TechniquesandPrinciplesinEnglish-ChineseTranslaionofBrandNames商标名称英译汉的技巧和原则_开题报告

Before the beginning of elaborating this paper, it is necessary to make a literal review of the research status of brand name translation field. At the same time, it is also necessary briefly describe the relevant theories and significance of this paper. The author hope to have a breakthrough and innovation on the basis of existing research of brand name translation. 

It is believed that Language as a complex symbolic system. From its internal structure point of view, it can be divided into four subsystems: phonetic system, semantic system, vocabulary and grammar system. Although the four of them are different from each other they are interelated with each other, which fully reflect the special nature of this symbolic system language (Li Mingyu, 1997, 66).  

From the historical perspective of the brand name translation, sometimes some of the linguists put more emphasis on phonetic translation, but less on semantic. In contrary, some of the linguists pay special attention to semantic translation but less on phonetic translation. Such as 1960s period Catford’s (1965) phonetic translation theory and Nida’s (1964) equivalence theory are on behalf of these two tendencies. 

Fox example, according to the scholar Fang Mengzi’s research (based on Catford’s Phonetic translation theory) that phonetic translation also called “ZhuanXie“（转写）, which means that the new words are made by Chinese characters by following the pronunciation of the original words, in this way that the Chinese characters are never put together in the Chinese language.(Fang Mengzi, 2005, 4)

On the other hand, the scholar Xiao Hui points out that according to equivalence principle, a translated brand name should be combined with pronunciation, form and meaning same as the original brand name (Xiao Hui, 2000).

The research shows that phonetic translation and semantic translation are two generic techniques of brand name translation. Phonetic translation emphasizes that the translated result to keep the pronunciation similar or identical, but different meaning in the local language. Semantic translation emphasizes that the translated result to keep the same meaning, but different pronunciation in the local language; semantic translation tends to create a new word by the entity of the originals (Chan 1990, 81-91). 

In real life, both phonetic translation and semantic translation are objective fact, both of them should be valued. After further research many scholars have offered us a new idea of brand name translation that phone-sematic is a new ideal brand name translation technique which is able to combine both pronunciation and meaning.  

For example, the scholar Chow pinots out that in theory there are three clear ways of brand name translation, which include strictly semantic, strictly phonetic and phono-semantic (Chow et al., 2007)

The scholar Dongyan points out that phone-sematic translation technique which means the part of pronunciation of the original words was combined with the part of meanings of the brand name, or the pronunciation of the original words was combined with meanings of other common words when translating brand name (Dongyan 2005). 

In terms of the research of Chow and Dongyan, the author believed that phones-semantic translation technique is used when brand name can conform the parallelism which have the similar pronunciation and the relevant meanings in the local language, and the translated brand name can also clearly reflects the quality, function and characteristics of the products.

In addition to the above several translation theories, there are other different theories which involved in brand name translation. For example, Yanfu’s Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance, Hans J. Vermeer’s (1970s) Skopostheorie, and House’s (1977) Over Translation and Covert Translation; Toury’s (1980, 1995) Adequacy and Acceptability, Peter Newmark‘s (1981, 1988) Semantic Translation and Communicative Translation, and Gutt’s (1991) Direct Translation and Indirect Translation; Venuti’s (1995) Foreign-zing Translation and Domesticating Translation, Verschueren’s (1999) Adaptability Theory, and so on.

In recent years, many experts and scholars believed that brand name translation should be combined with the characteristics of Chinese and Western cultural differences, aesthetics and psychology.

Fox example, the scholar Xiao Hui’s points out that a translated brand name should be consistent with aesthetic psychology of local consumer in cultural level to attract potential consumers. In addition, brand name translation involves with language rule, culture, and psychology and so on. Therefore, it is a form of cross-cultural communication (Xiao Hui, 2000).

The scholar Liang Xiaodong points out that the deviations in language and culture were principally caused by the diversity of national psychology. All in all, how to remove obstacles which caused by national psychology in brand name translation must be valued. And then, he indicated that the character, temperament, aesthetic attitude and religion in different country are the major reasons for the adjustment of brand name translation strategies (Liang Xiaodong, 1997, 3, 23-25). 

Globalization has changed the world greatly. With the development of market economy and the increasing international exchanges, commodity circulation is increasing accordingly. Many large multination group’s business are all over in every corner of the world.

In order to maintain a unified product image, in favour of product management and marketing promotion, most of foreign companies want to keep the unity of the brand name of their product. But for the target country consumers can easily understand, recognize and remember their products, as well as narrowing the influence caused by culture and language barriers when they enter the overseas market. The foreign companies inevitably face brand name translation problem. Meanwhile, with the development of China’s economy, many domestic companies have also started to go abroad to open up overseas markets, they also face the same problem. 

