推荐-从文化视角论商标的翻译 精品

毕业论文
院别外国语学院
系别英语系
专业英语（师范）
年级20XX
学生姓名程玉娟
学号20XX24061436
题目从文化视角论商标的翻译
指导教师张琼
完成时间20XX 年 5 月
肇庆学院教务处制
On the Translation of Trademark from the
Cultural Perspective
A Thesis
Submitted to the School of Foreign Languages of
Zhaoqing University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts
By
Cheng Yujuan
Supervisor：Zhang Qiong
May 20XX
Abstract
Trademark is one of the effective ways to help panies to spread their identities and better sell their modities. The paper discusses the international significance of trademark and the important effect of trademark translation that it can also be favored for a brand in the international market. Trademark is a symbol of representative product image and quality, with the specific cultural connotation. Trademark as a cross-cultural activity, there is a huge difference in Chinese and western language and culture, customs and tradition. The paper illustrates the monly used translation methods in the trademark translation, as well as analyses the main strategy of trademark translation on the influence of cultural difference. Finally on the question“how to make an accurate translation of China’s export brand name so that it can get the better sales goal”,this paper gives a further study.
Key Words: trademark; culture; translation
内容摘要
商标是公司传播自身特点和促进销售量的有效途径。

商标的国际性的意义和商标的翻译对于一个商品品牌在国际市场上是否也能够得到青睐，也起着至关重要的作用。

商标是产品形象的代表和质量的象征，承载着特定的民族文化内涵。

作为一种跨文化活动，在中西方的语言文化、风俗习惯、传统等方面存在着巨大差异。

最后了商标的翻译中常用到的翻译方法：一般情况用音译的方法；根据商标所表达的意义、商标名称是否符合当地文化、商标名称对顾客的吸引性可选择意译，并分析文化差异对商标翻译的影响及商标翻译应把握的主要策略，探讨了如何准确翻译我国出口商品的商标名称，达到促进商品销售的目的。

关键词：商标；文化；翻译
Acknowledgements
Here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people who have helped me finishing this paper. Especially I want to give my thanks to Ms. Zhang Qiong, my respected supervisor. Without her help, I am sure that I will not acplish this thesis successfully. Out of her busy work in the supervising, she helped me with revising my thesis. She read through my paper carefully and pointed the errors. With her careful revising, I finished my paper smoothly. In addition, I would like to express my thanks to the writers of the reference books. From them, I got so much useful materials.
Outline
Thesis Statement: This thesis analyses the translation methods of trademark from the cultural perspective.
1.Introduction
2. Culture Differences in the Trademark
2.1 Thinking-pattern Differences
2.2 Social Value Differences
2.3 National Psychological Differences
2.3.1National Values
2.3.2 Religious Beliefs
2.4 Aesthetic Interest Differences
3. Translation of Trademark
3.1 Transliteration
3.2 Free Translation
3.3 bination of Transliteration and Free Translation
3.4 Effectiveness Translation
4. Conclusion
Table of Contents
1Introduction (1)
2 Culture Differences in the Trademark (2)
2.1 Thinking-pattern Differences (2)
2.2 Social Value Differences (3)
2.3 National Psychological Differences (3)
2.3.1 National Values (4)
2.3.2 Religious Beliefs (5)
2.4 Aesthetic Interest Differences (6)
3 Translation of Trademark (7)
3.1 Transliteration (7)
3.2 Free Translation (8)
3.3 bination of Transliteration and Free Translation (9)
3.4 Effectiveness Translation (10)
4 Conclusion (11)
Bibliography (12)
1. Introduction
Trademark is a symbol of a product in the form of one or more words (Oxford Dictionary of Business, Market House Book Ltd, 1990). It stands for the quality, function, after-sale services and other important traits of the product. And it is not only a logo, also a lure, the final goal which is to attract customers and sell modities. The translation of trademarks belongs to the field of business translation and also has its own distinguishing features. As stated by an American scholar, “A good translation of a brand name can bring millions of dollars’ difference in the product sells record.”(包惠南，20XX:28) With more and more foreign products came into China and Chinese products exported abroad, trademark translation has bee an increasingly significant part of marketing strategy. A well-translated trademark can also save millions of dollars over the product’s life because it carries its own meaning, describes the product’s advantages, and differentiates the product significantly from its petitors. By reading the trademarks, it is easy to tell the products from one to the other and to know the characters of products. For the good trademark has the functions of distinguishing, providing information of products and being symbol of credit, the good trademark has a good advertisement for the product and help to take in a larger market .So this paper emphatically point out the culture differences in trademark translation, if the translators know more about these differences, they may translate trademarks better.
