英语专业毕业论文 Brand Name Translation 浅析商标翻译

英语专业毕业 论文 政研论文下载论文大学下载论文大学下载关于长拳的论文浙大论文封面下载 Brand Name Translation 浅析商标翻译 密级: JINING UNIVERSITY 学 士 学 位 论 文 THESIS OF BACHELOR Brand Name Translation 题 目(英文) 题 目(中文)浅析商标翻译 系 别:外国语系 专业年级: 学生姓名: 学号: 指导教师: 起讫日期:2012年2月12日——2012年5月12日 ABSTRACT Brand name translation is a kind of cultural communication. Since the connection between countries are closer and closer, the communications are growing quickly. Among all the communications, international business trade happens most frequently. In order to promote the commodities we are trying to sell, an attractive brand name is of great importance. A successful translation of brand name should not only transfer the information concerning the commodity, but also transfer its cultural significance to the target language reader. Given the uniqueness of brand name translation, the translator must be aware of the cultural awareness, aesthetic standards, and consumption modes of both source language and target language readers, and should keep in the mind the intention of the original so as to transfer its message(both linguistic and cultural) maximally. And with the fast growth of international business, translation of brand names has never been more imperative and vital than today. This thesis aims to explore the principles and methods in translating brand names and to try to find the reasons of the unsuccessful translations so that we can deal with it more properly. KEY WORDS brand names; translation; principles; methods 内容摘要 商标翻译是一种文化交流。由于国家间的联系越来越密切，交流也越来越多。在这些交流中，国际贸易是最多的。为了推销我们所要卖出的货物，一个引人注目的商标是极其重要的。一个成功的商标翻译应当不仅能传达货物信息，更是能向目的语读者传达其文化意义。由于商标翻译的特殊性，翻译者必须充分意识到源语言和目的语的文化差异，审美 标准 excel标准偏差excel标准偏差函数exl标准差函数国标检验抽样标准表免费下载红头文件格式标准下载 和想法模式，并将原商标的意图谨记心中。只有这样才能最大程度地传达在商标中的语言与文化信息。而随着国际贸易的迅速发展，如今商标翻译已成为一个紧急且重要的话题。 本论文旨在研究商标翻译的原则与 方法 快递客服问题件处理详细方法山木方法pdf计算方法pdf华与华方法下载八字理论方法下载 ，并试图找出不恰当翻译案例的原因，从而更好的处理商标翻译。 关键词 商标;翻译;原则;方法 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly indebted to all my teachers from the bottom of my heart. During the two years of study in the university, they have given me great assistance. I have learnt not only the academic knowledge but the true meanings of life as well. My thanks go to my supervisor Qiu Lili，who gave me a lot of suggestions, and very willingly revised my paper again and again. My thanks go to all my friends for collecting information and paper materials for me. My thanks go to my deeply loved parents, without whose love and encouragement, I could not have finished my study in the university. Two years’ education in Jining University is my precious wealth. CONTENTS Introduction ......................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 Principles of Brand Name Translation ...........................................3 1.1 Traditional Principles ....................................................................................3 1.2 Equivalence Principle ...................................................................................3 1.3 Inductive Principle ........................................................................................4 1.4 Aesthetic Principle ........................................................................................4 1.5 Advertising Functional Principle ...................................................................5 Chapter2 Methods of Brand Name Translation ..............................................6 2.1 Literal Translation .........................................................................................6 2.2 Transliteration ...............................................................................................7 2.2.1 Direct Transliteration .................................................................................8 2.2.2 Abbreviated Transliteration ........................................................................9 2.3 The Combination of Literal Translation and Transliteration ........................ 10 2.4 Free Translation .......................................................................................... 11 2.5 Domestication and Foreignization ............................................................... 12 Chapter 3 Problems in Brand Name Translation .......................................... 14 3.1 Problems and Unsuccessful Examples ........................................................ 14 3.2 Cultural Differences in Area of Numbers, Colors and Animals ................... 15 3.3 Cultural Differences in Area of History and Location ................................. 15 3.4 Cultural Differences in Area of Psychology ................................................ 16 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 18 References ....................................................................................................... 