谈品牌广告文体特点及其翻译.doc

论文编号：

华南师范大学增城学院

本科毕业论文

题 目：谈品牌广告文体特点及其翻译

姓 名： 陈妙霞
学 号： 060124319
系 别： 外语系
专业班级： 涉外翻译C班
指导教师： 翁涛

2010年 4 月 18 日

On Language Features and Translation
skills of Brand Advertising

A Thesis Submitted
to the Department of Foreign Languages
Zengcheng College of South China Normal University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

By Chen Miaoxia
Tutor：Weng Tao

April 18, 2010

Contents

Abstract
中文摘要

Chapter One Introduction 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Aim and objectives 1
1.3 Research method and data collection 2
1.4 Organization of the thesis 2

Chapter Two Literature Review 3
2.1 Introduction 3
2.2 Definition of advertising 3
2.3 Functions of advertising 4
2.4 Previous theoretic of translation 4
2.4.1 Instrumental translation theoretic of Nord 4
2.4.2 Functional equivalence principle of Nida 4
2.4.3 Translation theoretic applied in advertising 5
2.5 Related studies on translation in advertising 5
2.6 Summary 6

Chapter Three Commonness and Characteristic between English and Chinese World-famous Advertising 7
3.1 Introduction 7
3.2 Lexical feature and its function 7
3.2.1 Use simple word and colloquial and common word 7
3.2.2 Properly use abbreviation and compound word 8
3.2.3 Use You-form personal pronoun 9
3.24 Create and innovate word 10
3.3 Syntactic feature and its function 11
3.3.1 Use short sentence, simple sentence and elliptical sentence 12
3.3.2 Use imperative sentence and interrogative sentence 12
3.3.3 Use exclamatory sentence 13
3.4 Rhetorical device and its function 13
3.4.1 Pun 14
3.4.2 Rhyme 14
3.4.3 Parody 15
3.5 Summary 16

Chapter Four Translation Methods of Advertising 17
4.1 Introduction 17
4.2 Literal translation 17
4.3 Free translation 17
4.4 Other translation methods 18
4.4.1 Sets translation 18
4.4.2 Division translation 19
4.4.3 Creative translation 20
4.5 Summary 22

Chapter Five Conclusion 23
5.1 Introduction 23
5.2 A summarizing overview 23
5.3 Limitations and suggestions 24

References 25
Acknowledgements 26

Abstract

Along with the fast development of global economy, advertising as a marketing strategy is becoming increasingly important. Study of brand advertising language features has both aesthetic and commercial value, which not only can appreciate that special text from literary aspect, but also helps to master its common characteristic, grasping the secret of success. This thesis which collected a number of examples aims to conduct a language comparison between English and Chinese advertising. The present study is carried out based on AIDA principle，Instrumental Translation Theoretic of Nord as well as Functional Equivalence Principle of Nida. After detailed analysis, translation methods of advertising have been laid out and the flexible approach is revealed. It is hoped that the findings of this thesis will provide insights into the comprehension of English and Chinese advertising and give some inspiration for advertising translation.

Key words: brand; features of language in advertising; translation methods

中文摘要

随着全球化的经济发展，广告作为一种营销策略，其重要性日益彰显。研究世界知名广告语的文体特点是兼具美学价值和商业价值的，它不仅能从文学角度赏析广告语这一特殊文体，而且能助于把握知名广告的共有特征，掌握其成功秘诀。本文收集了若干世界知名的英汉广告，解析广告AIDA原则，并运用诺德工具翻译理论和奈达（2001）功能对等原则对知名广告的翻译进行了描述性和解析性研究。本文比较了英汉世界知名品牌广告语言的共性和特性，总结了广告翻译的主要方法和灵活选用技巧。希望本文的研究结果能为英汉广告的理解和翻译提供启发和帮助。

关键词：品牌广告；文体特点；翻译方法

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Introduction
With the fast development of global economy, advertising is becoming increasingly important. Chinese businesses nowadays are seeking abroad for potential clients. Meanwhile foreign corporations are expanding their markets in China. Advertising has already become a competitive global marketing strategy.

