从跨文化角度探究商标词的翻译【毕业论文】.doc

1、 本科毕业论文 （ 20 届） 英语 从跨文化角度探究商标词的翻译 On the Translation of Brand Name from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Communication 诚 信 声 明 我声明，所呈交的论文 (设计 )是本人在老师指导下进行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。据我查证，除了文中特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，论文 (设计 )中不包含其他人已经发表或撰写过的研究成果，也不包含为获得 或其他教育机 构的学位或证书而使用过的材料。我承诺，论文 (设计 )中的所有内容均真实、可信。 论文 (设计 )作者签名： 签名日期： 年 月

2、 日 授 权 声 明 学校有权保留送交论文（设计）的原件，允许论文（设计）被查阅和借阅，学校可以公布论文（设计）的全部或部分内容，可以影印、缩印或其他复制手段保存论文（设计），学校必须严格按照授权对论文 (设计 )进行处理，不得超越授权对论文（设计）进行任意处置。 论文 (设计 )作者签名： 签名日期： 年 月 日I 摘要 由于全球化的迅速发展，国际间的贸易往来变得更加的频繁。在国际市场竞争激烈的情况下，各个国家都忙于销售它们各自的商品。在销售的过程中， 商标起着决定性的作用。商标中英文之间的互相翻译对促进产品的销售非常重要。毫无疑问， 好的商标能促进商品的销售。围绕论题，本文主要从三个方面入

3、手：（ 1）商标词翻译的背景及重要性。（ 2）商标词翻译的原则。（ 3）商标词翻译的策略。本文旨在从跨文化角度探究商标词的翻译，考虑中英文文化之间的不同，寻求最合适的商标翻译。从而达到促进产品销售的目的。 关键词： 商标；翻译；直 译；音译；意译；策略 II Abstract Comparatively speaking, the international trade is more frequent with the internationalization. All the nations are busy selling their own products in the situat

4、ion that competition of the international market is becoming fierce. Brand names play a decisive role in the process of sales. It is important to translate the brand names between Chinese and English for improving the sale of products. There is no wonder that better translation of brand names can se

5、ll the products better. Revolving the proposition, the thesis divides into three parts,1)the background and importance of translating brand names; 2)expressing principles of translating brand names; 3) strategies of translating brand names with many examples. Through an analysis of translating brand

6、 names from the perspective of cross-cultural communication, this thesis helps to seek for a suitable brand name with the consideration of different culture between English and Chinese. As a result, a good brand name can attract customers and promote sale of products. Key words: brand name; translat

7、ion; literal translation; transliteration; strategy III Contents Abstract . II 1. Introduction . 1 1.1 Background information . 1 1.2The importance of brand name translation . 1 1.2.1 Concepts of brand and brand name . .2 1.2.2 Popularity of brand name . .2 1.2.3 Importance of brand name . .3 2. Pri

8、nciples of translating brand name . .4 2.1 Avoiding cultural conflicts . .4 2.2 Translating the goods information most appropriately . .5 2.3Achieving conciseness and briefness . .6 3. Strategies of brand name translation . .6 3.1 Literal translation . 7 3.2 Transliteration . .8 3.3 Free translation

9、/Paraphrase . 9 3.4 Creative translation . . . .10 4. Conclusion . 11 Bibliography . . .12 Acknowledgements . 13 1 1. Introduction 1.1 Background information With the deepening of the international division of labor, the development and the trend of global economic integration is strengthening day b

10、y day. International trade has become an important force to promote world economic development. Whats more, China being a member of the WTO brings more foreign products into Chinese market and Chinese products have more access to the international market. There is no wonder that products can enhance

11、 competitiveness and make good benefits due to a good reputation and fame. Therefore, all nations tap the international market potential and promote the development of international trade using brand name. (LiJianjun, 2004:89-90) Accurate, translation of brand names is very important today when trad

12、e is becoming more frequently day by day. Problems are sure to arise in brand names translation. Whether translate brand names well plays an important role on the sale abroad. However, the field of brand names is a place where the competitive has long been intense. In China, the history of brand nam

13、es in the modern sense is pretty brief compared with that of the western society. After the reform and opening up of China, Chinas brand names industry has seen a rapid development whose speed has been unprecedented in the whole word. Together with the economic boom is a rapid development of Chinese

14、 brand names industry. 1.2The importance of brand name translation Brand names have a history far shorter than that of the human society, but why are brand names so important? At least three factors are involved in brand names: buyers, sellers and the commodity. The aim of brand names is to attract

15、the attention of the consumers in foreign market and rouse their purchase desire. People from all around the world think brand names are very important. In Chinese culture, The Analects of Confucius, (论语 ) which is a classic work of Confucianism, there is a famous saying, “If names be not correct, l

16、anguage accords not with truth. If language accords not with the truth, affairs can not achieve success.”(名不正，则言不顺。言不顺，则事不成。 ) Therefore, not surprisingly Chinese businesses have attached great importance to brand names of their products. Brand names as a card of products makes customers know the pr

17、oduct well. Most of the customers judge quality from brand names in the first place. 2 1.2.1 Concepts of brand and brand name According to a certain Japanese scholar, Brand is the face of a product. Brand is a commercial term. According to A Glossary of Marketing Terms: Marketing Definition, “Brand

18、is a name, term, sign, symbol, design or some combination used to identify the products of one firm and to differentiate them from competitive offerings.”(Committee on Definition, 1996) The ingredients in a brand constitute the product itself, the packaging, the brand name, the promotion, the advert

