A Study On The Translation Of English Cosmetic Advertisements In The Perspective Of German Functional Theories

The cosmetic is a unique kind of consumer goods which are popular with most peopleespecially the young ladies. Cosmetic advertisements not only can effectively convey theinformation of products, but also stimulate consumers’ purchase desire and prettify the imageof the company. They also help the producers to sale their products. As more and moreforeign cosmetics enter into the Chinese market, the translation of cosmetic advertisementshas become a priority issue. In recent years, there are a large number of papers and articles onthe advertisement translation. However, as a small branch of the advertising, the translation ofcosmetic advertisements is inadequate and unsystematic..German Functional Theories release the translation from the tackle of the source text,offering a new prospective to translation. As the most important part, Skopostheorie is takenas the most proper guiding theory for the advertisement translation. In accordance with theSkopostheorie, a translation action is decided by the Skopos, that is, the end justifies themeans. As a pragmatic text, cosmetic advertisements own evident purposes and functions. Theultimate purpose of cosmetic advertisements is to let consumers buy products and createprofit for companies. Therefore Skopostheorie must be considered as a guideline for thetranslation of cosmetic advertisements.The thesis conducts the study on the English cosmetic advertisements and analyzes thetranslating principles and strategies under the guidance of German Functional Theories,proving that functional theories, especially Skopostheorie is an appropriate theory in guidingthe translation of cosmetic advertisements. What’s more, the author also points out that thetranslation of cosmetic advertisements involves another factor, namely, the differences of thelanguage and culture features. In the aspect of the translation strategies, except for thetraditional literal translation, free translation and adaptation, the choice of words and theconsumers’ emotional psychology should also be paid attention to. In addition, the thesis aimsat enriching the study of the translation of cosmetic advertisements and arousing more intereston the translation strategies of the cosmetic advertisements and the related guiding theories.