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. There will be more and more people who are going to learn about Chinese culture and like China.Bibliography1 Boone and Kurtz. Contemporary Business. Chicago: The Dryden Press, 1990.2 Edwin Gentzler. Contemporary translation theories. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.3 Ernst-August Gutt. Translation and relevance: cognition and context. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.4 Jin Xin. On Handling Linguistic and Cultural Peculiarities In Translating Advertisements .Guangdong：Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, 2001.5 Nida,E. “Language Culture and Translation”, Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1993.6 Tylor E B. The origins of culture. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1958.7 郭英珍.谈文化差异与汉英翻译J.河南：河南师范大学学报（哲学社会科学版），2003.8 侯维瑞.英语语体学M.上海：上海外语教育出版社, 1988.9 蒋磊.谈商业广告的翻译J.北京：中国翻译，1994.10 刘法公.论广告词的汉英翻译原则J.北京：外语与外语教学，1999.11 刘宓庆.文体与翻译J.北京：中国对外翻译出版公司，1998.12 潘绍中，赫迎红.谈谈汉英对译中的文化因素J.北京：中国翻译，2004.13 秦秀白.文体学概论M.长沙：湖南教育出版社，1996.14 王子娟.广告语言与大众心理J.上海：外国语，1995.15 章礼霞.从广告语的角度看中西方文化的差异与交融J.北京：外语与外语教学，2000.16 郑仰南.从跨文化角度看翻译与文化差异J.黑龙江：黑龙江教育学院学报，1999.生命列车The Train Of Life1. 不久以前，我读了一本书。书中把人生比作一次旅行。2. 人生一世，就好比是一次搭车旅行，要经历无数次上车、下车; 时常有事故发生; 有时是意外惊喜，有时却是刻骨铭心的悲伤 3. 降生人世，我们就坐上了生命列车。我们以为我们最先见到的那两个人-我们的父母，会在人生旅途中一直陪伴着我们。 4. 很遗憾，事实并非如此。他们会在某个车站下车，留下我们，孤独无助。他们的爱、他们的情、他们不可替代的陪伴，再也无从寻找。 5. 尽管如此，还会有其他人上车。他们当中的一些人将对我们有着特殊的意义。 6. 他们之中有我们的兄弟姐妹, 有我们的亲朋好友。我们还将会体验千古不朽的爱情故事。7. 坐同一班车的人当中，有的轻松旅行。8. 有的却带着深深的悲哀 还有的,在列车上四处奔忙，随时准备帮助有需要的人  9. 很多人下车后，其他旅客对他们的回忆历久弥新 但是，也有一些人，当他们离开座位时，却没有人察觉。10. 有时候，对你来说情深义重的旅伴却坐到了另一节车厢。你只得远离他，继续你的旅程。11. 当然，在旅途中，你也可以摇摇晃晃地穿过自己的车厢，去别的车厢找他 12. 可惜，你再也无法坐在他身旁，因为这个位置已经让别人给占了 .13. 没关系。旅途充满挑战、梦想、希望、离别 就是不能回头。因此，尽量使旅途愉快吧！14. 善待旅途上遇见的所有旅客，找出人们身上的闪光点。15. 永远记住，在某一段旅程中，有人会犹豫彷徨，因为我们自己也会犹豫彷徨。16. 我们要理解他人，因为我们需要他人的理解。17. 生命之谜就是：我们在什么地方下车？坐在身旁的伴侣在什么地方下车？我们的朋友在什么地方下车？我们无从知晓 18. 我时常这样想：到我该下车的时候，我会留恋吗？我想我还是会的。和我的朋友分离，我会痛苦。让我的孩子孤独地前行，我会悲伤。 我执著地希望在我们大家都要到达的那个终点站，我们还会相聚 19. 我的孩子们上车时没有什么行李，如果我能在他们的行囊中留下美好的回忆，我会感到幸福。20. 我下车后，和我同行的旅客都还能记得我，想念我，我将感到快慰。21. 献给你, 我生命列车上的同行者, 祝您旅途愉快!1. Not long ago, I read a book, in which a mans life was compared to a journey.2. The life of a man is just like a hitchhiking，during which many times we go up and down. Now and then things will happen accidently, some of which are to be unexpected excitement，while some heart-breaking sorrows. 3. When first embraced the world，we are already on the train of life. We take it for granted that the first two persons, our parents, whom we are encountered with, will accompany us all the way.4. Sadly，things do not go on as we thought.Our parents will get off the train at a certain station，leaving us, bereft and helpless.Their love and emotion to us and their irreplaceable company can be found in nowhere.5. However，there will be somebody else who will get on the train. Some of them will have special meaning to us.6. Some of them may be our siblings , relatives and friends, and we will also expereince the imperishable love.7. Some of our travelling companions are quite light-hearted on the way.8. While some may bear immense sorrow.Still some ,back and forth, are ready to hold out their hands for others who need help.9. Some people alight off the train, yet they are still kept in the mind of the other passengers for long;some, to the opposite, leave their seats without being noticed.10. Sometimes, the one,who is dear to your heart, has huddled into another carriage. Nothing but one you can do is just to keep on going, far away from him.11. Of course, during the journey, you may stagger to another carriage to look for him.12. Its a pity that you will never seat yourself beside him because the seat has been engaged by others. 13. Never mind. The journey is full of challenges,dreams, hopes and departures- but only one thing is that you cant turn back. So, have a good journey with heart and soul.14. Show your good-will to all the passengers you are encountered with, and find the merits of theirs.15. Remeber that someone may oscillate just as we do in the journey.16. We should understand others just as we need others understanding.17. The enigma of life is：Where shall we get off the train of life?And how about the companions beside us?And our friends?We dont know.18. Sometimes I think：When my time comes to get off the train，shall I miss it？I think I will.It is a suffering when I part with my friends.I will be sorry for leaving my kids going alone.I firmly hold that when we get to the terminal，we will have another reunion.19. When my kids get on the train of life, they have only little luggage in their travelling bags. However,if I can leave the beautiful memory in them,I will be happy. 20. After getting off the train of life, I will be content if my fellow passengers will remember me and miss me.21. To you , the companions on my train of life.May you have a good journey!