The cultural differences between English and Chinese brands 文化差异中的商标翻译.doc

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1、The cultural differences between English and Chinese brands【Abstract】 A brand is shown by a name , a word , a sign , a symbol , a design or a combination of them. It is intended to identify the products or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors

2、. Brand-naming itself represents a strategically important issue and may determine the success or failure of a product. A good brand name can also save millions of dollars over the products life because it carries its own meaning, describes the products advantages, and differentiates the product sig

3、nificantly from its competitors. By reading the brand names , it is easy to tell the products from one to the other and to know the characters of products . For the good brand has the functions of distinguishing, providing information of products and being symbol of credit , the good brand has a goo

4、d advertisement for the product and help to take in a larger market . With the globalization of world economy, especially with Chinas entry into the World Trade Organization, more and more people in China have realized the importance of good brand names and international brand names in promoting sal

5、es and cultivating markets. It is therefore not only necessary but also urgent to study on brand names and the brand translation upgrade to a new level . The main obstacle of brand translation is the different cultures . The cultural differences are represented by the forms of language . Due to the

6、fact that brands are mainly described by language , there are some difficulties in the brand translation . Then , in this paper , apart from some general knowledge about brands, the cultural differences between English and Chinese brands are shown and some mistranslations are given . What is more, i

7、n order to avoid the cultural conflicts in translation, some common skills (including Transliteration, Semantic Translation and Trans-semantic Translation) and some creative skills (Effectiveness Translation, Character Translation, Approximation Translation and Elegance Translation ) are provided .

8、And at the end of the paper , some general principles of brand translation are given for a good brand translation . 【Key Words】 brands; culture differences ; translation ; skills 【摘 要】 商标是商品和商业服务的标记它是指商品生产者、经营者、服务提供者为了使自己生产、销售的商品或提供的服务,在市场上与其他商品或服务相区别而使用的一种标记。这种标记一般用文字、图形或用文字和图形的组合表示,并置于商品或商品包装上、服务场

9、所或服务说明书上 . 商标名称的好坏具有战略性的重要作用，甚至会决定产品的存亡。一个好的品牌名称在产品的营销过程中可以节省大量资金，同时为企业赢得更多的利润, 因为它能表达特定的含意或者展现产品的特色，使产品区别于竞争对手. 商标不同于其他标志, 它与商品和商业服务紧密相联,是用在商品生产经营和商业服务领域内的特定标记。通过商标可以区别不同商品生产者、经营者或商业服务提供者的商品或服务. 可以了解产品或服务的性质和特点. 好的商标是具有信誉度的, 具有为商品做广告宣传的作用, 正因为如此,好的商标又可以刺激消费, 提高商品的市场占有率. 伴随着经济的全球化和中国加入世贸组织，人们越来越多的意识

10、到：在产品销售过程中，好的商标名称以及国际化的商标名称发挥着重要作用。研究商标名称是一项必要而且紧迫的任务. 商标的翻译也提升到一个新的高度. 商标翻译中最主要的障碍就是语言的不同, 以及由于不同的地区, 不同的语言, 不同的背景所带来的文化的差异. 这种差异通过语言表现在商标的翻译与表述之上,使得商标翻译具有一定的难度. 就此, 本文在对商标基本认识的基础之上, 重点说明了商标翻译中常出现的文化差异现象, 及忽视文化差异的商标失译例子. 并就此, 拟出一些避免文化冲突的商标翻译方法, 包括最常用的音译法, 意译法 , 音意兼译法和一些个人的独到的方法-效果翻译法, 性质翻译法, 似等翻译法及

11、联想求雅翻译法. 同时,简要地归纳一些商标翻译中应遵循的规则. 从而为得到更好地商标翻译而服务.【关键词】 商标；文化差异；翻译；技巧1. Introduction: the significance of brands1.1 Definition of brandsA brand is shown by a name, a word, a sign, a symbol, a design or a combination of them. It is intended to identify the products or services of one seller or one grou

12、p of sellers and to differentiate them from their competitors. In other words, the brand is treated as the symbol of the actual product. It is a synthesis of all these elements: physical, aesthetic, rational and emotional and cultural, which is a perception created in the mind of consumers who ascri

13、be beliefs and values to the product. Brands are printed on the surfaces of the products, packages and directions, and hanged in public places. Brands have the following three characters: First of all , brand is a mark which is closely concerned with a certain product or service . Brand , being diff