2. Culture Differences in the Trademark
The trademark translation and cultural differences are inseparable. In social life, culture plays a vital role, which greatly affects people’s daily life. Cultural diversity decides people to have different ways of thinking, aesthetic temperament and interest, and national psychology as well as the social value in trademark translation. (Nida, Eugene, 20XX:27)Therefore, the translators must consider the influences of the cultural differences during the trademark translation. (陈炼，20XX:47)Now, I will discuss on the influences of the English trademark translation from the following four different kinds of cultural differences.
2.1 Thinking-pattern Differences
Countries all over the world have different geographic location, political system and racial system as well as economic development level. Besides, people in different culture background tend to have different ways of thinking. Now, let’s talk about the thinking-pattern differences. In Western countries, people often are used to getting the abstract way of thinking, however, Chinese are used to thinking in images. The essential difference between abstract thinking and thinking in image lies in using the different basic unit during the process of the thinking. Abstract thinking is the basic unit of the concept, and thinking in image is the basic unit of the perceptual image. The trademark translators should pay much attention to transfer from the abstract thinking to the thinking in image in English trademark translation into Chinese. Therefore, in some cases, many rather abstract English trademarks are translated into Chinese, which should be objectified in visualization. For example, English trademarks “Peps i Cola”, “Coca-Cola”, “Colgate”, and “Rejoice” are translated into Chinese words, separately for “百事可乐”;
“可口可乐”; “高露洁”and “飘柔” They are not only specific image, but also can bring a person enjoyment. This way of translation considers that people from different countries have different thinking-pattern. These kinds of famous and successful trademarks have brought great benefits for businessmen.
2.2 Social Value Differences
Every society and culture has its own social values. As a core of the system of culture, social value is an evaluation of things around him or her and also is the orientation to taking behavior. Social value is a person’s behavior direction and motivation. Therefore, the social values directly affect the consumption behaviors. As is known to all, the most important difference between Chinese culture and Western culture is that people have collectivism and individualistic attitudes. (詹欣珍，20XX:24)In Western culture, people strongly advocate individualism. They advocate personal struggle, enterprise and innovation. So the Western trademarks are named after the people who are the founders of relevant goods. However, in China, collectivism is advocated by people and plays a leading role in our society. It is also the criterion to identity people whether they own a sense of responsibility or not. Different social values play an important influence on the trademark translation. For example, English trademark “Budw eiser” is translated as “百威”, “GOME” is translated as “国美” and “Aiwa” is translated into “Love China”, and so on.
2.3 National Psychological Differences
The national psychology refers to a character, temperament, emotion, value orientation and religious mentality of a nation. Even though a national psychological
model and characteristic have something in mon with other nations’ psychological models and characteristics, mostly are reactive and different. National psychological differences enable people from different countries to have psychological impacts and form the obstacles in their association. So a national psychological mode will inevitably affect people shopping mentality. In the trademark translation process, if the translators ignore national psychological differences, even good products will not be accepted by people just because of the trademark names. National psychology contains national values and religious belief.
2.3.1 National Values
Cultural value is to display the profound humanistic spirit through the “restraint”and “self-denial”. (李宝成，20XX:62)It advocates moral values that are self-cultivation and regulating the family as well as governing. Trademark also expresses this concept with its concise language. Chinese people in psychology are more willing to select the lucky words or connect the trademark name with nice wish through “谐音”. Trademark translation process is a process of renaming. So when English trademarks are translated, the translators should know that Chinese people have minds that are hastening lucky, avoiding disaster and blessing.
Many importers pay much attention to Chinese culture and the national values during the translation so that they can open the China market for the products. The famous beverage “Coca-Cola”is translated as “可口可乐”, which caters to Chinese people “Great happiness, Great joy”psychology, brings the revenue for pany. Also, “Gold Lion” was translated as “金狮”originally, but “狮” in Hong Kong and Macao is
similar with the pronunciation “lose” so it sold block. Later, it is translated as “金利来”. The translator uses the free translation of “Gold”which is “金”, and adopts the transliteration of “Lion”that is “利来”. From then on, the profits of good are increasing rapidly because its name caters to Chinese people’s psychology. There is an example, BMW are acronyms of Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian motor pany). When the product es to the Chinese market, the translator leaves out the last letter W and just translates two letters B and M as “宝马” according to Chinese two-syllable. The name enables BMW to contain rich Chinese culture.
