A Study Of Cosmetic Instruction Translation Based On Functional Translation Theory

As Chinese economy develops very rapidly, the trade between China and foreign countries dramatically increases. Large quantities of products rush into China’s market. Meanwhile, plenty of domestic brands have come into being, sharing the market or rushing into foreign markets. Cosmetic companies try all kinds of means to fight in the cosmetic market. Apart from the quality, fame, and advertisement, the instruction plays an important role in cosmetics’ sale. Because, instruction is the major way for costumers to know products’ detailed information, and its psychological impact on customers is full of significance. So, the need for deep research on cosmetic instruction translation turns to be much more urgent.Because of the strong intention of cosmetic instruction translation, this paper will employ German Functional Translation Theory from aspects like text functions, Skopos Rule, etc. With the analysis of examples extracted from domestic and foreign brands’ instructions, this paper focuses on analyzing the translation principles, strategies and methods of CIT (cosmetic instruction translation), and attempts to find a good way to realize the expected function of the translation and promote consume of cosmetics.Firstly, this paper introduces its necessity and background. Secondly, it tells Functional Translation Theory’s basic ideas and its developing stages. Thirdly, this paper analyzes CI’s characteristics from the functional and stylistic angle. Examples are used to prove that cosmetic instruction has four text functions which are informative function, appellative function, aesthetic function, and advertising function. And cosmetic instruction also has its special stylistic features from the lexical level, the syntactic level, and textual level, using special scientific vocabulary, terminology, compound words, modal words, emotive functional words, special signs, numbers, imperative sentences, elliptical sentences, simple present tense sentences and firm pattern. After analyzing cosmetic instructions’four functions and special features, this paper employs theory above and presents us with corresponding strategies like Skopostheorie’s three rules and Nord’s Instrumental Translation Strategy. Finally, this paper puts forward several specific translation methods which are practical in cosmetic instruction translation.