Problems In Trademark Translation From Foreign Languages Into Chinese And Possible Solutions

Trademark is of particular importance to the products. It is the identifier of the products, the symbol of the credibility and reputation of the company, and one of the media through which consumers get to know the products. A good trademark can convey information about the products, promote the products, and stimulate the purchasing desire of potential consumers, so as to increase the company's profits.With the opening-up of China's economy and the globalization of world economy, many foreign products have been brought into Chinese markets. To these products, the translation of their trademark influences, to a large degree, their sales and promotions in China. In recent years, with the accumulation of experiences and the guidance of theoretical studies, the translation of foreign trademarks has made remarkable progresses, and there appeared a numerous well-translated trademarks. However, there are still problems. The present thesis intends to examine the major problems in trademark translation from foreign languages into Chinese and propose some suggestions.The present writer takes Skopostheorie as the theoretical basis and starts from the perspective of the consumers. Problems are summarized through analysis of a questionnaire survey. Suggestions are proposed towards the problems. There are altogether seven chapters:In Chapter One, the importance of trademark and trademark translation is briefly explained. Some major achievements that have been made in trademark translation are briefly reviewed. It is also pointed out that some problems still exist in trademark translation.In Chapter Two, it is introduced related knowledge about trademark in terms of its definition, function and formation. It has identifying, distinguishing, stimulating, informative, advertising, legal protection and credibility symbolizing functions. It can be formed by proper names, common words, numbers, coined words, etc.Chapter Three is literature review. Previous studies have examined trademark translation from different theoretical viewpoints, including semiotics, intercultural communication, functional equivalence, Skopostheorie, adaptation and cooperative principle. They have generalized quite some trademark translation methods, such as literal translation, transliteration, combination of literal translation and transliteration.Chapter Four introduces the theoretical basis of the present study—Skopostheorie. First, the scope of the present study is defined. Then a brief history, basic concepts, rules, etc. of Skopostheorie are introduced. At last, Skopostheorie is related to the present study, and it is suggested how this theory will guide the study of trademark translation.Chapter Five discusses the problems in the translation of foreign trademarks into Chinese. First, problems mentioned in previous studies are reviewed. Then these problems are checked by the questionnaire survey, and some more problems are proposed. At last, a relatively detailed analysis is given of some trademarks that are highly disliked, so as to provide a basis for suggestions to be given in the next chapter.Chapter Six, proposes a series of suggestions for the problems summarized in Chapter Five. Then these suggestions are condensed into four principles that can be used to give guidance to the translation of foreign trademarks. These principles are: the principle of easy pronunciation and remembrance, the principle of differentiating the target consumer, the principle of considering Chinese psychology, and the principle of avoiding confusion.Chapter Seven sums the thesis up. Efforts are made in three respects. 1) Some new ideas are proposed, such as the definition of trademark. 2) The study carried out from the perspective of the consumer. 3) New principles are proposed for foreign trademark translation. There are also three limitations. 1) The number of people participating in the questionnaire survey is too small. 2) The sampling method has some limitations. 3) The questionnaire could be further improved. In future research, the following two aspects can be considered: 1) Increase the number of people participating in future surveys, and use a better method in sampling the subjects; 2) Improve the questionnaire.