply some words or expressions which are corresponding to the target language. Thats to say, on the basis of not going against expressing way of the target language and psychology of the target consumers, the target language should reserve the form of the source language, including metaphor, image and features of the nation, e.g. 典雅大方 (elegant and graceful), 汰渍到，污垢逃 (Tides in, dirts out), 安全可靠 (safe and stable). These translations not only have the language feature of Chinese ads-four characters, symmetry, but also not go against the custom of English ads.2. Liberal（自由的）TranslationIn order to transmit the message of source ads more exactly, translators may make proper variation, adjust the structure, and translate it in the ways of explanations, complement, and corresponding replacement. “收费厕所” is translated into “toilet of collecting money”, foreign tourists feel obscure after seeing it, because “Collect Money” has the meaning of contribution in English. It should be translated into “Pay Toilet”, in order to attain equivalent pragmatics.3 Translation of Parody Parody is to translate Chinese ads by applying inherent English models, on the basis of not destroying the source ads effect.百闻不如一尝. Tasting is believing.This translation imitates an English idiom: “Seeing is believing”. People in English-speaking countries must be familiar with this idiom, so applying this idiom can make them learn about this product well. Only changing a word, the effect is still similar to source ad.宁可食无肉，不可居无竹叶清。Better a dinner where there Zhu Yeqing sprit is, than a stalled ox and Zhu Yeqing without.This translation imitates an English proverb: “better a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred there with”. It replaces love with wine (Zhu Yeqing) ingeniously, which makes this translated text be rich in influence, meanwhile plays up the glamour and function of the wine (Zhu Yeqing).V. ConclusionIn a word, a good ad can draw peoples attention rapidly, while an excellent advertisement translation can make the domestic products capture (吸引)market and win the target consumers interest more easily. Above all, it can promote the domestic products sales in foreign countries and gain the markets share better. Meanwhile, Chinese traditional culture and spirit are also publicized in the world. 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