文化差异中的商标翻译.docx

文化差异中的商标翻译.docx

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文化差异中的商标翻译

文化差异中的商标翻译

【Abstract】

Abrandisshownbyaname,aword,asign,asymbol,adesignoracombinationofthem.Itisintendedtoidentifytheproductsorservicesofonesellerorgroupofsellersandtodifferentiatethemfromthoseofcompetitors.Brand-namingitselfrepresentsastrategicallyimportantissueandmaydeterminethesuccessorfailureofaproduct.Agoodbrandnamecanalsosavemillionsofdollarsovertheproduct'slifebecauseitcarriesitsownmeaning,describestheproduct'sadvantages,anddifferentiatestheproductsignificantlyfromitscompetitors.Byreadingthebrandnames,itiseasytotelltheproductsfromonetotheotherandtoknowthecharactersofproducts.Forthegoodbrandhasthefunctionsofdistinguishing,providinginformationofproductsandbeingsymbolofcredit,thegoodbrandhasagoodadvertisementfortheproductandhelptotakeinalargermarket.

Withtheglobalizationofworldeconomy,especiallywithChina’sentryintotheWorldTradeOrganization,moreandmorepeopleinChinahaverealizedtheimportanceofgoodbrandnamesandinternationalbrandnamesinpromotingsalesandcultivatingmarkets.Itisthereforenotonlynecessarybutalsourgenttostudyonbrandnamesandthebrandtranslationupgradetoanewlevel.Themainobstacleofbrandtranslationisthedifferentcultures.Theculturaldifferencesarerepresentedbytheformsoflanguage.Duetothefactthatbrandsaremainlydescribedbylanguage,therearesomedifficultiesinthebrandtranslation.Then,inthispaper,apartfromsomegeneralknowledgeaboutbrands,theculturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinesebrandsareshownandsomemistranslationsaregiven.Whatismore,inordertoavoidtheculturalconflictsintranslation,somecommonskills（includingTransliteration,SemanticTranslationandTrans-semanticTranslation）andsomecreativeskills（EffectivenessTranslation,CharacterTranslation,ApproximationTranslationandEleganceTranslation）areprovided.Andattheendofthepaper,somegeneralprinciplesofbrandtranslationaregivenforagoodbrandtranslation.

【KeyWords】brands;culturedifferences;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:

thesignificanceofbrands

1.1Definitionofbrands

Abrandisshownbyaname,aword,asign,asymbol,adesignoracombinationofthem.Itisintendedtoidentifytheproductsorservicesofoneselleroronegroupofsellersandtodifferentiatethemfromtheircompetitors.Inotherwords,thebrandistreatedasthesymboloftheactualproduct.Itisasynthesisofalltheseelements:

physical,aesthetic,rationalandemotionalandcultural,whichisaperceptioncreatedinthemindofconsumerswhoascribebeliefsandvaluestotheproduct.Brandsareprintedonthesurfacesoftheproducts,packagesanddirections,andhangedinpublicplaces.Brandshavethefollowingthreecharacters:

Firstofall,brandisamarkwhichiscloselyconcernedwithacertainproductorservice.Brand,beingdifferentfromArts,isusedasaspecialmarkinthefieldofthesupplyingandoperatingofproductsorservices,.Second,brandhasthecharacterofdistinguishingoneproductorservicefromanotherandisdifferentfromasignwhichshowsthequantityandqualityoftheproductorservice.Third,brandhasaparticularfeature:

itiseasytobereadorunderstoodbyreadingtheword,sign,symbol,designorthecombinationofthem.[1]p116

1.2Functionsofbrands[2]p59

Asthedevelopmentofeconomy,brandmaybeakindofeconomicsymbolmorethanamarkoftheproductorservice.Bandplaysanimportantroleinthetrading,anditssignificanceisrealizedbymanycompanies.Brandshavefivefunctionsasfollows:

1.2.1Distinguishable

Beingcommodities,differentproductsorservicesofthesamecharacterhavedifferentquantities，qualitiesandservices.Brandsarelikethefacesoftheproducts.Itisnotdifficulttoseethatdifferentbrandshavethesamefunctiontodistinguishonekindofproductsorservicesfromanotherkind,justasthefunctionofpersons’names.However,brandscandomuchbetterthanpersons’namescando.Becausebrandsarethesignaturesofproductsorservicesandnoneofthemarerepeated.Thatistosay,whentheconsumersreadabrandinastoreorapublicplace,theycaneasilyandquicklyjudgewhatkindofproductorservicethebrandisrelatedto.Andbrandshelptheconsumerstobeawareofthedifferencesbetweenacertainproductandotherproductsoraserviceandotherservicesofthesamekindandrememberthem.Generallyspeaking,consumerswouldseldomornevermakeamistaketochoosetheproductorservicewhattheywantbyreadingthebrands,justastheynevermakeamistaketocalloutsomebodybycallingtheperson’sname.

