Functionalist Approaches To Advertising Translation

This paper attempts to provide guidelines for advertising translation from the perspective of functionalist approaches. It adopts the methodology of applied research by applying functionalism to advertising translation. Thus, this paper expatiates upon the theory of functionalism, analyzes fundamental concepts of advertising, and explores the principles and strategies of advertising translation within the framework of functionalist approaches.The functionalist school emerged in 1970s, whose main representatives include Katharina Reiss, Justa Holz-M?ntt?ri, Hans J. Vermeer, and Christiane Nord. The founder of functionalism is Katharina Reiss, who proposes her theory of text typology. According to her, texts can be classified into three types: informative, expressive, and operative. Each type of text has its unique language function, language dimension, text focus, and translation method; Justa Holz-M?ntt?ri puts forward the theory of translational action, in which she describes translation as a form of translational interaction, a form of interpersonal interaction, and a form of text-processing action; Hans J. Vermeer establishes his skopos theory, where he formulates the three rules: the skopos rule, the coherence rule, and the fidelity rule; Christiane Nord relieves the radicalism of functionalist approach by suggesting the theory of function plus loyalty, where function refers to the factors that make a target text work in the intended way in the target situation, and loyalty refers to interpersonal relationship between the translator, the initiator, the target-text receiver, and the original author.In order to apply functionalist approaches to advertising translation, it is necessary to understand the basic concepts of advertising. Advertising is a paid persuasive communication that uses mass media to reach a large audience for the purpose of promoting goods, services, and ideas. It is typical of the functions of providing information, demanding creation, persuading audience, getting action, and establishing goodwill. An advertisement usually consists of illustration, headline, body copy, slogan, trademark, and possible audio elements. In addition, advertising is characterized by its language, which involves the lexical, syntactical, and rhetorical features.Functionalism provides explicit principles for advertising translation. As functionalism values translation brief, the translator should firstly follow the principle of receiving translation brief, which means that the translator needs to gather such information as the purpose, function, target-text receiver, time, place, occasion, medium of the translation before he carries out the translation. Then, the translator should fulfill the purpose of the advertising translation, which complies with the skopos theory in functionalism. The workable target text could draw the attention of the audience, arouse their interest and desire, and take action to buy the product or service. Thirdly, the translator should consider the target-text receiver because functionalism requires the translator to know the expectations of the target audience in order to meet their expectations. Lastly, the translator should bridge cultural difference. According to functionalism, the translator is an expert not just in language transfers, but also in intercultural communication.Accordingly, the translation strategies are flexible within the framework of functionalism. The functionalist approaches acknowledge both faithful translation, such as literal translation and free translation, and adaptive translation, such as imitative translation, supplementary translation, condensed translation, and creative translation. If faithful translation strategies can meet the requirement of the translation brief, they are the preferable choices in advertising translation; otherwise, the translator should adopt adaptive translation strategies.