14、erent from Arts , is used as a special mark in the field of the supplying and operating of products or services ,. Second, brand has the character of distinguishing one product or service from another and is different from a sign which shows the quantity and quality of the product or service. Third,

15、 brand has a particular feature: it is easy to be read or understood by reading the word, sign , symbol , design or the combination of them . 1 p1161.2 Functions of brands 2p59As the development of economy, brand may be a kind of economic symbol more than a mark of the product or service . Band play

16、s an important role in the trading, and its significance is realized by many companies. Brands have five functions as follows:1.2.1 Distinguishable Being commodities, different products or services of the same character have different quantities，qualities and services . Brands are like the faces of

17、the products . It is not difficult to see that different brands have the same function to distinguish one kind of products or services from another kind, just as the function of persons names. However, brands can do much better than persons names can do. Because brands are the signatures of products

18、 or services and none of them are repeated . That is to say, when the consumers read a brand in a store or a public place, they can easily and quickly judge what kind of product or service the brand is related to. And brands help the consumers to be aware of the differences between a certain product

19、 and other products or a service and other services of the same kind and remember them. Generally speaking , consumers would seldom or never make a mistake to choose the product or service what they want by reading the brands, just as they never make a mistake to call out somebody by calling the per

20、sons name.1.2.2 Informative functionSince brands are the marks of products or services, they must have something to do with them . In other words, brands can reflect the traits of products or services. Most brands , no matter pictorial or word brands , provide information concerning products or serv

21、ices, such as the place of production, the material used for the product, the function of the products, the name of the producer etc. For example, “Coca-Cola” is based on the products original constituents extracted from “cola” leaves and from the “cola” nut. “康泰克” means restoring the health of the

22、patient. “Rolls-Royce” indicates the founders of this car company, “Charles Rolls” and “Henry Royce” .1.2.3 Symbol of creditBrand has a credit . As we all know , when consumers first buy a product or enjoy a service, they usually make a credit archive in their minds for it either consciously or unco

23、nsciously . Since brands stand for the names of products or services, which can distinguish products or services from one kind to another, consumers are easier to remember the brands than to remember the products. Then consumers always transfer the credit of products or services to their namesbrands

24、. Therefore brands actually get the credits which are connected with the quantity and quality of products or services. 1.2.4 Stimulating consumptionVarious images and names as well as various related factors ,such as the style and the color of calligraphy on the package adopted by brands have as muc

25、h stimulating influence on consumers purchasing desire as the social status , cultural back ground , mode of life and living environment of the consumers do to the customers . Brands designers try to make these brands as smart as possible and as unique as possible . Generally speaking , brands have

26、the active influence on the stimulation of the consumption . According to the investigation , most consumers choose the commodities according to the brands they are familiar with . Children choose the commodities according to the colorful designs on the package . Packages with gaily-colored cartoon

27、figures are most welcomed by the young consumers . Most costume brands have romantic connotation just because the designers have mastered young ladies romantic-pursuing psychology . For example , “Amour Amour ” the brand of a kind of perfume . “ Oil of Olay “ the brand of a certain active hydrating

28、lotion . The articles named after the names of famous persons can also stimulate the consumption because consumers worship them and have the psychology of imitating them . For example , sports wear , “LI-NING ” , is welcomed by sports fans .1.2.5 Providing protection by law The brand is the exhaustl

29、ess treasure of an enterprise , especially those famous brands . It cannot be denied that some dealers or businesses use the brands of others unlawfully . Under this circumstance, the registered brands can obtain protection by law for the products or services and also for the producer or the provide

30、r owning this brand.2. Cultural differencesThe Easterners and the Western live in indifferent parts of the earth. That makes them unavoidable to have the different material conditions, thinking patterns and actions. Therefore, the Chinese and the Westerners have different cultures, ways of life , tr

31、aditional habits, historical stories and political and economical systems and so on . For language is a tool to describe all of these , Chinese and English speakers have differences in ways of expression and linguistic cultures. The same is true with the Chinese brands and English ones , Then, it is

32、 necessary to pay attention to the cultural differences . Otherwise, many foolishnesses and unnecessary troubles may come as due punishments. The following are some main examples of culture conflicts in brand translations .2.1 Differences in literal meaning Quite often, we may find that some Chinese

33、 words with best wishes are beyond the comprehension of the English people, or have just the opposite meaning in English, and vice versa. For example, one kind of exporting lipstick which is made in China , is named “芳芳”（ “Fangfang” ）. In China , this is a good name which gives people a nice impress

