英语论文-商标翻译中的功能对等.doc

AbstractWith the development of economy and the continuity of the open Policy, the trade between China and foreign countries comes hourly. The international market is filled with varieties of goods. Advertisement besides high quality plays an essential role in the process of promoting sales and cultivating international markets. Trademark is a sign, symbol, and carrier that identifies the products or services of a company .To win the field in the international trade, the study on the trademark translation is not only necessary but urgent.This paper attempts to make a study on the features, basic function principles and culture elements of trademarks, and then, make an analysis of the cultural barrier in translating trademarks. Pointing out that it is not easy to translate trademarks from one language into another, and overcome the cultural barrier to keep their own features. As trademark translation, an intercultural communication, involves many factors in both source language and target language. Appropriate principle and techniques are needed in translating of trademarks. Enlightened by Nidas ;“functional equivalence”, this paper suggests Eugene A. Nidas “functional equivalence” as the principle for the trademarks translation, and this paper summarizes the following five common techniques:1) literal translation;2) transliteration;3) paraphrase;4) combination of literal translation, paraphrase and transliteration; and 5) creative translation, we should choose the technique rightly based on the situation and needs. The translated trademarks should attempt to achieve an ideal unity in terms of semantic message, cultural message and readers response, and reproduce the informative, aesthetic, expressive and vocative functions of the originals in target markets. trademark; trademarks formation; trademarks translation; functional equivalence商标翻译中的功能对等【摘 要】随着经济的发展和改革开放的进一步深入，中国与世界各国的贸易更加频繁，国际市场上商品种类日见繁多。如何在品种繁多的商品中脱颖而出？商品宣传就成为国际市场推销商品和进行竞争的一种重要手段。而商标作为品牌的标志和载体，在国际贸易活动中针对其进行的翻译就尤为重要了。本文首先分析了商标的功能构成以及文化特征，并辅以具体的商标为例加以说明，接着分析了商标翻译过程中存在的文化障碍，同时指出把商标从一种语言转化为另一种语言，并跨越其间的文化障碍，保存其原有的风格，并非易事。因为商标翻译是一种特殊的文体翻译，是一种跨文化交际活动。要做好商标的翻译，这需要恰当的原则和翻译理论作指导。受奈达的“功能对等”的启发，本文提出了“功能对等”翻译理论可作为商标翻译的原则，并在此基础上总结出了五种翻译方法： 1）直译，2）音译，3）意译，4）直译、意译和音译相结合，5）创造性翻译。商标翻译中，这些译法应灵活选用，使译文商标能再现原文商标的信息，美感，表达和祈使功能。只有译文商标与原文商标在语义信息、风格信息、文化信息以及读者反映等方面，对等才基本实现，才能进而实现对等的经济效益。商标；商标构成；商标翻译；功能对等Introduction: With the development of the world economy, many products were produced and enter into the international market .How can a product gain a place in the international market which is full of keen competition? Undoubtedly a well-known product should have a famous name, besides high quality. A famous trademark can add value to a product in the marketplace because it has a potentially powerful influence on consumers behavior. This paper makes an analysis of trademark from cultural aspects and explores the major translating methods of trademark translation. Achieving the functional equivalence in trademark translation, the translator should under the guidance of certain principles. This paper advances functional equivalence theory for trademark translation.Overview of trademarkDefinition of trademarkTrademark: a word, letter, device, sound, or symbol or some combination of those that is used in connection with merchandise, distinctly points inherently or by association to the not necessarily known origin or ownership of that to which it is applied and is legally reserved to the exclusive use of the owner according to statutory provisions: a name or symbol used by a marker or seller to identify distinctively his products <must display his trademark on his product for it to be legally valid; <a trademark can only be translated in connection with the good will of the business Edward Jekens;(Websters Third New International Dictionary, 1976): In our country the trademark is defined as a special mark that is placed on a particular brand of article or commodity to distinguish it from similar goods sold by other producers.3P60: From the above definition, we can figure out some features of trademarks as following: : 1). Trademark is an identifying mark on the products or products package.: 2). Trademark is used to identify the similar products.: 3). Registered trademark can enjoy the protection of the law. 2.2 Functions of trademarkTrademark has an important effect on the trade, in which it acts as the bridge between producers and consumers. A good trademark can provide much information about the products, attract consumers and pleaseCOLOR: fuchsia people, and achieve the purpose of promoting sales. But the most important power is persuading people to buy the product. In agreement with those purposes, good trademarks usually bear informative, aesthetic, expressive and imperative functions.2.2.1 Informative function: Informative function is the most important function of the above four functions .It means that the trademarks must be informative enough. Good trademarks usually provide the consumers with some information about the products, such as the information about their functions, values and characteristic.Firstly, most trademarks inform the customers of the basic functions of certain product. For example, “金嗓子”，“感康”are common trademarks for medicine . “金嗓子”:means a sweet and mellow voice in Chinese ,; successfully showing the function of this medicine for throat. “感康” means the recovery of the common cold; in Chinese, successfully indicating the function of this medicine for common cold. “舒肤佳” (safeguard) is a trademark for fancy soap .In Chinese “舒肤佳means the comfortable feeling of the skin, successfully showing the function of this fancy soap for skin. Still we can cite some other examples , such as: “光明” “惠尔康” “健力宝” “寒思” “玉帛” “美如净” (cosmetic), from which consumers can get some information about the function of these products.: Secondly, trademarks can reflect the characteristics of certain products. For example , “美佳雅”hints that this kind of clothes makes people; look beautiful and elegant: Thirdly, many trademarks provide the information about the values of certain products. For example, “钻石” (watch) suggests that the watch of this brand is as precious as a diamond.: Lastly, trademarksCOLOR: fuchsia often tell the target customers that whom the products are suitable for. For example “好孩子(childrens underwear), “跳跳宝” “宝宝好” (baby carriage) inform people that these products are for children. 