Chinese consumption mind is hastening lucky and making profits, paying attention to durability and efficiency, often expecting to be long, sure and real allowance and guarantee. When many English trademarks are translated into Chinese, the translators should pay much more attentions on Chinese consumers’ values and national psychology, such as “Seven-up”(七喜), “Gold Lion”(金利来), “Cannon”(佳能), “Dove”(德芙) (the homonyms of Chinese nice word “De Fu”). Chinese people would rather choose trademarks which represent good things not to choose trademarks with evil things.
2.3.2 Religious Beliefs
Different nations have different religious beliefs and different beliefs have different taboos. Understanding taboos has a very important significance in trademarks translation, because people’s religious beliefs in a large extent influence people’s consum ption idea and behavior. If the business ignores religious differences, products not only can’t open market, but also would be suppressive. For example, as the above mentioned “Gold Lion”(金利来) product, firstly it was translated into “金狮”so that it can’t open the
market in China. Because it suffers from “Buddhism” and “Taoism” and people pursue a long life. “Golden Lion”and “today death”are the same sound so that people will consider it is unlucky. And then it was translated as “金利来”, which is a good fortune. In addition, Chinese ethnic culture always pays attention to inside, steady and euphemism. One English trademark called “Kiss Me”, which wishes to express that it makes females more enchanting sexy. If a translator lacks Chinese culture, simply translated it was “吻我”, then its amount in the Chinese market is far from “奇士美”. 2.4 Aesthetic Interest Differences
Elegance is a kind of cultural characteristic that human being own. Vulgar trademarks can cause consumers disgusted. It may have this case that what is considered elegant in one culture may be vulgar in another one. Therefore, we have to understand different characteristics of cultures, like taboo and metaphor and so on. The aesthetic psychology is an important factor of social culture. The translators only cater to different national aesthetic psychology so as to give consumers a beautiful enjoyment and stimulate their purchasing desire. For example, a France famous perfume brand called “Poison”. It caters to Western women’s rebellious and personality. It is sold v ery well in Western countries. However, in China, people’s aesthetic interest is quite differe nt from Western. Eastern women are well-known as good morality and virtue. If the “Poison” is directly translated into “毒药”, for most Chinese women it is difficult to accept. Sales will well? Later, it is translated into “百爱神” to enter into Chinese market. It shows the other kinds of beauty which is different from the original one. In translation, national aesthetic interest differences should not be neglected. Take color as an example, Belgium
hate blue because they think blue is unlucky. In a word, the translators should know exactly about the other countries of culture and tradition so that products would be promoted well in the international market.
3. Translation of Trademark
Speaking of methods of translation, free translation, transliteration and bination of transliteration and free translation are always mentioned. (冯庆华，1998:35)In trademark translation, they are also in mon use. According to William Wells’ advertising book, he argues that it is particularly difficult for international panies to adapt to names and product slogans in Chinese. It can be seen then; translating foreign trademarks is really a hard nut to crack. To achieve the best effect, sometimes some special methods are also needed.
3.1 Transliteration
In English trademark translation, transliteration is more mon used. It is the way in which the trademark is translated according to pronunciation of source language to show features of the moditie s so that it can deepen consumers’ impression and memo ry. (史玉娟，20XX:78)The purpose of such an approach is to ply with the linguistic rules and to convey the source language culture. And the strong point of using transliteration is that it can best preserve the rhyme of original trademark, reflecting the product’s special emotional appeal. Many trademarks are translated by this way.
Different trademarks should find their own ways to use this method. The world famous Internet search engine Yahoo! Chinese name is “雅虎”, which is full of humor
and wit so that it can attract the consumer’s eyes. “Tiger” stands for forces in Chinese minds and it also shows good lucks. The tiger is a king of beasts so it can show Yahoo! status among the Internet. “Elegance” also reflects a small tiger’s clever, lovely and eliminates a tiger’s ferociousness. For all, the trademark is more close to the consum ers and wins the love of consumers as well. There are also another examples, such as, “Casio”(卡西欧); “Audi”(奥迪); “Siemens”(西门子); “Sony”(索尼) and so on.
Though this kind of translation can hardly associate the feature of the product with the name, they do follow some of the preconditions mentioned earlier in the paper like using characters with favorable meanings and making the translation short and fair-sounding. Take “IKEA” for instance, it is a famous furniture brand and its translation “宜家”makes use of the character “宜”meaning “appropriate for”and “家”meaning “home” to imply that the furniture are very appropriate for your home. Also, “宜家”is very easy to remember and sounds like its original brand very much.