20 I 济宁学院毕业论文 Brand Name Translation Introduction Since 1980s, the communications between China and foreign countries has been gradually increased than the times which is before the Open and Reform. So does the business. With increasing globalization of the world economy, advertisements come to play a more and more important role for manufacturers to promote their products in the world market. As we all know, good brand names are the best advertisements for commodities. During international business, brand name is a very important factor to attract potential buyers. An effective brand name can promote the brand development process and enhance the perceived value of a product. One good kind of commodity adding on a good name is not different with improving on perfection, and its charm is infinite. Therefore, translations of brand names should be paid attention to. However, name translation is not an easy work as it seems. “Translation is a more complex communication than that within a single language because it involves two languages.”(Jin& Nida, 1984:31). Knowledge about pragmatics, sociolinguistics,folklore,aesthetics, psychology and intercultural communication as well as cultural background should be applied to the translation. The principles of translation which are equivalence, inductive, aesthetic, advertising nature as well as some traditional principles should be abided by and understandings about different cultures are needed. And also appropriate methods should be choosed to suit different conditions in order to embody the information and functions which the original language brand name bears. Usually four approaches can be adopted in brand name translations, namely literal translation, transliteration, the combination method and free translation. All these can help the national products enter the target country market successfully. So the brand name translation is an 第 1 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 important but difficult job. “A failure to reflect the spirit and dynamics of the source document is a mortal sin.”(Nida,1993:118). As a result, how to translate brand name between English and Chinese properly becomes an urgent issue. Many brand names are translated perfectly, but some still remain to be improved. There are a lot of papers and books as well as the researches dealing with this topic particularly. This thesis researches more deeply from the point that is the common principles and methods applied in translations, and to take a few examples to discuss. Both successful and unsuccessful cases will be included in this thesis. Hopefully, this thesis could be useful and to be referred for brand names translation or similar topics. 第 2 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 Chapter 1 Principles of Brand Name Translation There are several principles dealing with the translation of brand names, which are equivalence principle, inductive principle, aesthetic principle, advertising functional principle and some traditional principles. This paper will analyze them one by one. 1.1 Traditional Principles The most famous principle of translation in China is the trinity principle 信达雅(faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance)which is put forward by Yan Fu in his Introductory Remarks to his translation 《天演论》 of Evolution and Ethnics by T. H. Huxley (1898). The basic requirement of translation is faithfulness which demands the translator to be faithful to the content and style of the original one. So the translation can not only convey the message of the original one passes, but also the spirit. Expressiveness means reproduction of the original language, using coherent and smooth language to express the ideas of the original text, which might make the translation more authentic in the target language. Compared with faithfulness and expressiveness, elegance is the further requirement to a good version which means a better and more beautiful translation. 1.2 Equivalence Principle The core principle in the Western translation theory is the equivalence principle whose definition is “the readers of a translated text should be able to understand and appreciate it in essentially the same manner as the original readers did.”(Nida, 1993: 119). In other words, the influence which the translated works gives us should be identical with the influence which the original text gives its first audience. “The readers of a translated text should be able to comprehend it to the point that they can conceive of how the original readers of the text must have understood and appreciated it.”