2.2.2 Aesthetic function: Aesthetic function means the trademarks can create a sense of beauty, and provide the audience with aesthetic feelings. The beauty in form mainly includes phonetic beauty and graphic beauty. The beauty in content generally refers to semantic beauty and image beauty.4P8 Aesthetic value can make people memorize them easily and reach the purpose of advertising. So trademarks should be short and brevity.2.2.3 Expressive function: Expressive function means the trademarks could convey some information about certain products such as function, characteristic, value and so on. For example,“Benz”(car) had been translated into Chinese as “本茨”，“平治”，“鹏驰”，but the most successful translation is “奔驰”which not only sounds similar to the source trademark “Benz” but also evokes people this is a trademark for car.2.2.4Imperative functionSome people may call it as vocative function. Imperative function means a good trademark could inform people about the value of certain products, attract consumers; ;and persuade people to make a purchase. As a result, it achieves the purpose of promoting certain products. 5P26 A good trademark often informs people about the value of this product, and can persuade people to buy it. For example, “极品”（computer）, which means the perfect quality. This trademark is very persuasive because it informs people about the value of this kind of computer.2.3 Formation of trademarks Formation of trademarks all lies on the purpose and the aim of the designer. It could be a word, letter, name, picture and so on .The words which are used as trademarks can be classified into proper nouns, common words and coined words.6P622.3.1 Proper nouns as trademarks: Many peoples names and place names are used as trademarks.: Benz (car)-Karl Benz : Ford (car)-Henny FORD: LINING (sportswear)-李宁: Nestle (food)-Henri Nestle: Nike (sportswear)-A goddess with two wings in Greek tales: This kind of trademark may be the real producer of the certain product, as well as from fairy tales that people are familiar with.Qingdao (beer): Shanghai (watch): Luzhou Lao Jiao (spirit): Columbia (disc)-A city in Washington D.C: Champagne (drink)-A city in Northern France: All of the above are proper names that people are very familiar with. And words of this type are often used as Trademarks.2.3.2 Common words as trademarks : Some common words are used as trademarks because these words could convey some information about the qualities and t he functions of the products.1). Adjective. e.g.Universal (stationery)Comfort (scour)2). Noun. ;e.g.Diamond Apple (computer)Sunbeam (car)Bluebird (car)Ivory (toilet soap)3). Verb. e.g.Safeguard (toilet soap)4). Number. e.g. 3M (machine product)555 (cigarette)5). The +other word.The club (sleeping bag)The Cube (microwave oven)2.3.3 Coined words as trademarksMany coined words are used as trademarks. According to products characteristic, function, promotion and some other features, translators newly-form the coined words. e.g. (11) Pepsi (drink) is the shorten word of pepsin (12) Fanta (drink) - fantasia (13) IBM (computer)-International Business Machine(14) Askit (medicine for cold)-ask itTo design excellent trademarks should take linguistic and aesthetic knowledge into consideration.3. Functional equivalence and trademark translationThe development of international trade makes trademark translation necessary. It becomes the bridge of producers and foreign consumers. How to translate trademarks effectively? Eugene A. Nidas “function equivalence” translation principle could be used as the criteria in trademark translation.3.1 Functional equivalence “According to Eugene A. Nida, a minimal, realistic definition of functional equivalence could be stated as “The readers of a translated text should be able to comprehend it to the point that they can conceive of how the original readers of the text must have understood and appreciated it.”(Nida ,1993:18)7P117 “Functional equivalence” indicates that an ideal effective translation should be able to produce the equivalence of function, message and response to both the target and the original receptors.: Nidas “functional equivalence ” is quite applicable to trademark translation, forthe trademarks are created to perform certain functions. In From One Language to Another, Nida classified languages functions into nine: expressive, informative, cognitive, interpersonal, imperative, performative, emotive, aesthetic, and metalingual. The expressive, informative, imperative and aesthetic are closely related to trademarks. The translated trademarks should attempt to achieve an ideal equivalence in terms of meaning and cultural, and reproduce their functions.3.1.1Requirements of “functional equivalence”Firstly, the equivalence of cultural message of source language and target language.”8P104 Culture is a complex integration which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Different countries have different history, customs, cultures and traditions. So it is important for translators to be able to transfer the cultural message of source language into target