Characteristics And Translation Of English Advertising Texts

With globalization of world economy, English advertising and its translation are becoming increasingly significant. English Advertising is exerting great influence on every aspect of social life with its charm. However, the studies available of English advertising texts and their translation in China are far from satisfactory and traditional theories on translation seem increasingly inadequate. Therefore, I decided to research into characteristics and translation of English advertising texts. First of all, a discussion of the major linguistic features of English advertising texts is conducted from three perspectives: lexical, syntactic and rhetorical aspects. Next, basic theories of translation are introduced, including the definition, principles, and process of translation. Then, according to the unique features and purposes of advertising, three principles for translating English advertising texts are proposed and exemplified ––faithfulness in content, attractiveness in form and acceptability in emotion. Finally, under the guidance of these three principles, the most usual methods ––literal translation and free translation ––are used to translate English advertising texts. Also, foreignization and domestication for translating brand names are illustrated. Analysis and translation of more than 100 English examples employed in this thesis demonstrate that the above-mentioned principles and methods are practical and applicable. This thesis is intended to explore the major characteristics of English advertising texts, to produce a solid theoretical framework for advertising translation study, and to guide translation of English advertising texts into Chinese. The thesis aims to bridge the gap between the abundant advertising translation practice and the principles for translating English advertising texts. It is sincerely hoped that this thesis will somewhat enrich the theories of translation and contribute to advertising translation.