(Nida, 1993: 118). According to this principle, there are two factors the translated 第 3 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 brand name must have: a. the translated name should have the form as a brand name; b. the translated one must have the ability to produce the same or approximate functions of the original brand one. So the translated name should be read easily, pleasant to hear as well as having a good-looking. It must be the perfect unity of tone, form and meaning. In the above examples, both the original and translated words give the same influence to different accepters. The literal translation is the most complying method. It sent the information of the original brand name as well as the meaning. We will discuss about literal translation particularly later. .3 Inductive Principle 1 Bringing consumers’ attention, meeting their demand, stimulating the purchasing desire, and finally accomplishing the purchasing behavior is the most important aim of the brand name. So inductive principle should be definitely regarded as an important principle in brand name translation. There is a bedding brand naming Fair Lady whose translation name is “贵妇人”. It expresses the meaning of the original name, implies the high quality and meet people’s mind. Prokids (小淘气婴儿用品) are using the love of mother to the child, indicating all these are for your lovely baby. So aren’t you are willing to pay them for your sweeties? Therefore, when translating brand names, we must study consumer’s psychology carefully in order to arouse the customers’ desire to buy. 1.4 Aesthetic Principle The translated brand name mustn’t let the consumer have the bad association; otherwise even the good product also cannot be sold out. This requests the translator consider the cultural and the historical perspective seriously. Let us see some examples: cosmetic “Clean & Clear” express the information that if you use this product, your skin will be clean and fresh. It sounds very fluent. If it is translated into “干净清爽”, the beauty of its sound may disappear. However, if we use “可伶可俐”, the product is absolutely into the girls’ favor. Because it not only makes consumers associate it with being clever and bright young girls but also retains the sound of the original 第 4 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 one. When the car Lexus begins to sell in china, the company decided to use“凌志” as its Chinese name. This name may recall their memory about Chairman Mao’s majestic poem “久有凌云志，重上井冈山”. 1.5 Advertising Functional Principle The translated brand name must not only conform to the product’s nature but also the commodity characteristic. It should be easy to spell, read, write and remember, and attractive to customers. Here are some examples. “Dynasty” , the English trademark of “皇朝葡萄酒”, makes us cannot help associating it with the old mystical country and its royalty, leaving us a deep impression for the wine. The translation of “永久自行车”is Forever. It is in line with its advertisement which is “经久耐用，直到永远”completely. “蜂 花化妆品”is translated into “Bee & Flower” which let us feel comfortable and fragrant after we use it. All the above brand names arouses our purchasing desire as well as advertise its product. 第 5 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 Chapter2 Methods of Brand Name Translation 2.1 Literal Translation Literal translation means the direct and loyal translation of the semantic meaning of the original text. It’s often used in the translation of the brand names that carry good denotative meanings and positive association in both the source language and the target language. In translating English brand names into Chinese ones, literal translation means translating it into the correspondent Chinese words according to the original meaning, such as “蓝 鸟(Blue Bird)” and “蓝带(Blue Ribbon)”. Chinese belong to the logographic system. Some English phonemes don’t exist in Chinese; stress and intonation patterns are different. Literal translation plays emphasis on the original meaning and content, the expression of the translated brand name will be more exact and visual. All of those can help the target readers to understand the connotation that the product holds. For example, the English brand name “Good Companion (cigarette)” which is literally translated into “良友”. The rendered version presents the same message as the former words that mean this superior cigarette is close friend accompanying you with your life. Another good example, “Crown (automobile)” is translated into“皇冠”. This version completely preserves and passes on the information of being royal and luxurious out of the original one to its Chinese consumers. There are more examples of literal translation of brand names from English to Chinese. Such as the computer software “Microsoft(微 软)”，computer hardware “Apple(苹果)”,men’s wear “Playboy(花花公 子)”，beverage “Red Bull(红牛)” and cigarette “Camel(骆驼)”. While translating Chinese brand names literally into English ones mainly refers to using the method of Chinese Pinyin. Chinese Pinyin is another kind of Latin words. It is pretty popular in Chinese brand name words, “Chunlan(春兰空调)”, “ Lishen(力神咖啡)”, etc. The translation of “Haier” is a perfect example. It uses Chinese Pinyin as its English name, but 第 6 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 “Haier” shares the same pronunciation with higher. So it can be associated with the high quality of the product and the innovative spirit of the company. Both help the promotion. When we use Chinese Pinyin to translate brand names, we should pay attention to that it not only marks the tone of brand names, but