Therefore, enterprises whom uses the differentiated brand name translation strategy which intention is to make their brand name complying with the local language and culture, conducive to product promotion, and improve product awareness, as well as shape the brand image, finally to enhance the market share, to bring the profit for the enterprises.

On the other hand, according to the American scholar Al Ries points out that “we know the importance of a good brand name for a successful product a brand can get the customers’ satisfaction, acceptance, approval, and even loyalty on just premise that it has a good brand name. Brand names, to a large extent, have a direct impact on product sales. As the core element of a brand, its brand name even has a direct impact on its rise and fall, the economic benefits of an enterprise, and even the survival of the enterprise (Al Ries and Laura Trout, 2002: 44).”

Brand name translation plays an important role in the international business activities, it gradually formed a unique language style in the field of business English translation. It is not only a bridge between foreign brand name and Chinese brand name, but also a bridge between Chinses and Western cultures. 

Brand name is a symbol of silent language, just as the body language, which gives a very intuitive impression. 

To accurately express the language while in the process of translation, it cannot do without the specific cultural background of the language understanding. Language is the carrier of culture, it not only reflects the culture, but also convey the culture. In a word, it is closely related to culture.

Brand name translation is an indispensable branch of translation system, it is the product of the development of market economy.

The research of brand name translation which can be wide linguistics research, enrich the connotation of linguistics, as well as promote the integration of linguistic theory and practical application to achieve the standardization of brand name translation. 

The research of brand name translation which involves many different disciplines, such as linguistics, communication, sociology, psychology, and so on. It reflects a typical cross disciplinary nature. Due to brand name translation involves extensive contents and the limitations of author’s knowledge level, this paper it has many shortcomings still need improve and perfect.

For sure, there will be existing some shortcoming in brand name translation filed. For example, as the scholar Quan-Hong Yang points out that the brand translation in China market has following shortcomings: be apt to parrot (repeat word by word what others say), be short of create something new and original, be apt to act blindly, be short of export-oriented cooperation, be apt to subjective assumption, be short of practical investigation, be apt to self-approbation, be short of objective-oriented, be apt to one-dimensional thinking, be short of multiway thinking (Yang Quanhong,  2003:56).

Thus, the author try to seek for some corresponding techniques and principles based on the previous researches and the theories above to solve the problem which troubling enterprises.

This paper attempts to use the topic of brand name translation as breakthrough point, the next, to through the case find the problems, once again, to utilize the existing translation theories as well as combine with eastern and western cultural characteristics to analyze the problems, final, to summarize the translation techniques and principles to solve the problems, thereby, to improve the level of brand name translation.

II．Outline

Title: Techniques and Principles in English-Chinese Translation of Brand Names

English Abstract

Layout of This Paper

2. Whether to Translate Foreign Brand Name into Chinese Brand Name

2.1 Keeping Foreign Brand Name

2.2 Translating into Chinese Brand Name

3. Comparison between Chinese and English Brand Names

3.1 Similar Aspects between Chinese and English Brand Names

3.2 Distinctions between Chinese and English Brand Names

4. Characteristics of Brand Name Translation

4.1 Proper Nouns Brand Name

4.2 Common Nouns Brand Name

4.3 Inventing words Brand Name

5. Three Common Techniques and SWOT Method in Brand Name Translation

5.1 Phonetic Translation

5.2 Semantic Translation

5.3 Phone-Semantic Translation

5.4 SWOT Method Application in Brand Name Translation

6. Principles of Brand Name Translation

6.1 Principle of Legal Brand Name

6.2 Principle of Easy Pronunciation and Remembering

6.3 Principle of Indicative Product Character

6.4 Principle of Aesthetic Psychology

6.5 Cross-Cultural Integration

7. Conclusion

References

Ⅲ、References:

[1] 李宇明, 《理论语言学教程》，华中师范大学出版社出，1997, 66 

[2] Catford, J.C. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. London: Oxford University Press, 1965.

[3] Nida, Eugene.A. Toward a Science of Translating [M]. Leiden: E J Brill, 1964.

[4] 方梦之.译学词典.上海:上海外语教育出版社, 2005,4

[5] 肖辉,陶玉康,2000,等效原则视角下的商标翻译与文化联想[J],《外语与外语教学》,第 3 期,51-58.

[6] Chan, K.K (1990), “localization in international Branding: A Preliminary Investigation on Chinese Names of Foreign Brands in Hong Kong.” International Journal of Advertising, 9 (1), 81-91.

[7] 董岩, 功能派译论视角下的商标翻译[J].  皖东学院学报 2005(9): 66—68

[8] 梁晓冬,民族心理差异与商标翻译[J],《上海科技翻译》,1997,第 3 期,23-25.

[9] Al Ries. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Harper Business, 1st edition (September 2002), 44

[10] 杨全红,李茜.简论我国品牌翻译及品牌译名评析之阙失[J].上海科技翻译,2003,(3).