功能对等理论视角下的商标翻译研究.docx
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功能对等理论视角下的商标翻译研究
摘要
商标名称是指商标中可以用语言称呼的部分,是产品的标记,是产品形象的重要内容之一。
本文从商标名称的相关知识入手,介绍了商标名称的概念、特征及功能。
商标名称是一种文化现象,我们在商标名称翻译时需要注意它的可行性,以奈达的”功能对等”理论作为商标名称翻译的基本原则及翻译的方法,这是一种可行的方法。
商标名称具有特有的文化特点,与文化有着密切联系,我们需要从不同国家的特性、习俗和习惯、语义联想等不同角度分析商标名称翻译过程中的文化障碍。
尽管在商标名称互译中存在文化障碍,但它们并不是不可以跨越的。
译者应灵活运用具体的翻译方法,跨越文化障碍,力求达到功能对等和最佳翻译效果。
关键词:
功能对等;商标;翻译
Abstract
Abrandnameisthepartofbrandthatcanbevocalized,andthesignofaproduct.Thispaperstartswiththeinformationofbrandnamestointroducethedefinition,characteristicsandthefunctionsofbrandnames.Thebrandnameisaphenomenonofculture.Weshouldpaymoreattentiontothepossibilityofbrandnametranslation,andtaketheNada’s“FunctionalEquivalence”asacardinalprincipleandmethodsemployedinbrandnametranslation,thisisaviableway.Brandnamespossesspeculiarculturalcharacteristicsandhaveintimaterelationwithculture,thenweneedanalyzetheculturalbarriersofthebrandnametranslationfromdifferentnationaltraits,differentcustomsandhabits,differentsemanticassociative.Althoughthereareculturalbarriersinthebrandnametranslation,wecanstillovercomethem.Translatorsshouldusethetechniquesflexiblysoastoovercometheculturalbarriersinbrandnametranslationandtrytotranslatebrandnamesperfectly.
Keywords:
functionalequivalence;brandname;translation
Contents
摘要…………………………………………………………..……..…i
Abstract………………………………………………………….……..ii
Introduction……………………………………………………………1
Chapter1OverviewofBrandNames……………………………..…2
1.1DefinitionofBrandNames…………………………………………2
1.2FormationofBrandNames…………………………………………2
1.2.1ProperNames……………………………………………………3
1.2.2CommonWords…………………………………………….……3
1.2.3CoinedWords………………………………………………….…4
1.3CharacteristicsofBrandNames…………………………………..…5
1.3.1Brevity………………………………………………………...…5
1.3.2Elegance………………………………………………….…..…6
1.3.3Originality…………………………………………….……..…7
1.4FunctionsofBrandNames……………………………………..…7
1.4.1InformativeFunction………………………………….……..…8
1.4.2AestheticFunction…………………………………………..…8
1.4.3EvocativeFunction……………………………………...……10
Chapter2FunctionalEquivalenceTheoryandBrandNameTranslation……………………………………...…………12
2.1FunctionalEquivalence……………………………………………12
2.2ConsiderationofFactorsinBrandNameTranslation……………13
2.2.1ConsumerPsychology…………………………………………13
2.2.2CulturalFactors…………………………………………………14
2.2.3AestheticFactors………………………………………………16
2.3ApplicationofFunctionalEquivalenceinBrandNameTranslation…16
2.3.1EquivalenceofInformativeFunction…………………………16
2.3.2EquivalenceofAestheticFunction……………………………17
2.3.3EquivalenceofEvocativeFunction……………………………18
Chapter3MethodsEmployedinBrandNameTranslation……….20
3.1LiteralTranslation…………………………………………………20
3.2Transliteration……………………………………………………21
3.3CombinationofLiteralTranslationandTransliteration…………23
3.4CreativeTranslation………………………………………………24
3.4.1AdditionorDeletion……………………………………………24
3.4.2Blending………………………………………………………25
3.4.3Acronym……………………………………………………26
3.4.4PurposiveMisspelling………………………………………26
Conclusion……………………………………………………………27
Bibliography…………………………………………………………28
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Abrandnameisasignrepresentingculturalcharacteristicsofdifferentnations,societiesandtimes.Itservesnotonlyitsexpectedfunctionsofcommunication;itisalsoemployedinasymbolicmannertoidentifyabrandanditsculturalorigin.Today,well-knownbrandnameshavebecomeculturalicons,andenjoypowerfuladvantagesinthefiercecompetition.Brandnames,aspartoflanguage,reflectthefeaturesofacertainnation,includingthehistoricalandculturalbackground,theirattitudestowardslife,andtheirlifestyleandthinkingpattern.
Brandnametranslationisinfluencedbyculturalelementswhichdifferentiateitfromgeneraltranslation.Brandnametranslationisofsignificanceinthecompetitivemarket.Brandnamesmirrorthecultureofdifferentcountries,soculturalelementsmustnotbeignoredinthetranslatingprocess.Atpresent,witheconomicdevelopmentandincreasinginternationalcontact,theexchangesbetweendifferentcountriesbecomemoreandmorefrequent.Andtradesurplusbecomesanimportantpartofournationaleconomy.Propertranslationofbrandnamesalsobecomesmoreandmoreimportantsoastopromotethesalesofgoodsandcultivateforeignmarkets.