Advertising not only helps stimulate consumer to purchase the products, increasing the sales volume, but also efficiently pass its information to audience which as a promoting strategy to built the company’s image. It successfully bridges the gap between producers and consumers, brings convenience to both sides, and saves their costs.

Language of advertising greatly enhances its appeals, however, it as a barrier brings difficulties to translators. Studying the features of brand advertising helps to explore efficient methods of translating as well as finding out their secrets of success.
1.2 Aim and objectives
The present study attempts to present that one of the reasons for finding it difficult in translating advertising is the differences of language features between source language and target language. Besides, it intends to find out efficient methods in advertising translation.

The thesis aims to compare the features of brand English advertising and Chinese advertising in order to explore their translation methods.
It is primarily concerned with the following two research question:
(1) What is the commonness and difference between English and Chinese in world-famous- brand advertising?
(2) What are the efficient methods to translate advertising?
It is hoped that this study will benefit English advertising readers and writers. A good knowledge of the features of advertising will provide insights for advertising reading and interpretation in certain cultural contexts, and give some inspiration for the writing of advertising.
1.3 Research method and data collection
Typical examples will be cited from English and Chinese brand advertising to compare their features in lexical, syntactic and rhetorical aspects, finding out their commonness and characteristic.

Relevant translating theoretic will be explain and translation methods will be listed and compared with corresponding features for exploring efficient translation approaches.

1.4 Organization of the thesis
The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter One briefly introduces aim and objectives, research paradigms, and data collection of the research. Chapter Two relates the review of literature to the theoretical framework of present study. Chapter Three is one of the main bodies of the thesis in which is applied to analyze the collected data to compare English and Chinese in brand advertising. Chapter Four is another main body to describe the methods of translating advertising. Chapter Five draws conclusions, discusses limitations of the thesis and suggests further research.

Chapter Two Literature Review

2.1 Introduction
This chapter first begins with definition of relevant concepts: advertising, including brand advertising, and functions of advertising. Then, it continues with the brief introduction of some previous theoretic of translation, namely, Instrumental Translation theoretic of Nord and Functional Equivalence Principle of Nida. The final section of this chapter deals with the theoretic applied in advertising as well as their guiding functions ,and discusses related studies on advertising.
2.2 Definition of advertising
With the development of the industry, a more concise definition is modified by the American Marketing Association（AMA）: Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. （Wang Yanxi，2004：7）

Besides, Association of National Advertisers（ANA）has its opinion: “Advertising is a paid form of mass communication, aiming at offering information, altering others’ attitudes to advertised products, inducing others to get action and at last making profits for the advertisers.” （Gu Jiazu，2000：120）

However, brand advertising is the one that is well-known, widespread and available to escape one’s lips. It not only receives more recognition from consumers, but also catches a high market share. It has a remarkable feature, that is, has concise language, fast-paced and easy to pronounce.

From the above definitions, we can point out the basic purpose of advertising: advertisers try to impart information to consumers and change their attitudes towards the products in order to call the public attention and persuade them to buy the advertised products or services in preference to another.
2.3 Functions of advertising
Advertising may appear in any styles, such as dialogue, prose or even poem, whichever style it may take, advertising serves several basic functions. Generally speaking, advertising has the functions as follows: “Information Function, Demand Creation Function, Persuasive Function, Get Action Function and Goodwill Establishment Function.” (Wang Yanxi，2004：9)

Peter Newmark, who is a British linguist and translator, divided texts into three types: expressive, informative and vocative. Advertising belongs to the type of vocative, and its aim lies in using AIDA principle, that is, attention, interest, desire and action. （Shi Yanping，2008）

According to its functions and features of type, it can be found out that advertiser tries to infuse new desire into the consumers after they received the information in order to arouse their curiosity and interest. Inducing consumers to feel really need to buy and encouraging them to action is the final purpose of advertising.