it also has the sense of itself and its meaning is the content of corresponding Chinese words. Some Chinese Pinyin words have senses in ” cosmetics’ Pinyin is “Fang English in some translation practices. “芳芳 Fang”, however, “Fang” is the teeth of snake in English. So when we use Pinyin to translate, we have to be careful. Some products’ names are the corresponding English words of Chinese names. So we can just find the original English words when we translate them. “乔士衬衫” is translated into “Choice”, “雅戈尔衬衫” is translated into “ Younger”, and “康巴丝钟表” is translated into “Compass”. Literal translation is an important method, it has many advantages, for example, be able to convey the original meaning, reflect the original style, and so on. Although the literal translation method can carry the meaning of the brand name more completely, it also fails to express it in the same concise way. So we need to apply other methods. 2.2 Transliteration Transliteration is another form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another. Transliteration means, mainly according to the pronunciation of the original brand names, to translate it into similar Chinese version without negative meaning at least. It has a few advantages. First, it is a convenient and rapid way to translate. Second, it is popular among target receptors because of its conciseness and originality. Third, it’s an efficient way to bridge the linguistic gap and facilitate brand globalization and standardization. It uses the similar pronunciation or the same target language in order to stress the beauty of the original tone. “强生(Johnson)”, “索尼(Sony)” and “力士( Lux)” ,all the above brand names have maintained the original tone as well as short and catchy. They can also be associated with the perfect 第 7 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 performance of the product, which have achieved the purpose of advertising. Another example is China’s “Ya Ya” clothing. “Ya Ya” is used instead of Duck or Ducky, because duck often gives the feeling of silly and clumsy in English culture. While “Ya Ya” doesn’t have such association and is catchy and easy to remember which makes the product sells pretty well. We can adopt or create English words which he tones are similar to the Chinese words to translate brand name. These English words are very particular because they not only have the approximate tone of Chinese, but also meaning of itself. “风华” refrigerator has been translated into “Forward”(向 前), “四通计算机集团公司” is translated into “Stone”(石头), “好娃友口 服液” into “How Are You Oral Liquid”(你好口服液), “海信电器公司” into “Hisense”(高灵敏). All these give people deep impression. 2.2.1 Direct Transliteration Direct translation means to translate the brand name only according to the original pronunciations, so the translations usually don’t make any sense in the target language. This method is often adopted when the brand names of the products are from the names of places or persons or just taken as labeling marks which are not loaded with denotation or connotations. The translation may mean nothing in the target language, but it retains the similar pronunciation, sounded exotic. It can keep the brand name as a foreign name and easily attract customers’ eyes with new impression, because it’s quite different from the traditional Chinese brand names. The famous camera brand “Kodak”, which is a coined word, is translated into “柯达”.“柯 达”is not a given word in Chinese vocabulary, but the original name and its Chinese translation both remind customer naturally of clicks of camera. Take a luxury brand “Versace” as another example, it is transliterated into “范思 哲” according to its pronunciation. It sounds like a Chinese name that can draws Chinese consumers closer to the brand name. What’s more, “思 哲”means logic and rationality in Chinese. It can improve the image of the brand name in Chinese market. “Macro(万家乐)” is a well-known water heater brand in Guangdong. It creates a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, 第 8 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 which is in line with the traditional Chinese psychology of naming brand names. The former translation was “Wan Jia Le” using direct translation, but it has no sense in English and didn’t express the original meaning. In order to cater to international trend and boost sales, it was updated to Macro. The pronunciation of Macro is similar to Wanjiale in Cantonese and macro means big, broad and large scale which can reflect its ambition to enlarge the national industry. This translation is rather original and refreshing. While “Mazda” is originated from the God of Power in the ancient Persian religion,. Being translated into “马自达”, it has the implication of easy to drive. “Miltown” is a kind of medicine dealing with insomnia. Being transliterated into “眠尔通” makes it self-evident that it works for insomnia. There are some other examples of the brand names transliterated directly from English to Chinese such as the computer hardware “Intel(英特尔)”, the