A Cultural Approach To Brand Name Translation

Brand name is an essential component of advertisements and an important part of the image strategy of enterprises. It is also the bridge for products to go into markets. Because of the continuity of the Opening Policy and frequent exchange between different countries, various commodities flood China while Chinese products pour into world market which is full of competition. Brand names are internationalized day by day. People's sense of brand name becomes stronger and stronger. Now many world famous brand names have become the invisible and grand capital of companies. The proper translation of brand names is crucial for Chinese products to go into world market and also essential for foreign products to come into China's market. Therefore, translation of brand names and researches on brand name translation become necessary and urgent.Brand name translation is influenced by cultural elements which differentiate it from general translation. Brand names, as part of language, reflect the features of a certain nation, including the historical and cultural background, their attitudes towards life, and their life style and thinking pattern. By now a lot of translators have been devoted to brand name translation. However, their work is still far from enough so far as the cultural aspect is concerned. Besides, these studies are conducted on the basis of descriptive analysis of examples rather than on theoretical foundation and recent translation theories have hardly been fully used, though culture has been repeatedly discussed. Moreover, hardly do the scholars concern the translation of Chinese brand names, let alone the comparative analysis of Chinese and English brand names.Owing to the limitations of previous studies and the importance of brand name translation, this thesis attempts to make a systematic study on this topic from cultural perspective on the basis of detailed analysis of cultural differences between China and Western countries with the application of Nida's"functional equivalence"and provide concrete techniques for the translation of brand names so as to provide some help to the translation of English and Chinese brand names.This thesis is composed of introduction, main body and conclusion. The main body is divided into four parts. In the first chapter, the thesis discusses about the definition, categories, functions and the naming principles of brand names, and points out that the translation of brand names is of significance. We will meet numerous brand names every day, which can be classified from different angles. If we classify brand names from the angle of products themselves, they can be classified into brand names of clothing, beverage and food, cosmetics, home appliances and brand names of vehicles. And if classified on the basis of linguistic structures of brand names, they can be classified into proper name brand names, the common word brand names and the coined word brand names. But no matter how complicated the classification is, brand names share the same functions, such as the informative, aesthetic and vocative function. Besides, the principles of brand naming are the same, namely the"KISS"principle, the novelty principle, the readability principle, the extensionality and protectivity principle. Moreover, regarding to economic globalization and frequent contact between different countries, brand names become internationalized. Therefore, brand names and brand name translation are necessary and significant.And language is part of culture, which is influenced by culture and reflects culture at the same time. Brand name, as part of language, is the carrier of culture and closely connected with the culture of a certain nation. Therefore, in the second chapter, this thesis provides a detailed analysis of the definition, categories of culture and the interrelationship between culture and band names. The definition of culture is so complicated that it seems to contain everything in the world. But no matter how complicated the definition is, culture can be classified from different angles, such as anthropology, sociology, linguistics and the like. Meanwhile, brand names, which are endowed with cultural peculiarity, have a close relationship with culture.In Chapter III, cultural barriers in the process of brand name translation are analyzed from different aspects, namely, value, belief, figurative association and etc. Brand name is the carrier of culture, reflecting different value, thinking pattern and religious belief of people of different countries. Owing to different historical and cultural background, people of different nations hold different attitudes towards animals, numbers, age and etc, resulting in cultural barriers of brand name translation. And it is extremely necessary to know and analyze these barriers in order to translate brand names properly. However, although there are differences between different cultures, similarities do exist in the meantime. Thus, the barriers can be overcome. Brand names can be translated. And possibility of brand name translation is pointed out in Chapter IV. In addition, based on the above studies, this chapter suggests Nida's"functional equivalence"as the principle for the translation of brand names."Functional equivalence", which is also called"Dynamic equivalence", emphasizes the closeness between the source text and target text. To put it more specific, form of the target text needs not to rigidly adhere to that of the source text. The content of the source text and target text is functionally equivalent, that is the target readers can conceive how the source readers must have understood and appreciated the source text. Guided by this principle, this thesis summarizes four techniques commonly used in brand name translation: 1.Transliteration 2.Literation 3.Transliteration and meaning implication 4.Adjustment and adaptation. And none of them are almighty in all cases of brand name translation. They must be used flexibly in order to translate brand names perfectly.Based on the above studies, this thesis gets the conclusion: Brand name translation is of significance in the competitive market. Brand names mirror the culture of different countries, so cultural elements must not be ignored in the translating process. The ignorance of cultural elements will directly lead to failure of brand name translation. And the loss of the company can not be remedied."Functional equivalence"is applicable to brand name translation. Guided by"functional equivalence", translators should adopt the translation techniques comprehensively and try to translate brand names perfectly. Though certain losses or distortions can hardly be avoided, translators should use the techniques flexibly so as to reduce the losses to the very least and overcome the cultural barriers in brand name translation.