英文广告翻译过程中的文化差异现象探析

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Abstract

With the development of economy and technology, advertising plays more and more important role in our daily life. Advertising language as a special kind of language is very different from common language. It has its own features in morphology, syntax, and rhetorical devices. Based on that, we should choose proper words to express the advertising` meaning when we translate the four groups -Consumer Advertising, Business Advertising, Service Advertising, and Public Interest Advertising.

This paper will be presented in four parts. The first part is the introduction and the last is conclusion. The focus of this paper is laid on the middle parts which respectively approach to the features of advertisement language, the cultural difference in Chinese and English advertisement translation, the principle of advertisement translation.

Key words: Translation; English Advertisements; Principle; Cultural difference

摘要

随着经济的发展，广告已经渗透到人们生活的各方面,而作为广告重要组成部分的广告语言文字，也脱颖而出，具有自己独特的风格和说明力。

广告英语经过长期的发展，在用词、造句、修辞等方面具有一定的特点。根据不同的特点，在翻译消费广告、商业广告、服务性广告及公益广告这四类主要广告时，也要同样注意使用恰当的词汇、修辞，来表现广告应有的含义。

本文共分为四个方面着重探索广告的特征，以及广告翻译过程中的文化差异，广告翻译的原则。

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Contents

1 Introduction (1)

2 Features of Advertising (1)

2.1English Morphology in Advertising (1)

2.1.1Simple and Informal (1)

2.1.2Misspelling and Coin Words (2)

2.1.3Use of Adjectives (3)

2.2 English Syntax in Advertising (3)

2.2.1 More Simple Sentences, Less Complex Sentences (3)

2.2.2 Disjunctive Clause (4)

3Cultural Differences in Chinese and English Advertisement (4)

3.1Relationship Between Culture and Advertising Language (4)

3.2Culture-Specific in Advertisement Translation (6)

3.2.1Differences in Related Cultural Background (6)

3.2.2Differences in Cultural Values (7)

3.2.3 Differences in Numbers (7)

4The Principle of English-Chinese Advertisement Translation (8)

4.1 Understanding Target Language Culture Adequately (8)

4.2 Balancing the Relationship Between Metaphase and Paraphrase (9)

4.3Adopting Transliteration and Free Translation (9)

5 Conclusion (10)

References (11)

1.Introduction

We live in a world of advertising. As potential consumers, we are endlessly bombarded with all kinds of products or services information from various media including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, posters and Internet, etc. Advertising provides a valuable service to society and its members, because it defines for consumers the meaning and the role of products, services, and institutions. Advertising also tells the consumer which a specific product, brand or service to choose when it is used and thus helps him or her understand and evaluate experience with the products and services that he or she uses. On the other hand, by making people be aware of products, service and ideas, advertising promotes sales and profits. Finally, advertising is one of the major forces that are helping improve the standard of living around the world. Combined these entirely communicational factor with marketing and social functions, advertising becomes indispensable in the modern world when they are translated into Chinese, and some methods are adopted.

2. Features of Advertising

The wide use of advertising has created a special style of English—advertising English. Its unique features, simple language and immense attraction separate it from other kind of language. In the development of advertising English, advertising has formed its own features in several aspects.

2.1 English Morphology in Advertising

As a means to disseminate information, advertising English must be compact, vivid, visual, emotional and attractive. Therefore, morphology in advertising is quite different from

common English.

2.1.1 Simple and Informal

The function of advertising is to provide information, attract consumer, exploit market, and promise the quality. Therefore, advertisement must pay attention to its impelling language, and the first step is to use popular and oral language to make it easy to understand and memorize. （Zhu Jifang,2004) For example:

“I couldn’t believe it, until I tried it!”

“I’m impressed! I’m really impressed!”

“Y ou’ve gotta try it!”

“I love it!”

This is an advertisement of a microwave oven. The words in it are very simple and oral. It uses the slang “gotta”, which means “got to” in American English, to give an impression that this advertisement comes from the real life.

We have another two examples to make it clear:

A: Lose ounces, save pounds! (失去几盎司，省下几英镑．）

B: My goodness! My Guinness! （我的天啊！Guinness 啤酒．）

2.1.2 Misspelling and Coin W ords

In some advertisements, the advertising copywriter misspells some words on purpose, or adds some suffix or prefix to the common words. Although the new words still keep the original meanings, they are quite different from the original words in spelling, which will make the advertisement more vivid, interesting and attractive. (Zhu Jifang, 2004)

e.g. We know eggsactly how to sell eggs.

(我们知道如何分辨鸡蛋。）

In this advert isement, “eggsactly” is the variation of “exactly”, and echo the word “eggs” at the end of the sentence. （Liao Ying & Mo Zaishu, 2004)

2.1.3 Use of Adjectives

Adverting language must be visual and dramatic. So many adjectives must be used in adverting language. Adjectives are exoteric words in English. It can describe and bedeck nouns to make the sentence more visual and dramatic. So most adjectives can do subjective complements and objective complements freely in a sentence. The most frequently used adjectives are new, crisp, good/better/best, fine, free, big, fresh, great, delicious, real, full, sure, easy, bright, clean, extra, safe, special and rich.

