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品牌中的文化差异与翻译 Cultural Differences in Brand and Brand Translation 作者:马海燕, 期刊 浙江万里学院学报JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG WANLI UNIVERSITY 2006年 第01期
- 从名词的汉译浅谈归化与异化翻译的原则 On the Translation Principles: Domestication and Foreignization——English-Chinese Translation of Nouns 作者:邓博倡, 期刊-核心期刊 广西青年干部学院学报JOURNAL OF GUANGXI YOUTH LEADERS COLLEGE 2008年 第05期
- 翻译中的文化差异与归化和异化 作者:王燕, 期刊-核心期刊 内江科技NEIJIANG KEJI 2009年 第06期
- 商标词翻译要坚持"本土化"原则——兼谈翻译的"相异性" The Translation of Brands and Localization——And Also on the "Diversity" of Translation 作者:文红, 期刊 怀化学院学报JOURNAL OF HUAIHUA UNIVERSITY 2007年 第04期
- 电影翻译中归化异化理论的应用 The Application of Domestication and Foreignization in Movie Translation 作者:陈青, 期刊-核心期刊 电影评介MOVIE REVIEW 2008年 第01期
- 归化与异化的翻译方法在实践中的应用 The Application of Domesticating Translation and Foreignizing Translation 作者:陈小琴, 期刊 桂林师范高等专科学校学报JOURNAL OF GUILIN NORMAL COLLEGE 2006年 第04期
- 归化、异化策略与翻译教学 Strategy of Domesticating/Foreignizing Translation and Cultivation of Cross-cultural Awareness in Translation Teaching 作者:王鲜杰,杨金燕, 期刊 沈阳教育学院学报JOURNAL OF SHENYANG COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 2007年 第04期
- 归化和异化——处理翻译中文化差异的两种方法 作者:李华, 期刊 新西部（下半月）NEW WEST 2007年 第08期
- 从英汉差异看习语翻译中的归化和异化 作者:杨平, 期刊-核心期刊 成功（教育版）SUCCESS 2009年 第07期
- 论英汉习语翻译中文化差异的处理 作者:涂沙丽, 期刊 理论界THEORY CIRCLE 2004年 第03期
- 略论解决词语翻译中文化差异问题的策略 作者:卞建华, 会议 2002烟台全国翻译学辞典暨译学理论研讨会2002烟台全国翻译学辞典暨译学理论研讨会论文集 2002年
On the Chinese Translation of Brand Names in English
1. Introduction
The human society has entered the 21st century. The international trade is developing fast. The national boundary concept desalinates gradually, when the scale of the commercial cooperation and the commodity import and export expand unceasingly. Import and export product in foreign land whether can develop the market and seize the market successfully; the brand name translation is playing the pivotal role, besides medium advertisement. The commodity brand name is similar to human's name. The translated brand name is the second name of commodity in other country, its importance is self-evident.
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. An effective brand name can promote the brand development process and enhance the perceived value of a product. Consequently, the enterprises concentrate on designing and explore the fancy brand name, which will be boosting sales and profits.#p#分页标题#e#
With China’s entry into the WTO, Chinese enterprises are confronted with more powerful international competition and more opportunities than ever. As more and more goods exported and imported, they have come to realize that one of their most valuable assets is their brand name. As a result, how to translate brand name between English and Chinese becomes an urgent issue. Many brand names are translated perfectly, but some still remain to be improved.
This thesis deals with mainly the translation of brand names between English and Chinese.
Trademark is a special kind of language signs. It is the concentration of commodities’ distinct characteristics, the core of commodities’ culture, and the powerful weapon for an enterprise to participate in international competitions. It is not only a logo, also a lure, the final goal of which is to attract customers and sell commodities. Trademark translation conforms to the conception of semiology. Trademark translation is the process from decoding to coding and the process of re-creating and further processing. That is to say, trademark translation is the transplantation of two kinds of cultures. A good trademark translation may bring an enterprise huge wealth, whereas a bad one may let an enterprise suffer great loss.
