英语论文-文化差异中的商标翻译

文化差异中的商标翻译【Abstract】A brand is shown by a name , a word , a sign , a symbol , a design or a combination of them. It is intended to identify the products or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. Brand-naming itself represents a strategically important issue and may determine the success or failure of a product. A good brand name can also save millions of dollars over the product's life because it carries its own meaning, describes the product's advantages, and differentiates the product significantly from its competitors. By reading the brand names , it is easy to tell the products from one to the other and to know the characters of products . For the good brand has the functions of distinguishing, providing information of products and being symbol of credit , the good brand has a good advertisement for the product and help to take in a larger market .With the globalization of world economy, especially with China‟s entry into the World Trade Organization, more and more people in China have realized the importance of good brand names and international brand names in promoting sales and cultivating markets. It is therefore not only necessary but also urgent to study on brand names and the brand translation upgrade to a new level . The main obstacle of brand translation is the different cultures . The cultural differences are represented by the forms of language . Due to the fact that brands are mainly described by language , there are some difficulties in the brand translation . Then , in this paper , apart from some general knowledge about brands, the cultural differences between English and Chinese brands are shown and some mistranslations are given . What is more, in order to avoid the cultural conflicts in translation, some common skills (including Transliteration, Semantic Translation and Trans-semantic Translation) and some creative skills (Effectiveness Translation, Character Translation, Approximation Translation and Elegance Translation ) are provided . And at the end of the paper , some general principles of brand translation are given for a good brand translation . 【Key Words】brands; culture differences ; translation ; skills【摘要】商标是商品和商业服务的标记．它是指商品生产者、经营者、服务提供者为了使自己生产、销售的商品或提供的服务,在市场上与其他商品或服务相区别而使用的一种标记。

这种标记一般用文字、图形或用文字和图形的组合表示,并置于商品或商品包装上、服务场所或服务说明书上. 商标名称的好坏具有战略性的重要作用，甚至会决定产品的存亡。

一个好的品牌名称在产品的营销过程中可以节省大量资金，同时为企业赢得更多的利润, 因为它能表达特定的含意或者展现产品的特色，使产品区别于竞争对手. 商标不同于其他标志, 它与商品和商业服务紧密相联,是用在商品生产经营和商业服务领域内的特定标记。

通过商标可以区别不同商品生产者、经营者或商业服务提供者的商品或服务. 可以了解产品或服务的性质和特点. 好的商标是具有信誉度的, 具有为商品做广告宣传的作用, 正因为如此,好的商标又可以刺激消费, 提高商品的市场占有率.伴随着经济的全球化和中国加入世贸组织，人们越来越多的意识到：在产品销售过程中，好的商标名称以及国际化的商标名称发挥着重要作用。

研究商标名称是一项必要而且紧迫的任务. 商标的翻译也提升到一个新的高度. 商标翻译中最主要的障碍就是语言的不同, 以及由于不同的地区, 不同的语言, 不同的背景所带来的文化的差异. 这种差异通过语言表现在商标的翻译与表述之上,使得商标翻译具有一定的难度. 就此, 本文在对商标基本认识的基础之上, 重点说明了商标翻译中常出现的文化差异现象, 及忽视文化差异的商标失译例子. 并就此, 拟出一些避免文化冲突的商标翻译方法, 包括最常用的音译法, 意译法, 音意兼译法和一些个人的独到的方法---效果翻译法, 性质翻译法, 似等翻译法及联想求雅翻译法. 同时,简要地归纳一些商标翻译中应遵循的规则. 从而为得到更好地商标翻译而服务.【关键词】商标；文化差异；翻译；技巧1. Introduction: the significance of brands1.1 Definition of brandsA brand is shown by a name, a word, a sign, a symbol, a design or a combination of them. It is intended to identify the products or services of one seller or one group of sellers and to differentiate them from their competitors. In other words, the brand is treated as the symbol of the actual product. It is a synthesis of all these elements: physical, aesthetic, rational and emotional and cultural, which is a perception created in the mind of consumers who ascribe beliefs and values to the product. Brands are printed on the surfaces of the products, packages and directions, and hanged in public places. Brands have the following three characters:First of all , brand is a mark which is closely concerned with a certain product or service . Brand , being different from Arts , is used as a special mark in the field of the supplying and operating of products or services ,. Second, brand has the character of distinguishing one product or service from another and is different from a sign which shows the quantity and quality of the product or service. Third, brand has a particular feature: it is easy to be read or understood by reading the word, sign , symbol , design or the combination of them . [1] p1161.2 Functions of brands [2]p59As the development of economy, brand may be a kind of economic symbol more than a mark of the product or service . Band plays an important role in the trading, and its significance is realized by many companies. Brands have five functions as follows:1.2.1 DistinguishableBeing commodities, different products or services of the same character have different