For examples:

A: Romantics, Mysterious Italian.

(浪漫与神秘，来自意大利。）

B: All you need is some good company, good coffee, and vivid imagination. Only taster’s choice is good enough.

（你所需要的无非是好的伴侣，好的咖啡和丰富的想象力，只有Taster才是唯一正确的选择。）2.2 English Syntax in Advertising

2.2.1 More Simple Sentences, Less Complex Sentences

It will take better effect to use simple sentences than compound sentences, because the readers will get bored on reading complex sentences. Another reason is to reduce the cost of advertising, and effectively stimulate the consumers.

Here are two examples of hotel advertisement:

A Take time, any time. (无论何时，享受生活。）

Two "time" make the advertisement simple and easy remember.

B The colorful world doesn't stop when it's nighttime. (夜晚时分，这里的世界依然五彩缤纷。）

Just several words make the advertisement vivid; it can attract the tourists in the hotel.

2.2.2 Disjunctive Clause

Disjunctive clause is unique for advertising English, which divide a long, complex sentence into several simple sentences by using full stop, dash, semi-colon, hyphen, etc. Those sentences are independent in form, but are related in the content. The use of disjunctive clause could add more information and save more space and money. The separated parts are usually the features of the product, so that they could emphasize the good points of the product.

There is an example of Amtrak, which has successfully used the disjunctive clauses:

Amtrak has created a new nationwide passenger rail system. Literally from the ground up., a system represented a viable alternative for people who fly, for business or pleasure.

3. Cultural Differences in Chinese and English Advertisement Translation 3.1 Relationship Between Culture and Advertising Language

There are various cultural types such as national culture and foreign culture, while they have common feature that almost each culture exists in a form of langua ge. Although lots of factors result in the formation of culture, its spread relies on some certain forms. The practice indicates that language use is heavily tinted with its culture. We can infer that a language not

only expresses facts, ideals, or events which represent similar world knowledge by its people, but also reflects the people’s attitudes, beliefs, world outlooks etc. In a word, language expresses cultural reality.

Advertisement and culture have reciprocal and bidirectional relationship. From the macro level, advertisement industry accelerates the development of social economy. From micro level, the advertisement is one of the agents which lead to the reform of culture. Contemporary culture contains the advertisement; meanwhile, it is also the disseminator and creator of the culture. While publicizing products or services, the advertisement unconsciously outputs some cultural awareness and changes people’s thin king ways or values. Let us take Coca-Cola advertisement for example. Its original message is “I can’t catch that feeling”. But Japanese version means “I enjoy Coca-Cola” and Italian version means “The unique feeling”. Therefore, it implies that only the advertisement information truly reflects local culture will it live up to the cultural expectation.

Advertisement language is the core of an advertisement. Social culture influences even limits this kind of language and expression. Meanwhile, the advertisement language contains and reflects the social culture. The advertisement exists in a society which means philosophical concept, thinking mode, cultural psychology, moral caliber and cultural habits of a nation certainly have a great effect on the advertisement language. In fact, people tend to accept such messages that arouse their sense of identity.

For instance, the publicity of a product or service closely related to sexy life sometimes in English advertisement. In order to increase its allure, we can find such words as condoms or sex in it. Although western people are accustomed to it, these kinds of advertisements have

definitely surpassed the cultural psychological endurance of common people in China. So apprehension of the advertisement language should be based on local culture.

3.2 Culture-Specific in Advertisement Translation

The target of advertisement writer is the native reader who has same values, thinking ways and living habits, while, the advertisement translator needs to face the people whose cultural background, tradition and social values are utterly different. Therefore, as an intercultural activity, advertisement translation requires the translator to put acceptance degree of target people in the first place and adequately consider culture-specific in advertisement. Otherwise, it is impossible to put publicity into effect. Ultimately, the company fails to achieve its market value.

3.2.1 Differences in Related Cultural Background

Let us start from the headline of a famous American wine's advertisement

"Southern Comfort—The spirit of New Orleans since 1860."

Actually, the success of this advertisement relies on people's understanding of American traditional culture. "Southern Comfort" wine, as well as American Jazz all comes from New Orleans. Based on cultural identity, we can easily find out its pun meaning. That is "Southern Comfort" wine has become widely familiar in America from middle period of 19th century when people began to create Jazz music, and it presents spirit of New Orleans－exploitation, innovation and optimism. However, due to the lack of related cultural background, it is hard for Chinese reader to perceive cultural connotation in the original text. So, the translation should be based on target audience's point of view and focus on cultural apprehension.

3.2.2. Differences in Cultural Values

The following sentence is excerpted from an advertisement of an American magazine.

"He is his own man. An individualist."

"Individualist" is always translated into "个人主义者" or "利己主义者". Meanwhile, it could not be considered as equivalent because of the differences in cultural values. The word "individualist" in English contains positive and commendatory meaning. It is used to describe a kind of people who prize personal right and are willing to show his or her personality. However, "个人主义者" in Chinese is a derogatory term which means self-concern. They seek benefits for themselves at the expense of others. Consequently, the translator must readjust the original text on the basis of apprehending cultural values. Otherwise, it is impossible to realize intended function of the advertisement. "一个有主见的人，一个有个性的人。"is a better version in terms of both understanding and psychological effects on the target people.