2.4 Previous theoretic of translation

2.4.1 Instrumental translation theoretic of Nord
Nord is a representative of Teleology, which regards that translation should achieve its expective purpose. Instrumental translation, which created by Nord, is producing in the target languages an instrument for a new communicative interaction between the source-culture sender and a target-culture audience, using (certain aspects of ) the source text as a model. （Nord，2001：47）

2.4.2 Functional equivalence principle of Nida
“Dynamic equivalence” which was later modified into “functional equivalence” is defined “in terms of the degree to which the receptors of the message in the receptor language respond to it in substantially the same manner as the receptors in the source language.”( Nida，1969：24)

But essentially there is not much difference between the two concepts. The substitution of “functional equivalence” is just to stress the concept of function and to avoid misunderstandings of the term “dynamic”, which is mistaken by some person for something in the sense of impact.(Nida，1993：124)
2.4.3 Translation theoretic applied in advertising
Instrumental translation theoretic of Nord describes that “source text is just as a model”, a reference without restriction. It pointed out a guideline that during advertising translation process, it’s more practical to accord translation with target-culture and the rules of target language, appropriately changing the original form.

Functional equivalence principle of Nida, which emphasizes “the closest natural equivalence”, requires the translation not only be equivalent on information content, but also on the response of the receptor. The information content here contains idea as well as language form., and the importance of receptor’s role in translating is emphasized. (Zhang Xiaomin，2009)

In Nida’s view, when determing whether a translation is faithful to the original text or not, the critic should not compare the formal structures between the source text and its translation, but compare “receptors’ response”. If he finds that the reader in the receptor language understands and appreciates the translated text in essentially the same manner and to the same degree as the reader in the source language did, such a translation can be evaluated as a dynamic(functional) equivalent translation.(Ma Huijuan，2005：19)

Therefore, in order to achieve the same reactions and effects as the original, advertising translation needs to apply flexible methods on the basis of source text.

2.5 Related studies on translation in advertising
Over the years, the traditional equivalence, which is the based theories, have been very popular. For example, the influential criterion of “ faithfulness ”, “expressiveness” and “elegance” put forward by Yan Fu and the principle of functional equivalence (or dynamic equivalence) proposed by Nida.

Then later, functionalist theories (or skopos theorie), which were born in Germany, making up to the translation studies, infused a clear stream into the translation studies. It dominated the inflexible mode of the structuralism, and re-explained each participant’s role in the process of translation from the angle of view of deconstructionism.
Recently, advertising translation was popular studied in the aspect of language feature, which developed a new angle of view. “Advertising should be appreciated in lexical, syntactic and rhetorical aspects”, which wrote by Wang Zhuying in 2009. She thought that the translation of advertising should accord with the language feature which reflected its culture and background. Besides, Zhang Xiaomin also wrote her research in 2009 that functional equivalence principle of Nida should be used as a guidance to measure the achievement of translation. It began a diversified criteria for translational critic, and it is more scientific and more feasible.

2.6 Summary
This chapter has pointed out the basic purpose of advertising. It has indicated that persuading and inducing is the primary reflection of appellative function in advertising. It also reviewed and stated the guiding meaning of the theoretic about Nord and Nida to locate possible issues to be investigated in the present research. Lastly, it described the related studies on translation in advertising to prepare for comparing the difference between English and Chinese on advertising on the research subjects.

Chapter Three Commonness and Characteristic between English and Chinese Brand Advertising

3.1 Introduction
A considerable proportion of this chapter is spent analyzing and discussing the commonness and characteristic between English and Chinese in brand advertising. It will describe the lexical feature, syntactic feature and rhetorical device of advertising both in English and Chinese to prepare for investigation of their translation methods.

Successful advertising language will form direct communication between the addresser (producer) and the target text reader (consumers). The content of brand advertising it conveys is informative and persuasive. Brand advertising succeeds in impressing audiences and getting them into buying action. Knowing the features of brand advertising helps to identify their secrets of success and explore ways to translate them.

3.2 Lexical feature and its function
The saying “A single word is worth a thousand pieces of gold” can best describe the gener