mobile phone “Motorola(摩托罗拉)”, the computer “Dell(戴尔)”,home appliances “Sharp(夏普)”and automotive “Audi(奥迪)”,garments “Baleno(班尼 路)”,electronics “Casio(卡西欧)”,medicine “Finbid(芬必得)”, watch “Rado(雷达)”and jewelry “Tiffany(蒂芙尼)” are all wonderful translations applying the method of direct transliteration. For Chinese brand names, there are also some excellent examples. “西 冷” is an air conditioner which is produced in Hangzhou. While “西” indicates its production place, “冷” implies its perfect function in cooling. The translator used transliteration to translate it into “Serene” instead of “Xileng” which might not be comprehended by foreigners. But “Serene” not only shares the similar pronunciation with “西冷”, but also has the meaning of quiet. As an air conditioner, working quietly is a good selling point. It has combined its pronunciation and quality perfectly. 2.2.2 Abbreviated Transliteration Abbreviated transliteration means translating only part of the brand name to meet a basic requirement of brand names — brevity. Most of time, consumers could only take a brief glance at a particular brand name when he or she is surrounding with so many products. So brevity is of great important 第 9 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 to attract customers’ attention and interest in the shortest time. And a Chinese word is usually made up of no more than four syllables. When the original brand name consists of two or more words, it is more difficult to find a brief and effective translation in target language. As a result, sometimes translators would have to translate only part of the original brand name. Take the shampoo “Head & Shoulders” as an example. The translation . Although it sounds romantic and of the brand name was “海伦仙度丝” poetic, it is too long and complicated to be remembered. Then it was changed into “海飞丝”which is more vivid and memorable and reminds the customers of a beautiful image of sea wind blowing gently through hair. Another example is the world-famous automobile “Mercedes Benz”. It was translated directly into “梅赛德斯?本茨”at first, but this translation is long and has little sense to Chinese consumers. So the first half of the original brand name was omitted and the translation was changed into a more simplified version “奔驰”which sounds similar to “Benz”, and has an excellent associative meaning. Once heard of it, people will instantly think of a luxurious car running fast and swiftly, then arouse the desire to buy. There are some other examples of the brand names transliterated by abbreviation approach form English to Chinese such as the computer “Hewlett-Packart(惠 普)” and the watch “Solvilet Tituss(铁达时)”. 2.3 The Combination of Literal Translation and Transliteration As the name suggests, this method means literal translation for part of a brand name and transliteration for the rest. Therefore it has the advantages both of literal translation and transliteration. “Unilever” is the global leading provider of food and personal care which is translated into “联合利华”. The prefix “uni” is translated into “联 合”literally, and “利华”is the Chinese phonological equivalent for “lever”. Because it means benefit China in Chinese, the translated brand name attracted many local customers once it was introduced into China. And it turns out that the product sells pretty well in China. Another famous example is the translation of the brand name “Goldlion”. In English, “Goldlion 第 10 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 (Golden Lion)” is a symbol of courage, dignity and authority which is in line with Western standards for men. “Goldlion” was translated into “金狮” directly based on its original meaning. However, it was found out that the products was unpopular in China, because the pronunciation of 狮 shares the same pronunciation with 失(which means lose)in Chinese. From Chinese customers’ view, the translated Chinese brand name would arouse negative associations and be supposed to bring bad luck. So it was changed into “金利来”. 利来is the transliteration of lion, and it implicates that it can bring large profits to its owner in Chinese ( 利 means profit and 来 means come respectively in Chinese). The latter translation was proved to be a big success, as the product has been sold very well since then. “Mickey Mouse(米老鼠)”, coffee “Starbuck(星巴克)” and computer control devices “Logitech(罗技)” are all successful examples of translation method using the combination of literal translation and transliteration 2.4 Free Translation Free translation means translating freely, not being dragged with the original brand name. The shampoo “Rejoice” has the meaning of happy and joy, but as a brand name, it might be a little difficult for Chinese to accept it. Instead, being translated as “飘柔”, people can instantly associate with the picture that after using it, the hair became soft and beautiful. The potential customers of this product are mainly female. By this name, it sounds like their dream for hair will became true. Now, “Rejoice” is a pretty well-known brand name, having a high reputation. So does “Crest(佳洁士)”, “Ariel(碧 浪)” and “Lenovo(联想)”.