language. “Secondly, the equivalence of stylistic message of source language and target language.”9 P104 The character of translation requires to do so. “Thirdly, the equivalence of semantic message of source language and target language.”10P104 Translator not only to inform people of the literal knowledge about the products but also the in-depth knowledge. So translators should familiarize with the society, history, culture and art of the source country. They should try their best to experience, taste and dig out the implication of source language.3.1.2 Principles of trademark translationTrademark translation should be operated under the guidance of some principles. The religion, economy, and cultural settings are quite different between the west and east, so people have different thought patterns and values. An excellent trademark in one country may prove disastrous in another. Then comes the need of trademark translation. There are sets of principles for trademark translation from source language to target language.Respect for the target consciousness: Culture can influence the national psychology. The same word may evoke different associations in different cultural environment. A translator must have a general idea about the target culture and respect it.11P23; Lets take the following trademarks as examples.: As we know, in Chinese culture, petrel is the symbol of bravery, but petrel is not welcomed in western world because in their mind petrel is “a person whose presence excites discontentment, quarrelling, etc. in a social group” (Longman Contemporary English-Chinese Dictionary,1413). /IChinese people believe that Phoenix (bike) is able to bring good luck to the rider. In Chinese culture, phoenix implicates “luck, happiness and elegance”. But in English-speaking countries, it means rebirth. So this translation may make people evoke the words “relive from death” or “to escape from death with life”.12P41 So it couldnt make many people buy this kind of bike. Another inappropriate translation is the name of carpet “帆船”, which is a traditional product of China.“帆船”translated into “ junk” in English. When exported to foreign country-America, the sales is poor, no one wants to buy this brand of carpet. Because Junk has the meaning of “rubbish, tatter” besides the meaning of; “sailboat. Who would like to buy some rubbish? Later, “帆船”was translated into “Junco”, the sales was up obviously. These examples indicate that the quality of trademark translation is closely related to the sales of products.(ii) Revealing idiosyncratic culture of source language: In Chinese trademarks, some common words can reflect idiosyncratic culture. Chinese people worship dragon, phoenix, and turtle, so some products are named with these words. For example,“神龙”，“红金龙”，“熊猫”，“海燕”，“孔雀”，“蝙蝠”，“红梅”，“红双喜”，“红豆”，“嫦娥”，“长城”，“功夫”“金六福”，“凤凰”，“金凤、”are all well-accepted Chinese trademarks. These common words convey positive cultural implication. When translating these Chinese trademarks, we should consider their cultural connotation.Meeting consumers psychological preference: Some foreign products sell well in China, such as “可口可乐”(Coca-Cola),“金利来”(Goldlion),“舒肤佳”（Safeguard）,“惠普”(Hewlett-Packard),“强生”(Johnson),etc. Because they know that Chinese people like to pursuit good luck and prefer products named with such words. So foreign producers translate their products with these “good” words to satisfy Chinese consumers and attain their object of promoting sale.(iv) Choice of plain words as trademarks: Trademarks should be plain and lively so that consumers could remember the name of the products easily. For example,: (15)“保时捷”-POSCER(Japanclock) : (16)“锐步”- Reebok(America shoes): (17)“耐克”- Nike(America shoes): (18)“双星”- DoubleStar(China sports shoes): (19)“美加净”- MAXAM(China cosmetics): (20)“美的时”- Mitax(China clock): (21)“高齐”-Coldenchip(China electronics): (22)“福特”- Ford(car): (23)“帮宝适”-Pampers(napkin): (24)“高露洁”- Colgate(toothpaste)In a word, trademark is a linguistic medium to inform of the products. The translated trademarks should also perform the same functions as the original, includingCOLOR: red attracting readers attention, interest, desire,COLOR: fuchsia memory and action. A successful translation should be able to invite the target readers attention, arouse their interest and desire, commit to memorizing the products and carry the desire of purchasing into effect. “The readers of the translated trademarks should be able to comprehend the translated trademarks to the point that the original readers of the trademarks must have understood and appreciated the original trademark.”13P1174. Techniques for trademark translation4.1 Main methods of trademark translation: In a narrow sense, translation is rendering of a text from the source language to the target language. It is a recreation activity, based on the original writing in the source language. Trademark translation is a highly challenging job. We should take the different history, customs, art, culture and some other factors into consideration. Under the guidance of Nidas “functional equivalence”, we could use the following five main methods of trademark translation, that is, transliteration, literal translation, paraphrase, combination of transliteration, literal translation and paraphrase, creative translation.4.1.1 Transliteration: Transliteration is based on the sounds of the source language. Choosing some target words or language that sounds same or familiar to the source language to translate. Sometimes, we should use Chinese Pinyin to translate some English trademarks directly. Most of this kind of trademarks is coined words and proper names. Sometimes they do not have the concrete meaning in target language. Lets take some translated names as examples.1) ChineseEnglish translat