On the Translation Criterion of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness, Elegance” and Brand Name Translation
Abstract
As a kind of translation which highly stresses purposes, brand name translation has its own feature. That is expressing the advertising effect of brands and appealing to consumers. Brand name translation also has some basic principles which should be followed. That is to express the function and features of products, be easy to be understood, read and remembered, consider the public aesthetic psychology and culture difference, and follow the principle of functional equivalence. The translation criterion of “faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance” proposed by Yan Fu has made great effect on Chinese translation and become a standard of translation. Nevertheless, “faithfulness” and “expressiveness” are always ignored in brand name translation. In most cases, translators only pursue “elegance” with methods such as transliteration, free translation, combination of transliteration and free translation, combination of transliteration and imagination. In brand name translation translators should consider the correct use of translation criteria, make good translations of brand names and set up good images of brands.
Key Words: “faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance”; brand name translation;
brand naming
摘 要
作爲1種目的性很強的翻譯，品牌翻譯有其自身的特點，即強調最大限度地發揮品牌的.廣告功能，吸引消費者的注意。品牌翻譯也應當遵循的1些基本規則，即譯名應說明商品性能，反映商品特徵；通俗易懂，易讀易記；考慮大衆審美心理和文化差異；堅持“動態對等”原則。由嚴復所提出的“信，達，雅”翻譯理論對中國翻譯界產生了深遠的影響，併成爲翻譯標準之1。但 “信”和“達”在品牌翻譯中常常被忽視。在大多情況下譯者只進行“雅”的追求。爲了追求“雅”，譯者經常透過音譯、意譯、音譯結合以及音譯加想象這4種方法。在品牌翻譯中，譯者應正確地使用翻譯理論，做出優秀的譯文，從而樹立品牌的良好形象。
關鍵詞：“信，達，雅”、品牌翻譯、品牌命名