quantities，qualities and services . Brands are like the faces of the products . It is not difficult to see that different brands have the same function to distinguish one kind of products or services from another kind, just as the function of persons‟ names. However, brands can do much better than persons‟ names can do. Because brands are the signatures of products or services and none of them are repeated . That is to say, when the consumers read a brand in a store or a public place, they can easily and quickly judge what kind of product or service the brand is related to. And brands help the consumers to be aware of the differences between a certain product and otherproducts or a service and other services of the same kind and remember them. Generally speaking , consumers would seldom or never make a mistake to choose the product or service what they want by reading the brands, just as they never make a mistake to call out somebody by calling the person‟s name.1.2.2 Informative functionSince brands are the marks of products or services, they must have something to do with them . In other words, brands can reflect the traits of products or services. Most brands , no matter pictorial or word brands , provide information concerning products or services, such as the place of production, the material used for the product, the function of the products, the name of the producer etc. For example, “Coca-Cola” is based on the product‟s original constituents extracted from “cola” leaves and from the “cola” nut.“康泰克” means restoring the health of the patient. “Rolls-Royce” indicates the founders of this car company, “Charles Rolls” and “Henry Royce” .1.2.3 Symbol of creditBrand has a credit . As we all know , when consumers first buy a product or enjoy a service, they usually make a credit archive in their minds for it either consciously or unconsciously . Since brands stand for the names of products or services, which can distinguish products or services from one kind to another, consumers are easier to remember the brands than to remember the products. Then consumers always transfer the credit of products or services to their names——brands. Therefore brands actually get the credits which are connected with the quantity and quality of products or services.1.2.4 Stimulating consumptionVarious images and names as well as various related factors ,such as the style and the color of calligraphy on the package adopted by brands have as much stimulating influence on consumers‟ purchasing desire as the social status , cultural back ground , mode of life and living environment of the consumers do to the customers . Brands designers try to make these brands as smart as possible and as unique as possible . Generally speaking , brands have the active influence on the stimulation of the consumption . According to the investigation , most consumers choose the commodities according to the brands they are familiar with . Children choose the commodities according to the colorful designs on the package . Packages with gaily-colored cartoon figures are most welcomed by the young consumers . Most costume brands have romantic connotation just because the designers have mastered young ladies‟ romantic-pursuing psychology . For example , “Amour Amour ” the brand of a kind of perfume . “ Oil of Olay “ the brand of a certain active hydrating lotion . The articles named after the names of famous persons can also stimulate the consumption because consumers worship them and have the psychology of imitating them . For example , sports wear , “LI-NING ” , is welcomed by sports fans .1.2.5 Providing protection by lawThe brand is the exhaustless treasure of an enterprise , especially those famous brands . It cannot be denied that some dealers or businesses use the brands of others unlawfully . Under thiscircumstance, the registered brands can obtain protection by law for the products or services and also for the producer or the provider owning this brand.2. Cultural differencesThe Easterners and the Western live in indifferent parts of the earth. That makes them unavoidable to have the different material conditions, thinking patterns and actions. Therefore, the Chinese and the Westerners have different cultures, ways of life , traditional habits, historical stories and political and economical systems and so on . For language is a tool to describe all of these , Chinese and English speakers have differences in ways of expression and linguistic cultures. The same is true with the Chinese brands and English ones , Then, it is necessary to pay attention to the cultural differences . Otherwise, many foolishnesses and unnecessary troubles may