1.2.2Informativefunction

Sincebrandsarethemarksofproductsorservices,theymusthavesomethingtodowiththem.Inotherwords,brandscanreflectthetraitsofproductsorservices.Mostbrands,nomatterpictorialorwordbrands,provideinformationconcerningproductsorservices,suchastheplaceofproduction,thematerialusedfortheproduct,thefunctionoftheproducts,thenameoftheproduceretc.Forexample,“Coca-Cola”isbasedontheproduct’soriginalconstituentsextractedfrom“cola”leavesandfromthe“cola”nut.“康泰克”meansrestoringthehealthofthepatient.“Rolls-Royce”indicatesthefoundersofthiscarcompany,“CharlesRolls”and“HenryRoyce”.

1.2.3Symbolofcredit

Brandhasacredit.Asweallknow,whenconsumersfirstbuyaproductorenjoyaservice,theyusuallymakeacreditarchiveintheirmindsforiteitherconsciouslyorunconsciously.Sincebrandsstandforthenamesofproductsorservices,whichcandistinguishproductsorservicesfromonekindtoanother,consumersareeasiertorememberthebrandsthantoremembertheproducts.Thenconsumersalwaystransferthecreditofproductsorservicestotheirnames——brands.Thereforebrandsactuallygetthecreditswhichareconnectedwiththequantityandqualityofproductsorservices.

1.2.4Stimulatingconsumption

Variousimagesandnamesaswellasvariousrelatedfactors,suchasthestyleandthecolorofcalligraphyonthepackageadoptedbybrandshaveasmuchstimulatinginfluenceonconsumers’purchasingdesireasthesocialstatus,culturalbackground,modeoflifeandlivingenvironmentoftheconsumersdotothecustomers.Brandsdesignerstrytomakethesebrandsassmartaspossibleandasuniqueaspossible.Generallyspeaking,brandshavetheactiveinfluenceonthestimulationoftheconsumption.Accordingtotheinvestigation,mostconsumerschoosethecommoditiesaccordingtothebrandstheyarefamiliarwith.Childrenchoosethecommoditiesaccordingtothecolorfuldesignsonthepackage.Packageswithgaily-coloredcartoonfiguresaremostwelcomedbytheyoungconsumers.Mostcostumebrandshaveromanticconnotationjustbecausethedesignershavemasteredyoungladies’romantic-pursuingpsychology.Forexample,“AmourAmour”thebrandofakindofperfume.“OilofOlay“thebrandofacertainactivehydratinglotion.Thearticlesnamedafterthenamesoffamouspersonscanalsostimulatetheconsumptionbecauseconsumersworshipthemandhavethepsychologyofimitatingthem.Forexample,sportswear,“LI-NING”,iswelcomedbysportsfans.

1.2.5Providingprotectionbylaw

Thebrandistheexhaustlesstreasureofanenterprise,especiallythosefamousbrands.Itcannotbedeniedthatsomedealersorbusinessesusethebrandsofothersunlawfully.Underthiscircumstance,theregisteredbrandscanobtainprotectionbylawfortheproductsorservicesandalsofortheproducerortheproviderowningthisbrand.

2.Culturaldifferences

TheEasternersandtheWesternliveinindifferentpartsoftheearth.Thatmakesthemunavoidabletohavethedifferentmaterialconditions,thinkingpatternsandactions.Therefore,theChineseandtheWesternershavedifferentcultures,waysoflife,traditionalhabits,historicalstoriesandpoliticalandeconomicalsystemsandsoon.Forlanguageisatooltodescribeallofthese,ChineseandEnglishspeakershavedifferencesinwaysofexpressionandlinguisticcultures.ThesameistruewiththeChinesebrandsandEnglishones,Then,itisnecessarytopayattentiontotheculturaldifferences.Otherwise,manyfoolishnessesandunnecessarytroublesmaycomeasduepunishments.Thefollowingaresomemainexamplesofcultureconflictsinbrandtranslations.

2.1Differencesinliteralmeaning

Quiteoften,wemayfindthatsomeChinesewordswithbestwishesarebeyondthecomprehensionoftheEnglishpeople,orhavejusttheoppositemeaninginEnglish,andviceversa.Forexample,onekindofexportinglipstickwhichismadeinChina,isnamed“芳芳”（“Fangfang”）.InChina,thisisagoodnamewhichgivespeopleaniceimpression.Theword“芳”,areusuallyusedto