With the development of global economic integration, more and more Chinese enterprises have realized the importance of brand names as well as their translations.
Abstract:Translation of brand names is a form of intercultural communication. However we translate the Chinese brand names into English ones or translate the English brand names into Chinese ones, language laws, cultural psychology, aesthetic interest and some other factors will be involved. The translators should also pay attention to some cultural taboos and choose appropriate method to translate. Of course, brand name translation is not a simple thing.
Sometimes the good translated name likes the inherent one, when we translate brand name there is something we can do to strive for perfection. One good kind of commodity adding on a good name is not different with improving on perfection, and its charm is infinite. 商标名的翻译是一种跨文化交际形式，不管是中文商标的英译还是英文商标的汉译，都会涉及到语言规律、文化心理、审美情趣等方面的因素。商标翻译者在遵循翻译原则的同时，也要注意一些商标翻译的文化禁区，并且选择适当的方法来进行翻译。当然，商标的翻译绝不是简单的问题。
有时好的译名也有自然天成的味道，所以在翻译商标时我们大有文章可做，可以精益求精。一种好的商品，加上一个动听上口的名字，无异于锦上添花，魅力无穷。
With the development of global economic integration, more and more Chinese enterprises have realized the importance of brand names as well as their translations. As the result of gradual extension of commodity exchange in China's market, and the further development of economic globalization, the brand names, as the legally registered name of emblem of commodities, are playing crucial roles in international trade. More and more enterprises have come to the realization that one of their most valuable assets is the brand name associated with their products, so it is important to do well in the translation of English brand names.#p#分页标题#e#
As China became a formal member of WTO, more and more Chinese enterprises have the opportunities to grow and prosper in the world market. In the process of exploring onto the world stage, Chinese enterprises have come to the realization that one of their most valuable assests is the brand names associated with their products or services. Having an eye-catching but appropriate brand name has been proved to be a powerful weapon in the increasingly fierce competition.
And brand name translation should conform to the habitual use of target language, social culture, aesthetics and purchasing psychology of customers in target market.(商标翻译要跨越译入语的文化障碍，符合人们的习惯用法、审美情趣和文化心理，以吸引更多的消费者。)
2 Overview of Brand Name
2.1 Definition of Brand Name
To begin with, the definitions of brand, brand name and trademark, have to be clarified in a more distinctive way.
2.1.1 Brand
According to the American Marketing Association, “a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition.”
2.1.2 Brand Name
A brand name is a letter, word or a group of words that can be vocalized. It is “a name given by a producer to a particular product, by which it may be recognized from among products made by other producers” (Longman Contemporary English-Chinese Dictionary English 1993).
2.1.3 Trademark
A trademark is literally a “mark” that is used to distinguish one’s products or services from others, which cannot be vocalized. It consists of a word or words, letters, numbers, symbols, emblems, monograms, signatures, colors or combinations of colors. It is inferred that when legal protection is given to a brand, it’s called a trademark.
To sum up, a brand generally consists of two parts: the literal name, which can be pronounced, and the graphic design, which is usually the body of a registered trademark. A brand has more coverage than a brand name. A brand name is a brand but not all brands are brand names. This paper mainly deals with the translation of brand names.
2.2 Formation of Brand Name
A good brand name not only has to be clear, innovative, easy to remember and identify, but also offers favorable association and impression to customers. It is known that brand name words mainly come from three types of formation: proper name, common words and coined words.
(References
Kramsch, Claire. Language and Culture. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.
Li, Yuan. An Exploration of Brand Words and Their Translation. Diss. Guangxi University, 2007.
Nida, Eugene A. Language, Culture and Translation. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Languages Education Press, 1993.