come as due punishments. The following are some main examples of culture conflicts in brand translations .2.1 Differences in literal meaningQuite often, we may find that some Chinese words with best wishes are beyond the comprehension of the English people, or have just the opposite meaning in English, and vice versa. For example, one kind of exporting lipstick which is made in China , is named “芳芳”（“Fangfang” ）. In China , this is a good name which gives people a nice impression. The word “芳” , are usually used to describe the flowers which are beautiful and charming , and the girls who are pretty and elegant. Chinese have many other phrases containing the word “芳” , such as “芳容”（good-looking）, “芳芳” ( beauty , fragrant ), “ 芳香” ( good-smell ) and so on . When it is translated into English just according to the Chinese Pinyin, it is “Fangfang” .However , instead of pretty and beautiful impression, a feeling of horror raises up in the English readers‟ minds . Because it is a coincidence that the Pinyin “ fang ” just is an English word “ fang ” , whose English meaning are as follow : ①long sharp tooth , esp of dogs and wolves,长而尖的牙（尤其指狗和狼的）②snake‟s tooth with it injects poison (蛇的毒牙). [3] p524 Then , it is easy to image that when the English speakers read this word , a dog or wolf with the long sharp teeth , or a snake may come out instead of a pretty girl who just uses this lipstick .[4] p80And one more example. “ 蓝天” （“ Langtian ”）is a brand of one kind of toothpaste made in China. It is very popular in China and in the southeast of Asia . But it fails in America market . Why ? The translation is the key of all reasons . The brand “ 蓝天” is translated into “ Bluesky ” and “ BlueHeaven ” . In Chinese , the blue sky and the white clouds are the symbols of happiness and elegance . But in English bluesky is a word whose meaning are: useless, with less value , no steady and an invalid negotiable securities . Supposing that you are a consumer , can you buy this “ useless ” commodity ? Besides , another word “ BlueHeaven ” is a name of one kind of narcotics , with a blue capsule , and has existed in the Western countries for a long time before the coming of “ 蓝天” . Then , when the westerners read the name of BlueHeaven , they mostly take it as the narcotics . So , do they dare to buy it ?[5] p952.2 Differences in connotationDifferent lands and cultures between east and west makes people have different thinking patterns. For instance , one kind of perfumed soap for bath is named “ 蜜蜂” (“ Mifeng ” ) in Chinese . Maybe the producer wants to tell the consumers that soap is perfumed and consists of many spices , which are gotten with the bees… help of collecting them from millions of flowers . But this implication is beyond the understanding of the English people. English speakers don‟t like this name , because they think that on the body of the bee there are many invisible fine hairs and that may make them feel uncomfortable . So few are willing to buy this soap.And “ 蝙蝠” (“ Bianfu ” Pinyin ) is a symbol of luck and happiness. It is popular with the Chinese people , for “ 蝠” ( “ fu ” ) and “ 福” (happiness) are homonymy in Chinese. “ 蝙蝠” is a good brand for the product such as glasses. However, things are different in English. Then what would English speakers think ? They think that the “ Bat ” is a blind ugly and fierce animal which flies only at night , and does n‟t dare to turn up in the daylight . In the west , bat stands for death , and if a bat comes into your house by accident, that may be an ill omen for you . And the English people usually compare an old bat to an old blind and ugly woman . Therefore , how can the western people wear the “ Bat ” glasses with this thought ?[6] p96Here is one more example. The Chinese people take the magpie as a lucky bird which brings people good news, as a saying goes : If there is a magpie standing in the tip and singing , a good news will come . In China , every 7th July in the lunar calendar , when the herd-boy and the weaving-girl are supposed to meet , the magpies would gather as a bridge to help them . Of course , in Chinese , “ 喜鹊”( magpie ) is a good name for the radio and acoustic installations . However , in the western countries , people don‟t think so . They think that a magpie is a bird which is whistling day and night , making noises and bringing the junks into the nestle . And then a magpie is usually compared to a person who treasures those useless things with the least intention to throw them away and a person who chatters without stopping. See now , who will be willing to bring the noise maker into house instead of avoiding them ? [7] p952.3 