商标翻译中的功能对等

Abstract

With the development of economy and the continuity of the open Policy, the trade

between China and foreign countries comes hourly. The international market is filled

with varieties of goods. Advertisement besides high quality plays an essential role in

the process of promoting sales and cultivating international markets. Trademark is a

sign, symbol, and carrier that identifies the products or services of a company .To win

the field in the international trade, the study on the trademark translation is not only

necessary but urgent.

This paper attempts to make a study on the features, basic function principles and

culture elements of trademarks, and then, make an analysis of the cultural barrier in

translating trademarks. Pointing out that it is not easy to translate trademarks from one

language into another, and overcome the cultural barrier to keep their own features.

As trademark translation, an intercultural communication, involves many factors in

both source language and target language. Appropriate principle and techniques are

needed in translating of trademarks. Enlightened by Nida‘s ;―functional equivalence‖,

this paper suggests Eugene A. Nida‘s ―functional equivalence‖ as the principle for the

trademarks translation, and this paper summarizes the following five common

techniques:1) literal translation;2) transliteration;3) paraphrase;4) combination of

literal translation, paraphrase and transliteration; and 5) creative translation, we

should choose the technique rightly based on the situation and needs. The translated

trademarks should attempt to achieve an ideal unity in terms of semantic message,

cultural message and reader‘s response, and reproduce the informative, aesthetic,

expressive and vocative functions of the originals in target markets.

trademark; trademark‘s formation; trademark‘s translation; functional equivalence

商标翻译中的功能对等

【摘 要】随着经济的发展和改革开放的进一步深入，中国与世界各国的贸易更加频繁，国际市场上商品种类日见繁多。如何在品种繁多的商品中脱颖而出？商品宣传就成为国际市场推销商品和进行竞争的一种重要手段。而商标作为品牌的标志和载体，在国际贸易活动中针对其进行的翻译就尤为重要了。

本文首先分析了商标的功能构成以及文化特征，并辅以具体的商标为例加以说明，接着分析了商标翻译过程中存在的文化障碍，同时指出把商标从一种语言转化为另一种语言，并跨越其间的文化障碍，保存其原有的风格，并非易事。因为商标翻译是一种特殊的文体翻译，是一种跨文化交际活动。要做好商标的翻译，这需要恰当的原则和翻译理论作指导。受奈达的“功能对等”的启发，本文提出了“功能对等”翻译理论可作为商标翻译的原则，并在此基础上总结出了五种翻译方法： 1）直译，2）音译，3）意译，4）直译、意译和音译相结合，5）创造性翻译。商标翻译中，这些译法应灵活选用，使译文商标能再现原文商标的信息，美感，表达和祈使功能。只有译文商标与原文商标在语义信息、风格信息、文化信息以及读者反映等方面，对等才基本实现，才能进而实现对等的经济效益。

商标；商标构成；商标翻译；功能对等

Introduction

: With the development of the world economy, many products were produced and

enter into the international market .How can a product gain a place in the international market which is full of keen competition? Undoubtedly a well-known product should

have a famous name, besides high quality. A famous trademark can add value to a

product in the marketplace because it has a potentially powerful influence on

consumer‘s behavior. This paper makes an analysis of trademark from cultural aspects

and explores the major translating methods of trademark translation. Achieving the

functional equivalence in trademark translation, the translator should under the

guidance of certain principles. This paper advances functional equivalence theory for

trademark translation.

Overview of trademark

Definition of trademark

Trademark: a word, letter, device, sound, or symbol or some combination of those that

is used in connection with merchandise, distinctly points inherently or by association

to the not necessarily known origin or ownership of that to which it is applied and is

legally reserved to the exclusive use of the owner according to statutory provisions: a

name or symbol used by a marker or seller to identify distinctively his products

<must display his trademark on his product for it to be legally valid; <a

trademark can only be translated in connection with the good will of the business

Edward Jekens;(Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1976): In our country

the trademark is defined as a special mark that is placed on a particular brand of

article or commodity to distinguish it from similar goods sold by other

producers.[3]P60

: From the above definition, we can figure out some features of trademarks as

following:

: 1). Trademark is an identifying mark on the products or product's package.

: 2). Trademark is used to identify the similar products.

: 3). Registered trademark can enjoy the protection of the law.

2.2 Functions of trademark

Trademark has an important effect on the trade, in which it acts as the bridge between

producers and consumers. A good trademark can provide much information about the

products, attract consumers and pleaseCOLOR: fuchsia" people, and achieve the