Wang, Hongwei. The Rendition of Chinese Brand Names into English: A Cross-cultural Analysis and Approach. Diss. Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, 2005.#p#分页标题#e#
Yang, Qing. Translation of Brand Names. Diss. Beijing foreign Studies University, 2000.)
2.3 Characteristics of Brand商标的特点
Generally speaking, a good brand name should suggest something about the product’s characteristics―its benefits, use or action. It’s better to be easy, simple and clear to spell, pronounce, recognize and memorize. To improve pronouncing and recall ability is also important for a good brand name, which help to build strong memory links. Besides, different, distinctive and unusual brand name can do great help for the promotion of products. It’s necessary for the brand name to attribute unique, meaningful points to commodities in order to achieve competitive advantages. At last, a brand name should avoid unpleasant connection that may offend customers as much as possible. To create the favorable brand association, the brand name should convince customers that the product possesses relevant attributes and benefits that satisfy their needs and wants.
To name a product is a challenge-meeting job. The characteristics discussed above should be considered seriously, which may determine the prosperity of the product.
3 Cultural Differences and Brand文化差异与品牌
Chinese and English belong to two different language systems. Both Chinese and English brand names carry their features and cultures. Sometimes, it is hard to transfer a brand name into another language while keeping its denotative meaning. Brand name with neutral and positive meaning and favorable association in one language may be unacceptable in another language due to different understanding in different culture background.
A typical example, “紫罗兰”(clothing) won popularity in China for its high quality and brand-new design. Its English brand name is “pansy”. When it was exported to European Union, the name encountered resistance, because the name does not conform to the western culture. In Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary, “pansy” has two definitions.One is “garden plant with a short stem and broad flat bright-coloured petals”; the other is “effeminate man.”[1] P1061 So, people are not willing to pay money for the product with such a derogatory name.
Besides, “‘白象牌电池’, ‘蝙蝠牌电扇’ are well cited examples. In English, white elephant is often used metaphorically to refer to something useless, or too costly to be worth maintaining. Bats are associated with blindness and madness, as shown by the idiomatic expressions ‘as blind as a bat’ and ‘to have bats in the belfry’ (to be crazy or eccentric). Moreover, bats are also associated with blood sucking in Western countries.”[2] P362
3.1 Culture and Cultural Differences文化与文化差异
People are born in a particular culture and are taught to conform to it. One’s feelings, thoughts and behaviors are shaped by his culture. People assimilate social experience characteristic of our own culture and these experiences are reflected in the language they use. As a result, brand name translation is language converting across the different culture. In order to be accepted by the public, brand name should conform to the public’ culture. Therefore, local culture should be taken into serious consideration when a brand name is to be translated. Once the brand name is accepted, a prosperous market may be opened for the product. To achieve it, translators have to take many culture factors into account.#p#分页标题#e#
Because of differences in cultural values, economic development and other factors across nationalities, consumers in different parts of the world can vary in their attitudes towards brands. Brand name translation has close relation with culture. Each culture is formed with its characteristics in different courses of history and geographical environment. These cultural differences will cause the different understanding of language.
In a word, there are some cultural factors that greatly influence the translation of brand name. In this part, the differences of customs and habits and Psychology structure between source language and target language will be analyzed.
References
[1] Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary. Extended fourth edition.
