A Study On Foreign Brand Name Translation From The Perspective Of Skopostheorie

With the increasing pace of the globalization of economy, a wealth of foreign products flocks into our country. More and more businesses spare no effort to build their brand images in China. A brand name is not only the symbol of a product but also an essential part of marketing communication. When multinational companies promote their brands in a culturally different area or country, translation of brand names becomes inevitable which is critical to the success of global brand management.The study of brand name translation has been drawing more and more attention. The present thesis tries to make a study on the translation of foreign brand names from the perspective of Skopostheorie. Skopostheorie defines translation as a purposeful activity as well as an intercultural communication, thus bringing more valuable insights into translation studies and giving a new perspective to the study of brand name translation. According to this theory, translation strategies are determined by the purpose of the target texts. In this sense, brand name translation can be freed from the traditional bondage of "faithfulness" or "equivalence". Translators can be allowed to have more initiative and will do a better job in translation activities.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter one presents the research background, purpose and organization of the thesis.Chapter two makes an overview of brand name and brand name translation. It introduces some basic knowledge about brand name and makes a critical review on the previous translation theories on brand name translation.Chapter three establishes the theoretical framework of the thesis. It makes clear three important concepts in Skopostheorie, namely, the concept of Skopos, culture specificity, and the role of initiator, translator, and receiver.Chapter four is the most significant part, applying the Skopos theory to the brand name translation. It discusses how to achieve the ultimate purpose of brand name translation by the realization of the informative, aesthetic and vocative functions of brand name. Then, it explains in detail how cultural adaptation contributes to the achievement of purposes of translating brand names. Finally, it makes a practical analysis of how the translation techniques are applied to the translation of brand names with real-life examples.In chapter five, this thesis comes to its conclusion, emphasizing the advantages of applying Skopostheorie to brand name translation over traditional theories.