3.2.3. Differences in Numbers

The differences in numbers reflect typical culture-specific in advertisement translation. First, let's take a beverage brand－"7-up" as a example. The number seven implies positive meaning in American－European countries. It is equal to the number eight in China which stands for a good luck. Meanwhile, "7" is just an ordinary number in China. In order to convey the happy feeling of this brand, "七喜" becomes an appropriate Chinese version. Then, the following example is "三枪" brand underwear which is produced in Shanghai. Its English brand is "Three Guns". The reason why it is well received by consumers in Japan, Colombia and North Africa area is that "three" is regarded as a lucky number in these countries. What's more, "9" is often used for expressing the meaning "for a long time", especially as a blessing for the elder in China. There is "999" medicine in the market. However, it will not take same

effect on the English-speaking people due to the distinction of figure between English and Chinese culture.

4 The Principle of English-Chinese Advertisement Translation

When we translate advertisement, it is necessary for us to consider such factors as language, culture and politics. If we just transfer the literal meaning into target language, the products are impossibly approved in international market. One of the most significant aspects of advertisement translation is to appropriately grasp the relationship between translation and cultural effect. So in this chapter, the author introduces several methods of translating international advertisement better.

4.1Understanding Target Language Culture Adequately

The translator needs to probe into the target language culture. It includes not only the characteristic of target language but also the religion, belief, principle, social structure, social role, spatial relation, cosmology, observance and etc. However, if the translator fails to be aware of them, it will lead to negative effect.

For instance, there is a famous brand of battery named "白象", and it is translated as "White Elephant" in English. Few foreigners in western countries buy the product because "white elephant" presents the goods which are unpractical but expensive. Therefore, it has been proved that one thing which has a profound respect in this culture may not has the same resonance in the other culture.

4.2 Balancing the Relationship Between Metaphase and Paraphrase

Since translation is a process that recreates the language information by the most

suitable and natural equivalent. How to deal with the relationship between "most suitable and natural words" and "equivalent" becomes quite important. From aspect of information theory, the transmission process of advertisement has three stages, i.e. coding (advertiser)－advertisement－decoding(consumer). It also means that advertisement translation is the process of recreation other than simple duplication.

The following is an advertisement of British airline company .

"Together, we cover the world."

The Chinese version is "维系你和我，世上乐事多". Although the meaning of translation seems a little far away from the literal meaning "我们共同飞跃这一世界", it reflects the core of advertisement and has good effect among the target people.

Another example: "Good to the last drop"

The Chinese version is "滴滴香浓，意犹未尽". It is an advertisement for a brand of coffee. The translator shakes off the restriction of original language and conveys connotation of the advertisement by paraphrasing the original text. However, the point is that we should readjust the original advertisement on the basis of analyzing and understanding connotation of the advertisement.

4.3 Adopt Transliteration and Free Translation

The translator can adopt two different translation modes－transliteration and free translation to translate advertisement trademark according to principle of target culture. Actually, it is quite difficult to accurately translate a trademark and to the point. The practice proves that good advertisement translation can integrate transliteration and free transla tion based on ingenious combination of two cultures. There are some successful examples, such as

"百事可乐"(Pepsi-cola), "可口可乐"(Coca-cola), "金利来"(Gold lion). Absolutely, on one hand, we may directly transliterate the trademark under the premise if not violating target culture. For example, Chinese "功夫" is translated as "Kung Fu". On the other hand, if there is contradiction between the target culture and transliteration or free translation, we should choose to adopt the later mode or other ways. Someone regards the translation of these words as "artistic recreation", otherwise, the concept of "recreation" should be precisely defined as "comparison of two kind of culture". Let us take American General Motors Corporation as example. It used to public a new automobile brand "Chevrolet Nova". But pronunciation of "Nova" sounds similar to a word in Spanish which means "it doesn't go". So the company had to change it instantly in order to not impede its business development abroad.

Therefore, the more the translator knows about target culture, the better the advertisement translation is. Actually, the most important function of advertisement is vocative function which aims to call on consumers to accept its products and services. Only the advertisement has artistic charm could it attract the majority of people's interests and stimulate their desire. A good advertisement translator will also be an excellent artistic creator.

5. Conclusion

Advertising language as a special kind of language is very different from common language. In the advertisement translation, translators should make clear the features of advertisement language; ever order some principles for translating advertisement. At the same times, Cultural differences have become a non-ignorable factor in advertisement. In

order to attract even stimulate potential customers; the advertisers make their efforts to produce creative and memorable works. As the integration of world economy, it is an urgent task that advertisers should make clear of the features of each culture especially target culture. Meanwhile, the goal of advertisement translation is to persuade and influence target consumers abroad to buy a product or service. Therefore, translators must acquaint themselves with target consumers’way of thinking, the life environment, cultural habits and etc. On the basis of analyzing, features, principles and culture-specific in advertisement translation, this paper has shown the influence of cultural differences on it and appropriate methods of translation.

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