34、ion. The word “芳” , are usually used to describe the flowers which are beautiful and charming , and the girls who are pretty and elegant. Chinese have many other phrases containing the word “芳” , such as “芳容”（good-looking）, “芳芳” ( beauty , fragrant ), “ 芳香” ( good-smell ) and so on . When it is tran

35、slated into English just according to the Chinese Pinyin, it is “Fangfang” . However , instead of pretty and beautiful impression, a feeling of horror raises up in the English readers minds . Because it is a coincidence that the Pinyin “ fang ” just is an English word “ fang ” , whose English meanin

36、g are as follow : long sharp tooth , esp of dogs and wolves,长而尖的牙（尤其指狗和狼的） snakes tooth with it injects poison (蛇的毒牙). 3 p524 Then , it is easy to image that when the English speakers read this word , a dog or wolf with the long sharp teeth , or a snake may come out instead of a pretty girl who just

37、 uses this lipstick .4 p80And one more example. “ 蓝天 ” （“ Langtian ”）is a brand of one kind of toothpaste made in China. It is very popular in China and in the southeast of Asia . But it fails in America market . Why ? The translation is the key of all reasons . The brand “ 蓝天 ” is translated into “

38、 Bluesky ” and “ BlueHeaven ” . In Chinese , the blue sky and the white clouds are the symbols of happiness and elegance . But in English bluesky is a word whose meaning are: useless, with less value , no steady and an invalid negotiable securities . Supposing that you are a consumer , can you buy t

39、his “ useless ” commodity ? Besides , another word “ BlueHeaven ” is a name of one kind of narcotics , with a blue capsule , and has existed in the Western countries for a long time before the coming of “ 蓝天 ” . Then , when the westerners read the name of BlueHeaven , they mostly take it as the narc

40、otics . So , do they dare to buy it ?5 p952.2 Differences in connotationDifferent lands and cultures between east and west makes people have different thinking patterns. For instance , one kind of perfumed soap for bath is named “ 蜜蜂 ” (“ Mifeng ” ) in Chinese . Maybe the producer wants to tell the

41、consumers that soap is perfumed and consists of many spices , which are gotten with the bees help of collecting them from millions of flowers . But this implication is beyond the understanding of the English people. English speakers dont like this name , because they think that on the body of the be

42、e there are many invisible fine hairs and that may make them feel uncomfortable . So few are willing to buy this soap. And “ 蝙蝠 ” (“ Bianfu ” Pinyin ) is a symbol of luck and happiness. It is popular with the Chinese people , for “ 蝠 ” ( “ fu ” ) and “ 福 ” (happiness) are homonymy in Chinese. “ 蝙蝠 ”

43、 is a good brand for the product such as glasses. However, things are different in English. Then what would English speakers think ? They think that the “ Bat ” is a blind ugly and fierce animal which flies only at night , and doesnt dare to turn up in the daylight . In the west , bat stands for dea

44、th , and if a bat comes into your house by accident, that may be an ill omen for you . And the English people usually compare an old bat to an old blind and ugly woman . Therefore , how can the western people wear the “ Bat ” glasses with this thought ?6 p96Here is one more example. The Chinese peop

45、le take the magpie as a lucky bird which brings people good news, as a saying goes : If there is a magpie standing in the tip and singing , a good news will come . In China , every 7th July in the lunar calendar , when the herd-boy and the weaving-girl are supposed to meet , the magpies would gather

46、 as a bridge to help them . Of course , in Chinese , “ 喜鹊 ”( magpie ) is a good name for the radio and acoustic installations . However , in the western countries , people dont think so . They think that a magpie is a bird which is whistling day and night , making noises and bringing the junks into

47、the nestle . And then a magpie is usually compared to a person who treasures those useless things with the least intention to throw them away and a person who chatters without stopping. See now , who will be willing to bring the noise maker into house instead of avoiding them ? 7 p952.3 Differences

48、in usages Some words , which originated in Chinese，are frequently spoken and written by the English people, however, they are seldom used in their literal meaning . Then , we should also be careful about them in a brand translation , or else, it would lead to a joke . For instance , one kind of expo

49、rting battery is named “ 白象 ” （“ Baixiang ” ）. It is translated into English directly as “ White Elephant ” .It may be an exactly right translation . But , in English , “ a white elephant ” is a usage , meaning a burdensome possession ( 沉重的负担 ) and useless things . (无用而累赘的东西) . See , who will be so foolish to spend the money on a burdensome possession or a useless rubbish ? 8 p80One mo