“7-up” is a brand of beverage. A totally equivalent Chinese name couldn’t be founded. As up has the meaning of forward, so here up is extended as happiness. “七喜” is choosed to be its Chinese name. “Mitsubishi(三菱)” is a Japanese automobile whose logo is made of three diamond. So it is translated into “三菱” that means three diamond in Chinese. This translation is based on its logo which connect the brand name with its logo and easy to remember. So does the chewing gum “Wringley”. There’s an arrow pattern on the package, so it is translated into “箭牌”. 第 11 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 While “Ball Mall” cigarettes is translated as “顺牌” in Chinese. How does this translation come from? The pronunciation of Ball is similar to波, and Mall is similar to 殁. So “Ball Mall” together means 波泊浪殁, which means sailing safe and smoothly on the sea. “顺牌”is the simplified version of this meaning The Danish Cookies “Kieldsens” is translated as “蓝罐” instead of being translated directly by its pronunciation. This idea came from its package of blue cans and won a lot of praise. Sometimes we can invent a new word when translating Chinese brand name into English one. “Skinnice” is the English name of “肤美灵” which is a cosmetic brand. Skin indicates that it’s a cosmetic product, while nice indicates the nice skin after using it. The same goes to “陕西彩虹集团”. It uses “Irico” as its international name. The former part, “irx” is created from “Irix” that is the God of Rainbow which conforms to its Chinese meaning. While the latter part—co is short for corporation. Compared with simply translated as Rainbow or Caihong, this name is original and innovative. “Freshtech(新飞冰箱)” is another example. As s refrigerator, its duty is to keep food fresh and by new technology, it can perform better. This name passes this information exactly. Another free translation method is not to translate. Such as 3M. 3M is an acronym which is shorted for mimmesota, mining and manufacturing. A properly equivalent Chinese one is difficult to find. So its English acronym is retained in Chinese. We could also feel exotic and novel from this special name. 2.5 Domestication and Foreignization In light of the differences and conflicts between the source language, target language and the cultures they carry, which strategy should be adopted in translating, foreignization, domestication or a combination of both? This problem of translation is always in debation. Domestication and foreiginization that describe two different translation strategies are the two terms advanced by American deconstructionist 第 12 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 translation theorist Lawrence Venuti. According to his theory, domestication is defined as “a transparent, fluent style is adopted in order to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for TL readers”(Lawrence,1998:150), while foreignization is defined as “a TT is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original”(Lawrence,1998;150). The relationship of domestication and foreignization is dialectical. They are the opposites depending on each other, supplementing each other and infiltrating each other. Sometimes one of them becomes the principal aspect, even though they are equally important in nature. By means of foreignization, the culture could absorb the essence of the foreignness and develop itself better. But it is limited by the target culture and the receptive capability of the target readership. When the foreignness of the original cannot be accepted because of the two factors, domestication must be used to solve the problem. Te author believes in all domestication is more or less associated with foreignization in translation, otherwise translation would be meaningless or useless. According to the theory of foreignization, the methodologies of the Chinese translation of English brand names include transliteration and iteral translation. And according to the theory of domestication, there are combination translation and free translation. 第 13 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 Chapter 3 Problems in Brand Name Translation 3.1 Problems and Unsuccessful Examples Brand name translation means translating the brand name, including the name of the product and manufactory from one language into another language. The translated brand name must be Standard English which conforms to the international usual practice and cultural customs of target countries. So that it can develop overseas market and improve celebrity of the product, eventually create a good environment for founding international famous brand name. As economics develops, now there are more and more products of other countries coming into Chinese market and Chinese products breaking into overseas market. Thus when so many translated names of products and manufactories appear on the market, some problems are made out. Among the problems, the