On The Translation Of Commercial Advertisements From The Perspective Of Register Theory

Commercial advertising is pervasive in our life and naturally the research on its translation also draws on much attention. However, regrettable mistakes in the translation of commercial advertisements can be frequently observed. One of the reasons probably is resulted from the neglect of analyzing the register features of the advertisements, which is in no doubt of great importance due to the unique linguistic characteristics of advertising language itself.The present thesis is intended to revisit commercial advertising translation from the perspective of register analysis. Based on his register theory, Halliday asserts that the translator should take into account all three variables of register, namely, field, tenor and mode in order to make a comprehensive situational analysis of the source text, and then in the target text, the translator should replicate the register features as that in the original, properly showing the corresponding field, tenor and mode. Halliday also marks that the equivalence between the source text and target text, in essence, is based on the equivalence of three metafunctions of language, namely, ideational function, interpersonal function and textual function.This research, drawing on insights from previous literature and the adequate data collected from varied channels, proposes a theoretical framework on the basis of Halliday's register theory. Directed by this theoretical framework and adopting a qualitative methodology, the author discusses how to realize register equivalence of the three variables respectively in the translation of commercial advertisements. In addition, the author suggests that translation should be evaluated by taking cultural-loaded elements into consideration. Cultural discrepancy will pose certain constraints on the recurrence of register equivalence in the process of translating.Through analysis and discussion, the author arrives at a conclusion that, the register theory is a useful tool in the analysis of commercial advertisements; in translation, the equivalence of register should be taken into account; non-equivalence is resulted from the different values, different aesthetics and the different ways in language expression between the two nations.