Differences in usagesSome words , which originated in Chinese，are frequently spoken and written by the English people, however, they are seldom used in their literal meaning . Then , we should also be careful about them in a brand translation , or else, it would lead to a joke . For instance , one kind of exporting battery is named “ 白象” （“ Baixiang ” ）. It is translated into English directly as “ White Elephant ” .It may be an exactly right translation . But , in English , “ a white elephant ” is a usage , meaning a burdensome possession ( 沉重的负担) and useless things . (无用而累赘的东西) . See , who will be so foolish to spend the money on a burdensome possession or a useless rubbish ? [8] p80One more example to illustrate this point. “ 白翎” (“ Bailig ” ) , one kind of pe n made in Shanghai China , is translated into English as “ White Feather ” directly . As a result , it fails to take in the market oversea . What is the reason ？In English , there is an idiom “ to show the white feather ” whose meaning is that deserting on the eve of a battle . That is to say , a white feather has the connotation “a coward …. Assuming that when someone sees a pen in your suitpocket or in your hand , what would they think of you? What would you feel when you realize that they think you are a coward ?[9] p563. Skills to translate brands in the perspective of cross-cultural communication .Now that there are some differences between Chinese and English , we should pay attention to them and notice the culture conflicts between these two languages. We should beculture-conscious and try to reduce or avoid making mistakes in cross-cultural communication. The following discusses some skills of translating brands in a cross-cultural communication perspective.3.1 Common skillsWhen it comes to brand translation , the common skills are transliteration , semantic translation and trans-semantic translation .3.1.1 TransliterationTransliteration is the way by which the brand is translated according to the pronunciation of the source language. The translators pick up words in the target language with the same pronunciation as those in the source language. The purpose of such an approach is to comply with the linguistic rules and to convey the source language culture . Many brands are translated by this way . The first and the most successful example of transliteration is an American beverage Coca-Cola . The brand name of this kind of black beverage is formed by two words “ coca “ and “cola “ . “ coca “ was translated into “古柯”which is a pl ant growing in South America , and ” cola ” was translated into ” 古拉” which is another kind of plant growing in Africa . Now , it is translated into ” 可口可乐” , which makes the consumers feel sweet and happy . Similar examples are “Pepsi-Cola” (百事可乐) and “Lactov” (乐口福) . Other examples are: the famous Japanese electronic product brand “Nokia”( 诺基亚) ，the largest fastfood brand “ McDonald‟s(麦当劳) ，and the suit brand “ Pierrecardin ” (皮尔卡丹) and so on .3.1.2 Semantic TranslationSemantic translation is the way by which the brand is translated according to the meaning of the source language. The purpose of such an approach is to transfer the source language‟s main meaning and make the consumers of the target language understand it more easier.. Numbersof brands are translated by this way . For instance , a Chinese electronic product brand “ 熊猫” is rendered into English “ Panda ”;the popular car brand “ Crown ” into Chinese name“ 皇冠” and the Chinese bicycle brand“ 永久” into English name“ Forever ” and so on .3.1.3 Trans-Semantic TranslationTrans-Semantic translation , combining with Transliteration and Semantic translation , is a high skill which requests a firm basis and profuse imagination . Taking the pronunciation and the meaning of the source language into consideration at the same time, Trans-Semantic is a translation skill reflecting the traits of products . It is the best skill having the best effect to translate the brands of common products . For example , a shoes brand “ warrior” is translated into “ 回力” . It has a similar pronunciation to English word “warrior” and , in Chinese , alsohas a mean of having a large power to do anything.