Chapter1
OverviewofBrandNames
1.1DefinitionofBrandNames
Abrandnamereferstoaspecificnameemployedbyacorporationtoidentifyuniquelyaproductoritsmanufacturer,oraserviceanditsprovider.(LiGuisheng,1996)Itisquiteoftenusedinterchangeablywithin“brandname”,althoughitismorecorrectlyusedtospecificallydenotewrittenorspokenlinguisticelementsofanyproduct.Alegallyprotectedbrandnameiscalledaproprietaryname.Apowerfulbrandnameembodiesauniquesetofvaluesandhencepersonality.Asuccessfullydesignedbrandnamecanbringaboutenormousvalueinarealsense,whichisinvisiblewealthofacompany.Therefore,brandnameisofmoreandmoreimportancein“globalvillage”andtherightandsuitablemeaningofabrandcanbeanenduringadvantage.
1.2FormationofBrandNames
Fromtheperspectiveofthelinguisticstructures,brandnamescanbemainlydividedintopropernamebrandnames,thecommonwordbrandnamesandthecoinedwordbrandnames.(HeChuansheng,1997)However,therearesomesimilaritiesanddifferencesintheformationofChineseandEnglishcosmeticbrandnames.
1.2.1ProperNames
Usingapropernameespeciallyaperson’snamecancreateasenseofamicabilitybetweentheproductandtheconsumers.Agoodnamewillinspiretheconsumerstothinkabouttheimageunderthatname.Takesomebrandnamesforexample,“Charlie”inEnglishhasthelong-standingimageofbeingaconfidentbutwarmlittlegirl;“大宝”inChineseisanadorablenicknameforamalewhoisthefamilymembers’darling.Whenpersonalnamesareusedasbrandnames,distancebetweenthecommoditiesandtheconsumerscouldbeshortenedwhilethesenseofintimacycouldbeestablished.Insuchadelightfulandcheerfulstate,consumerswouldbeinspiredtobebetterinformedabouttheproducts,ifinterestedandsatisfied,theywillpurchase.Thus,averysuccessfulsalecouldbefulfilledasthebrandnamefullyperformsitsfundamentalfunction.
1.2.2CommonWords
Commonwordswilladdmoreamicabilityandfriendlinessintheproductsandnamesprovidethedenominatorsandtranslatorsmorechoices.Usually,thecommonwordsusedinChineseandEnglishbrandnamesincludeadjectiveandnoun.
Thebrandnamesformedbycommonnounshavesymbolicandmetaphorfunctions.Productswiththesenamespossessthecharacteristicsofthesewordsorobjects,forexample,“Ivory”canmakeyouskinsmoothandwhite.Thecosmeticbrandnamesformedbyadjectivesoradjectiveplusnouncanshowaverydirectdescriptionofthemaincharactersoftheproduct.
1.2.3CoinedWords
Whencertainqualities,characteristicsandfunctionsaretakenintoconsideration,coinedwordscanbecreated.Sincetheyarecoined,theyareuniqueandnovelasthereisnotmuchpossibilitythatanothersimilaronewillappear.ManyEnglishbrandnamesarecreatedbymeansoflexicalmethods,suchasshortening,compounding,blending,affixation,etcwhiletheChinesebrandnamestendtousewordgroup.
Shorteningisthesimplifiedformoftheoriginalwords.Forexample,“SR”,abrandnameoftoothpaste,isformedbyacronym,thatis,tousetheinitialsoftheingredientsoftheproduct(Sodium,Ricinoleate).
CompoundingisapopularandcrucialwayofformingEnglishandChinesecosmeticbrandnames.Bycompounding,twoormorewordsaretogethertoshowthefeature,qualityandfunctionoftheproduct,socompoundbrandnamescanillustratethecharacteristicsoftheproductsfrommulti-perspectives.Examplesare:
“BodyFlower”stressesitsfunctionofmakingthebodyfullofthefragranceofflowers.
“Head&Shoulders”stressesitsfunctionofmoisteningthehairandmakingitsoftandeasytocomb.
DifferentfromEnglish,Chineseistheideographlanguage.Sowordgroupscanbeformedbyputtingcharacterstogether.Usually,certainwordshavegoodconnotationsarefrequentlyused.
Namesofplantsandanimalsareoftenusedasbrandnames.Chinesecosmeticbrandnameshaveapreferenceoftheprettyimagesofsomeofthemwhichcanarousetheinterestandbringgoodassociation,suchas“蜂花”(cosmetic),“紫罗兰”(cosmetic)and“佰草集”(cosmetic).Theabove-mentionedhaveattachedgreatimportancetothepointthattheyarepure,naturalandenvironmentallysafeproductsbyusingtherawmaterialfromtheoutsideworldandtheconsumerscangettheessenceoftheflowersandherbalextractbyusingthem.
1.3CharacteristicsofBrandNames
Abrandnameisthenameofaproduct,whichisamarkorasymbolthatcanbeusedtodefineacertainproduct.Thegoalofabrandnameshouldaimatsettingupagoodimageinthemarket,arousingconsumers’favorableassociationandpurchasingdesire.Thusthelanguageusedinbrandnamesmusthavesomefeaturesofitsown.
1.3.1Brevity
Brevityisabasicrequirementofagoodbrandname,whichmeansbrandnamesshouldconciseinspellingsandpronunciationstomakethemeye-catchingandeasytoremember.Accordingtoaninvestigation,Chinesebrandnamesconsistofmainlytwoorthreecharacters,and70%ofthem(includingChineseversionsofforeignones)aretwo-characterconstruction,29%arethree-characterconstruction,onlyabout1%aremorethanfivecharacters.Nameafewasexamples,“立白”(washingpowder),“碧浪”(washingpowder),“汰渍”(washingpowder),“雕牌”(washingpowder),“奥妙”(washingpowder),“海尔”(electricapplia