most noticeable one is cultural differences. The famous translator Eugene Nida has pointed out: “For true successful translation, the familiarity with both cultures is even more important than the mastership of the two languages, because the word only make sense in the culture which it functions.” Although the brand name is a little word, it is a high-condensation of culture, traditional values and customs of the source language. Therefore, when translating brand names the cultural factors became a tough point and matters the success of the translation. Because less of knowledge about the customs and social culture, the translated name of product might has another meaning in other countries which result in affecting the sale and credit of the product seriously. For instance,“白象电 池” are translated into “White Elephant” in English. However, the denotative meaning of white elephant in English means something useless. No wonder that the product didn’t sell well in overseas market. Here is a similar example. “白翎” is a pen brand. It was translated as “white feather” at first. It turned out that the sales wasn’t good. Because there is a saying in English, “to show the white feather”, that means being coward and run away from dangers. It 第 14 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 has an insulting meaning. 3.2 Cultural Differences in Area of Numbers, Colors and Animals When translating brand names, cultural differences should be paid great attention. Most of the cultural differences are in the area of numbers, colors and animals. To begin with numbers, 7 has a positive connotative meaning in Europe and America, while 13 is considered as a symbol of misfortune. In ” (which Chinese , the pronunciation of number 4 coincides with that of “死 means death or to die), while the pronunciation of 8 is similar to “ 发” (which means rich),6 means smoothness and 9 means long. In terms of conception of colors, many differences could be found between Western countries and China. Most Americans dislike violet; French people dislike green black; white is widely regarded as a symbol of purity and black is a symbol of death in Western countries, while red means happiness and green is linked with hope in China. Last but not least, a translator has to be flexible when translating brand names involving names of animals. For example, black cat is considered as a symbol of evil and misfortune in Christian countries; turtle symbolizes longevity in many Asian countries, but it is an ugly creature in many other countries; bat is believed to embody good luck in China, yet is believed to forebode evil or disaster in many Western countries; dragon is worshiped by Chinese as a symbol of supreme power, good luck and almighty authority, while it represented as an evil monster in the west. 3.3 Cultural Differences in Area of History and Location Culture differences can also be found some other aspects like geopolitical, location, social system and history. For instance, the French perfume “Opium” whose meaning is “鸦片”.The product intends to use the charm of opium to express the charm of its product. However, the Opium War is resented by Chinese. So it was boycotted in China by this name. The same example goes to “Aiwa”, an Japanese home appliance brand, whose original meaning is loving Japan. Due to the history of Anti-Japanese War, if we translate it directly into “爱和”, the sales of it absolutely will be poor. Instead, “爱华” is used and it win the heart of Chinese for it has the 第 15 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 implication of loving China. “Nippon Paint” is another example. Nippon is the English pronunciation of Japan, so it means 日本漆. Being transliterated into 立邦漆, it has avoided being discriminated in Chinese market. Because England and China located in different places in earth, the climate and other geographical difference are pretty clear. For English people, the west wind is the symbol of spring and robust life. Poet Shelly has wrote Ode to West Wind to show his passion for west wind. However, east wind shares the same implication with west wind in Chinese. So we directly translate “东风” into “East Wind” in English-speaking countries, people will be confused and fail to learn the true implication of this brand. 