[10]p50 And one more example, the three characters—“ 芬格欣” indicate nothing , but among which, “ 芬” and “ 欣” will arouse persons‟ beneficial association to feel that it will bring people back to health after taking this kind of medicine ,. Another skin-protection creaming “ Tobady ” is translated into Chinese “ 丹芭碧” which has nothing to do wit h the property of commodity , but “ 丹” and “ 碧” will give people a beautiful enjoyment, arousing their association with skin and appearance .Besides, there are some other creative skills to translate the brands . In fact , translators have more or le ss employed these skills. A problem is that they sometimes don‟t realize it.3.2 Effectiveness TranslationEffectiveness translation , just as its name shows, is a way that the brand is translated by the effectiveness which the consumers may get or wish to get from this product . For example , one kind of shampoo is named “ head & shoulder ” . Just as its advertisement says, it has the effect of smoothing the hair . By using it , you may have a headful of silky hair flying in the air , black and blight . Thus , It is translated into Chinese “ 海飞丝” . “ Rejoice ” is another brand of shampoo . From the word “ Rejoice ” , we can know its meaning is happy . If it is translated by the skill of Semantic translation , the result is not as good as . translatin g it into Chinese “ 飘柔” . By reading this name , it is easy to know that the commodity is one kind of shampoo , which has the effectiveness of making hair soft and smooth , which conforms to the thinking of Chinese people about the hair——beautiful and healthy hair should be soft and smooth for ever ,.One more instance. One kind of soap , its English name is “ Safeguard ” . According to the word “ Safeguard ” ,it is not difficult to know it is a cleaner , whose duty is to keep people clean . Thatis to s ay , if you use it , there is no virus with you . What‟s more , you may get a best feeling of keeping clean forever . Thus , in this way , there is no name better than “ 舒服佳” . [11] p793.3 Character TranslationDue to the fact that brands are the symbols of products or services and reflect the characters of products or services , people just pick up the words which can describe the characters of products or services directly in the target language to translate the brands , “Benz” has been in a top for a long time in the field of cars with a special and superior quality——fast , which is what all the drivers want . “ 奔驰” is a good translation to “ Benz ” .When people read it , a fast running horse may come up to you . So the name “ 奔驰” may just tell you : “ Look ! this is Benz ! ”. [12] p79Let‟s come to another brand “ Nike ” . “ Nike ” is a brand for a series of sports‟ products , being famous in America and even all over the world . It is also the name of Goddess of Success in the Greek mythology , symbolizing …success‟ . While we translate it into Chinese name “ 耐克” , it implies that this series of sports‟ products has the trait of good quality and are durable. If you wear them you might get the bless of Goddess of Success and would get success in the future .3.4 Approximation TranslationBecause of the existence of cultural differences in East and West , there is a phenomenon that some words in source language have the effect to give the information of products , but in the target lang uage , they haven‟t . Then in order to pass over the information of brands and products better , we pick up the words having the equal or approximate effect in the target language in translating brands . This is called Approximation translation .“ 玉兔” is a food brand in Shanghai China . If we translate it into English directly , it may be “ Jade Hare ” or “ Jade Rabbit ” . But in fact , we translate it into “ Moon Rabbit ” or “ Moon Hare ” . Because “ 玉兔” (“Yutu”) is a rabbit in Chinese folk story whi ch lives on the moon as an angel rabbit . That is the word “ 玉” means . Thus “玉兔” becomes the symbol for the moon . When it is translated into English name “ Moon Hare ” , the word “ moon ” gives the implied meaning , rather than the word “ Jade ” , whic h is misleading : the rabbit is made of jade . In that case , how can it be eaten ?[13] p119One more example, “west wind has different cultural associations between Chinese and English . British is a county with islands to the west of Europe . Its west is the Atlantic Ocean , the east is the North Sea, and the English channel is between it and European continent in the south . While China is a country in the Southeast of Asia . When the west wind is blowing up , a warm spring day comes in British . However , in China , it is a freezing winter day . The great English poet P·B·Shelley wrote the poem the Ode to the West Wind :It‟s a warm wind , the west wind , full of birds‟ criesI never hear the west wind but tears in my eyesFor it comes from the west lands , the old brown hillsIn this poem , author speaks highly of the west wind and takes it as the hope and strength . Nevertheless , in Chinese , west wind is considered as the dreary and desolate such as the Chinese poems :《忆秦娥》“ 咸阳古道音尘绝，音尘绝，西风残照，汉家陵阕。