Trademark Translation in Cross-cultural Communication-精品文档

Trademark Translation in Cross-cultural Communication

： As a way directly for economic service, trademark translation is a key topic for social pragmatic research. We tend to introduce cultural elements in trademark and characteristics of trademark language through trademark translation examples. In addition, from perspective of cross-cultural communication, we conduct an analysis of trademark translation for the purpose to shed some light for translators at translating trademarks.

1.Introduction

With the rapid development of China’s economy, more and more foreign companies are coming into Chinese market and their popular brands have been well received by China consumers. In the same way, Chinese manufacturers come to realize the importance of a good brand name, especially a good translation of their Chinese brand for helping them entering overseas market. However, many producers only translate their brand literally, regardless of the diversity of different nation s’ faith, cultural background, political system, way of thinking and

consuming concepts. Therefore, in order to promote our export, to strengthen our national enterprise competitiveness in the domestic and international market, and to set up a good company image, we should pay sufficient attention to the research of trademark translation, and know some skills and principles of trademark translation.

2.Basic concepts of trademark and trademark translation

A trade mark is a “sign” that distinguishes the goods or services of one producer from those of other producers. Trademark constitutes a part of goods advertising. However, advertising takes promotion as its objective. Therefore, it is commercial. From another point of view, it also illustrates culture. For differences in geographical locations, religion, race, and economic development level, people in differences countries may have different thinking mode, talents, consumption concepts, and value outlooks. The brand names generally contain specific meanings of a particular culture. When brand names are translated from English into Chinese or vice versa an adequate and appropriate conversion of cultural meanings can not only accurately reflect the product’s quality but

arouse the customer’s cultural asso ciation so as to create the expected advertising effect and help publicize that particular culture. Therefore, trademark translation can be considered as a kind of cross-cultural communication.

3.Skills for trademark translation

3.1 Transliteration

Transliteration means translating a certain brand name according to its pronunciation. The application of this method will satisfy those faddy customers who can easily know from the brand name that this product is an exotic thing. Such as Adidas (阿迪达斯), Konica (柯尼卡), Motorola (摩托罗拉), Kodak (柯达), Rossini (罗西尼)；also some Chinese brand names, such as “ “新科” (Shinco), “茅台” (Mao Tai), “飞亚达” (Fiyta), “味全” (Weiquan) etc. Most of these words do not have specific meanings, some of them are just copied from the bos ses’ names or place names, so most of them are coined words. Because of this, even if we translate them only according to their pronunciations, the original meanings have not been changed, that’s to say, this method accords with the principle of equivalence.

3.2 Free translation