Beijing: The Commercial Press, 2002, 1. P1061
[2] 王振亚. 语言与文化[Z]. 北京: 高等教育出版社, 2004, 7．P362
[3] 刘维一. 音译词与文化[J]. 成都大学学报, 2005, 1. P22
[5]夏德富. 中译英技巧文集, 北京: 中国对外翻译出版公司, 1997,3, P231
[6] 耿洪敏. 实用英汉翻译[Z]. 上海：复旦大学出版社, 2005，6. P46
[7] 胡文仲. 跨文化交际学概论
4.1 Principles of Brand Translation品牌翻译的原则
Inductive Principle of Brand Name Translation
The final goal of the brand name is bringing consumer's attention, taking consumer's demand, stimulating consumer's purchase desire, and finally serving with the purchase behavior. Inductive principle of brand name should regard as the soul of brand name translation. The Chinese-foreign joint venture washing product “飘柔” is the classics of brand name translation about inductive principle work. The translator did not transliterate the “Rejoice” or translate it literally to “欢乐”or “欢欢”, but adopt free translation boldly. He used “飘柔”to show the brilliance of it. At the same time, this translation also has the very strong inductive. Generally speaking, the shampoo expense group is almost female, and each woman vainly hoped for has mild-mannered sharp luxuriant. “飘柔” has held the dream of the expense groups, lured them to choose this product. Prokids (小淘气婴儿用品) using the love of mother to the child indicated all these are for your lovely baby; Are you not willing to take out money? Therefore, when translation brand name, we must study consumer's psychology carefully, consider repeatedly, translate exquisitely, lofty, brief, easy to record, can arouse the customer interest, let persons have the happy association, makes the deep impression to the customers.#p#分页标题#e#
4.2 Methods of Brand Translation品牌翻译方法
The Method of Transliteration
We can adopt or create English words which the tones are near 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”into “Stone”（石头）,“黛妹牌生眉笔”into “Dame”（夫人）,“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.
5 Conclusion结论
Brand name translation is an art. It is a comprehensive process that covers translation theory, aesthetics, intercultural communication, marketing and consumer psychology. It is a work of compromising between the meaning of brand names and their consumers.
The brand name embodies cultural characteristics in different nations, societies and times. It aims to publicize its products and attract consumers. The task of brand name is to create desirable names to promote their products. In this translation, the translator is required to create brand names that can convey the message of the original appropriately but also be accepted as well as appreciated by consumers in target market. Sometimes, he or she may adjust or even rewrite the original so as to render the translation in such a way that both content and language are acceptable and comprehensible to the intended consumers.
World market competition lies in both products and brand name. In order to get the international market share, we should make much effort and the first step is to design a proper brand name.
References
[1] Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary. Extended fourth edition.
Beijing: The Commercial Press, 2002, 1. P1061
[2] 王振亚. 语言与文化[Z]. 北京: 高等教育出版社, 2004, 7．P362
[3] 刘维一. 音译词与文化[J]. 成都大学学报, 2005, 1. P22
[4[5]夏德富. 中译英技巧文集, 北京: 中国对外翻译出版公司, 1997,3, P231
[6] 耿洪敏. 实用英汉翻译[Z]. 上海：复旦大学出版社, 2005，6. P46
[7] 胡文仲. 跨文化交际学概论
It is also the translator’s duty to translate refraining from falling into the culture trap and promote a good international image.
So the brand name translation is a difficult and important job. On the basis of understanding of product’s natural capacity, translator must see the change of products on market clearly and try to figure out the feature of consumer’s mentality. He should apply the pragmatics, sociolinguistics, folklore, aesthetics and the study of cultural language, selling, consumer’s mentality, advertisement and intercultural communication exactly. He also should adhere to the principles of translation as advertising nature, inductive, aesthetic and equivalence, and understand the differences between different cultures. The translator ought to choose appropriate methods to suit different conditions and in order to embody the information and functions which the original language brand name bears. Thus it can help the national products enter the target country market successfully.#p#分页标题#e#
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[4] Nida, Eugene. The Theory and Practice of Translation. Leiden: F.J.Brill, 1969.
[5] Nord, Christiane. Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.
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[13] 梁晓东. 民族心理差异与商标翻译[J]. 上海：上海科技翻译, 1997，(3).
[14] 王福祥, 吴汉樱.文化与Principles of Translating Brand Names and Cultural Taboos in Translating Brand Names. Bin Cao Central China Normal University.
[15] 朱亚军. 商标词的翻译原则与策略[J]. 外语研究, 2003, (28).
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