Cultural Adaptation In Brand Name Translation

The present study largely derives from a feeling of increasing unease about the status quo of Chinese brand name translation. China's entry into the WTO and the trend of globalization will dramatically increase competition for the Chinese businesses. We are convinced that it is now a matter of urgency to understand how we should conduct the problematic brand name translation.Despite its importance, brand name translation failed to draw any attention from the Chinese translators until around 1994, when really significant studies on this topic began. The twenty essays relating to brand name translation published in the three leading translation journals ---Chinese Translators'Journal, Chinese Science and Technology Translators'Journal, Shanghai Science and Technology Translators'Journal (Shanghai Translator's Journal) from 1994 to 2005 fall into five categories in terms of their focuses. Admittedly, though the previous studies have served as a starting point and thus have made enormous contribution to the study of brand name translation in China, they are far from being satisfactory, most of the studies are based on a mere descriptive analysis of examples rather than on a theoretical foundation, and although culture has been discussed repeatedly, recent linguistic and intercultural communication theories have scarcely been applied to the discussion.The originality of the present research embodies at three points: First of all, it inquires into brand name translation in the light of the Theory of Adaptation (Verschueren, 2000:13). Since brand name translation is a purposeful action, Skopos theory is also applied into the research; secondly, translation is an act of intercultural communication, the present study explores the cultural adaptation in brand name translation from an intercultural communication perspective, pointing out cultural adaptation is the pre-requisite of successful intercultural communication and sales promotion in the target culture; thirdly, this paper discusses the concrete operating mechanism of cultural adaptation in brand name translation from a holistic manner, say, its condition, its content, its model and its function,...