3.2 Free Translation
Free translation is according to the meaning of the trademark to translation. (范仲英，1994:49)The translators carefully choose words to create a beautiful conception for the consumers and also should express the utility of the products.
Many successful trademarks translation have bee the pany’s vast wealth and intangible assets. For example, Hong Kong Gold Lion “金利来”(men’s clothing) has bee a world brand. “金利来” is popular with customers. The translator bines Gold “Gold, money, fame and fortune” and Lion “e”, so “金利来” means that money and fame will e to you. Therefore, it is the best choice to the successful men. “Microsoft”, the American
software giant pany, also adopts the translation method to register its Chinese brand. Translating “Micro”as “Wei”and “soft”as “软”successfully transmits the implied meaning: basic, tiny and delicate software. There are some other examples, such as, Panda (熊猫)-TV; Crown (皇冠)-Car.
3.3 bination of Transliteration and Free Translation
bination of transliteration and free translation is a high skill which requests a firm basis and profuse imagination. Taking the pronunciation and the meaning of source language into consideration at the same time, bination of transliteration and free translation is a translation skill reflecting the traits of products. (章和开，王云桥，1997:78) It is the best skill having the best effect to translate the trademarks of mon products.
“Dove”is a brand of daily modities and a trademark of chocolate. In English, it means “鸽子”, a kind of bird. Although this translation has nothing to do with these two products, it does have its significant connotation. (王向华，20XX:56) As a modity trademark translated as “多芬” has the meaning of soothing fragrance. However, as the trademark of chocolate, it is translated as “德芙” with the advertisement “milk fragrant, silky feel; silk smooth full-bodied, pure aftertaste”. Before you put it into your mouth, you can feel the thick milk fragrance. The two translations are more vivid and meaningful than pigeons. Another skin-protection creaming “Tobaby” is translated into Chinese “丹芭碧”which has nothing to do with the property of modity, but “丹”and “碧”will give people a beautiful enjoyment, arousing their association with skin and appearance.
The United States Johnson & Johnson pany founded in 1887 is operating medical health care and care products. It was established by three brothers, namely, Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson. If it is translated into “Johnson”(约翰逊) by the literal translation, it will not have any special differences. However, if the translator uses nearly sound and imagination method, it is translated as “Johnson& Johnson”(强生) with imaginations of strong vitality and connection of the pany’s health care and health care products. Let us e to another example. American Hewlett-Packard Co. is the world’s largest electronic instruments and small puter manufacturers. Its trademark is bining the names of two founders W﹒Hewlett and D﹒Packard. The abbreviation is “HP”, and it is translated into “HP”(惠普) which allows consumers to have an imagination of benefits and popularities.
3.4 Effectiveness Translation
Effectiveness translation is also one of the trademark translation methods. It is a way that the trademark is translated by the effectiveness which the consumers may get or wish to get from this modity. (史玉娟，20XX:78) For example, a famous shampoo is named “head shoulder”, which it can make your hair smooth. If you buy and use it continuingly, you will have soft and beautiful hair. Therefore, it is translated as “海飞丝”in Chinese markets. One more example, it is “Safeguard”which is a kind of soap. According to the word “Safeguard”, it is not hard to know that it is a cleaner. Chinese name is “舒肤佳”. If you use it, there is no virus with you and you can always keep clean and have a wonderful mood. For all, “舒肤佳”is the best translation of “Safeguard”. Let's move to another brand. From the word “Rejoice”, we can know its meaning is cheerful. If it is translated by the skill of free translation, the result is not as good as
translating it into Chinese “飘柔”. By reading this name, it is easy to know that it is one kind of shampoo, which has the effectiveness of making hair soft and smooth. In a word, these cases are the best examples to show their effectiveness.
4. Conclusion
To some extent, a trademark is more important than the product itself, which is a maxim western advertising designers generally accept and abide by. For words in different cultures have different cultural connotations, which arouses different association. People rack their brains to invent brands which are full of wit and humor, vividness and vigor, uniqueness and novelty, to give a deep impression to the consumers and triumphs over the opponents in keen petitions. Thus, brands are also special words in regards to their economic feature, with the basic function of distinguish products, providing information, symbols of credit and stimulating consumption.
On the whole, the brands translation is a very important skill. When brands are being translated, the cultural differences should be considered and the information of products should be also paid attention to. Chinese and English are different languages with different cultures. The significance of researching on the brand translation in different cultures is to improve the insight of the using of languages and understand the source and target language pletely so that brands can get an equal effect in two languages. After a research on it, the foreign trading and cross-culture munication must be more effective and easier.
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