3.4 Cultural Differences in Area of Psychology When transliterating English brand names, the translator should consider carefully and choose the words which means happiness or something comply with Chinese psychology. The following example is a great proof. In 1995 when “Whisky” and “Brandy” started a dumping war in Hong Kong, the winner is “Brandy”. Because the Chinese version of “Brandy” is “白兰地” which can be associated with 白玉兰 that is the symbol of purity and elegant. And also the translation of “白兰地” is poetic and romantic, make people feel cheerful during drinking the wine. Different words could have different meanings. For example, “Dove” is a brand of both chocolate and personal care products. As a chocolate brand, its Chinese name is “德芙”. We can feel the soft and tasty of the chocolate by this name. And as a personal care product, “多芬” is used as its name. It stresses its fragrance. Both names has expresses its product spirit. Here is another example. In order to commemorate the airline founder—William Edward Boeing, people decided to name it as “Boeing”. The Chinese translation of the name Boeing is “博音”，but the translation of the brand name is converted to be “波音” which lead people to associate it with the high performance of the aircraft. Take “Polaroid” camera for example. Its translation has 2 two version: “宝丽 来”and “拍立得”. As the camera can produce the photo immediately after shooting, so the latter translation not only sounds similar to the English name, 第 16 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 but also expresses the spirit of the product. The CD perfume “Poison” is using the story of Romeo and Juiliet. At the end of the story, Romeo took poison for their love. It implies that after using this perfume, a man could drink poison for her, which means win love of a man. So the sales are very good in the national market. However, if we translate it directly into “毒药” in Chinese, it will remind people of 红颜祸 水 that no one will buy it. So “百爱神” is used to show that you are surrounded by a lot of Gods of Love, then it’s very easy to attract men and make them fall in love with you. 第 17 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 Conclusion To sum up, a brand name not only reflects the quality and characteristics of the product, but also affect the sales of the product. The brand name is playing an important role in the promotion of the product besides medium advertisement. The brand name is same as human’s name and it is the second name of the commodity in overseas. The importance is self-evident. Brand names translation is an art as well as an important job. It is a comprehensive work that covers a lot of subjects such as translation theory, linguistics, aesthetics, intercultural communication, marketing and proper translation techniques. It is a work of compromising between the meaning of brand names and the response of the consumers. Therefore, while translating the brand names, a translator has to pay great attention to the effect that the translated names could achieve should be similar or even the same effects as the original ones. A sound understanding of the product should also be mastered. Before translating the brand names, the principles for brand names translation should be beared in mind because brand names translation is different from other translations. The basic one which are same for all translations is the traditional one—faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance, put forwarded by Yan Fu. Then the equivalence principle orders us achieve the same or at least similar effect that the original one makes. In order to arouse the purchasing desire, we should apply the inductive principle. As the name suggests, we need the translated name to be inductive. Next, with the aesthetic principle, the customer could have good association with the brand name. Last but not least, in order to let the customer have a deep impression on its good quality the brand name indicating, the advertising functional principle is useful. There are many methods we could apply in brand names translation. Transliteration is the method usually used which can be divided into direct 第 18 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 transliteration and abbreviated transliteration. Direct transliteration is the easiest way and there are seldom mistranslations. While abbreviated transliteration can make the translated name more concise and easy to remember. Literal translation is more often used when the brand names have good denotative meanings and positive associations in both the source language and the target language, and especially when transliteration may result in awkward-sounding expressions. Combination method means using literal translation for part of a brand name and transliteration for the rest. Therefore it has the advantages both of literal translation and transliteration. The last method—free translation is an innovative one that the brand names translated by this method are not confined to meanings, pronunciations of the brand name or images of the logos. Free translation conveys the distinctive features of the products more vividly. Lastly, domestication and foreignization should be choosed according to the condition. It has becomes a considerable operation in which many factors have to be considered. Brand names translation is getting more and more important to international companies in today’s world-wide economic environment. This topic is worthy of further study. 第 19 页 共 21 页 济宁学院毕业论文 References [1]Claire Kramsch. Language and Culture[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Education Press, 2000. [2] E.A.,Nida. Language, Culture and Translating[M]. 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