19、ising and the overall presentation. The brand is actually a synthesis of all these elements, physical, aesthetic, rational and emotional. Therefore, a brand name is merely a part of a brand-fundamental of language, culture, psychology, market, aesthetics etc. However, a powerful brand name embodies

20、a unique set of values and attributes and hence stimulates consumers interest. It is the core of the product identity and personality. A brand name initiates the critical relationship between the brand and the audience. In this way, Brand names should be effective in as many ways as possible: distin

21、ct, memorable, pronounceable, original, and more often than not, descriptive of the product. What is more, an effective brand name should not carry negative meanings in other cultures. 1.2.2 Popularity of brand names A brand name refers to “a type of products manufactured by a particular company und

22、er a particular name”. Brands can be seen in our commodity society and no one can escape from their presence. Nowadays, brand names are everywhere. Almost everything we buy, we use, we meet, and we consume is itself a brand name. Brand names, as Kodak beautifully describe it, “ are helping to define

23、 the times of our lives”.(LiFei,2002:19) In the past, people in Beijing used to show their appreciation of a well-dressed person by saying that he/she was wearing “盛锡福 ”(sheng xifu), “内联升 ”(nei lian sheng). These names refer to brands respectively for quality hat, cloth and shoes, showing a persons

24、social status. In English, there are also similar expressions .The following is a passage describing this: He appeared from his Cadillac luxury, with a Pepsodent smile. He was on a fashionable Pierre Cardin and a Juvenia. Under his arm was a bulging Filofox in which everyone would know there were a

25、Parker, an American Express, a Comix, some Alphex, a box of Marlboro, a Diners Club, and of course a Chanel for man. His Cardines were shining and clean, his hair smelt Brylereem. (He Chuansheng: 1997, 194-195) 3 Here , the words in italics are all brand names. They are often used to represent the p

26、roducts in America. 1.2.3 Importance of brand names As the product of economic development, brand names exist widely in the social life, and play a very important role on the propagation, promotion of the commodity and the beautification of human life.(YangChaoyan,2001:64-66) Having an appropriate b

27、rand name can sell products well abroad. Foreign brand names, no matter how much fame they enjoy globally, will be difficult for Chinese customers to accept if they dont have impressive translations into Chinese. As importance in international trade, as an American scholar Al Ries says: a good trans

28、lation of a brand name can bring millions of dollars difference in the products sells record.(Larry, 2000) Brand names are written in the cover of the goods including the letter, sign and so on, which differ one from the others. Although they are just made up with a few word, brand names play an imp

29、ortant role in choose goods for customers because they indicate seller and maker of the goods. Before entering into the world market, developing the right international brand names has become a very important marketing strategy for most businesses. If a company is to make a successful move into a fo

30、reign market, it is essential for it to translate all relevant documents into the target language, including translating its brand names. The effect of brand names is like the name of person. An appropriate brand name can promote more customers choose the one rather than similar others. When a brand

31、 is greatly liked by most customers, the other products of the same kind, in fact, are facing the problem of being defeated in the competition. So, the naming of the products has an immediate connection with the future of the enterprises. To a certain degree, the translation of the brand names seems

32、 to have to overcome an even harder obstacle. Just like other translation, it is a cross-cultural communication. Brand names not only reflect image of company and products, but also are a bridge between the customers and the products. They involve the following aspects, such as, the law of language,

33、 the cultural psychology, the aesthetic temperament and interest. A successful translation of brand names should be able to get rid of various boundaries, take firm root among the masses, stimulate the favorable associations and consuming desire, and eventually promote the sales of the products.(WuH

34、an,2004:13) In other words, the translation of brand names should have produced equivalent or similar effect to the receivers just 4 like the original ones. The difference of languages and international cultural background has brought great challenges for brand names translation. 2. Principles of tr

35、anslating brand name Goods are sold in different nations where different cultures affect their languages. With the fierce competition, translating the brand name appropriately becomes very important. Translators have to translate brand name from the perspective of cross-cultural communication. As a

36、result, translation is not the transfer of words. It is the transfer of two different cultures. Translation is not simply a process of decoding languages, but the process of intercultural or cross-cultural communication.(HuKaibao&ChenZaiquan,2000,5:56-58) Due to the fact that people from diverse cul

37、tures vary sharply in their criteria ranging from perception, evaluation, and attitudes to religions, lifestyles and stereotypes, translators can hardly avoid cultural interpretation in the translating process. In a word, cross-cultural competence is absolutely needed for effective translation. Bran

38、d name translation is not simply a matter of finding equivalent expressions in the target language for the source brand name, but a process of transplanting cultures as well. From the above detailed study about the brand name, we can see the language used in such a special field as brand naming and

39、translating must have some features of its own. 2.1 Avoiding cultural conflicts There is no wonder that different nations have different cultures. It asks us in the translation to respect the difference of the national psychology. National psychology is a psychological characteristic coming from nat

40、ional culture in the long course of evolution. (TangDegen,1997:20-21)The differences of ecological environment, evolution history, religious and political economic of each nation makes the difference of the psychological characteristic which lead to distinct values associative meaning and consumptio

41、n.(ZhuYaoxian,2003:24) For example, brand names of many products made by our nation-China named after animals. Translators have to make clear that whether the animals in other countries have special meanings. It is necessary to know which animals are popular in the country and which should be avoided in the translation of brand name. Take poison(百爱神香水 ) as an example, the meaning of “poison” is “a