Towards Translation Of Advertising Texts

With the rapid development of international business, there is a growing need for effective international advertising communication and translation. However, the study is far from satisfactory. That is because advertising is a type of practical texts with high commercial value and its ultimate purpose is to promote sales. If the translator rigidly adheres to the original form and content, the translation may not produce the persuasive effect and may fail to promote sales in the target market. Therefore, a more practical theory and translation strategy are required for translating advertising texts.According to Vermeer's"Skopos Theory", any form of translational action may be conceived as an action, and any action has its purpose. The prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose (Skopos) of the overall translational action, and translation strategies are determined by the purpose and the intended function of the target text. Skopos Theory can be considered as the prime principle guiding the translation of advertising texts.Due to the differences of language and culture, a good advertisement, when translated, may not achieve its function at all. As language is closely related to culture, failure to understand cultural differences may result in an unsuccessful translation, which may lose the original flavor and attraction. In order to successfully translate advertising texts, the author puts forward the strategy of domestication for dealing with the cultural elements involved in the translation of advertising texts.Domestication is a target-culture-oriented strategy. Only when the original advertisement is adapted to the target language and cultural standards when it is translated, can the target audience easily understand what is advertised and be likely to accept the persuasion and buy the advertised product. However, it does not mean that domestication is the only proper strategy for advertising translation. Foreignization must be used in some cases when it is necessary to transfer cultural information of the SLT into the TLT. The thesis concludes that Skopos Theory may serve as the guiding principle for translation of advertising texts, that the cultural elements can never be neglected in the process of translating advertising texts, and that domestication may serve as an appropriate strategy for dealing with the cultural elements involved.It is sincerely hoped that this research will enlighten translators of advertising texts and make a little contribution to the prosperity of translation studies and to the progression of translation of advertising texts in China.