Abstract:English and Chinese are two of the major languages in the world, reflecting two main cultures. It is well-known that language is a part of culture and the carrier of culture as well. They cannot be separated from each other. Language would be meaningless without culture and the development of culture would be restricted by language, too. With the increasing cultural exchange in the age of globalization, translation is shouldering the task of communicating and mutual understanding. This thesis attempts to explore the cultural differences between China and western countries in brand translation of foreign trade English (hereinafter it is abbreviated to FTE) contract and the reasons for cultural differences in brand translation of FTE contract. 

This thesis includes five parts. Chapter one is general introduction in which the background information on this topic, the purpose of the study and the perspectives of this thesis on brand translation of FTE contract are respectively introduced. Chapter two analyzes the close relationship among culture, language and translation. Chapter three analyzes the two main aspects of cultural differences: cultural vacancy and cultural clash. Chapter four explores the reasons of cultural differences in brand translation of FTE contract from different perspectives, which includes value systems, customs and habits, and customer psychology. Chapter five is a conclusion based on the discussion in the previous chapters.

Key Words:  language  cultural differences  cultural vacancy  cultural clash  FTE contract brand translation

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Background Information-1

1.2 The Purpose of the Study-2

1.3 The Organization of the Study-2

Chapter Two The Relationship among Language, Culture and Translation-3

2.1 Definition of Culture-3

2.2 Language and Culture-3

2.3 Culture and Translation-4

2.3.1 Definition of Translation-4

2.3.2 Culture and Brand Translation-5

Chapter Three Cultural Vacancy and Cultural Clash in Brand Translation of FTE Contract-7

3.1 Cultural Vacancy-7

3.1.1 Lexical Vacancy-7

3.1.2 Semantic Vacancy-8

3.2 Cultural Clash-9

3.2.1 The Conflicting Denotations, and the Conflicting Connotations-9

3.2.2 The Same Denotation, but the Conflicting Connotations-9

Chapter Four Reasons for Cultural Differences in Brand Translation of FTE Contract from Different Perspectives-11

4.1 Value Systems-11

4.2 Consumer Psychology-11

4.3 Customs and Habits-12

Chapter Five Conclusion-14

References-15