Abstract

No one could deny the significance of a well-called brand name. It symbolizes the image of the whole company and assures the quality of its products. A successful brand name not only is easily remembered by target consumers but also triggers potential customers to buy the commodity and differentiate it from peers. By contrast, a tiny flaw of the brand name may ruin the image of the enterprise and run the risk of losing money. This paper has six separate parts in general. The first part describes the background and the significance of Brand Names. The second part introduces the definition of Brand Names and Functional Equivalence Theory. The third part gives the readers clear functions of Brand Names. The next part includes three different translation principles, and then the author compares the merits and drawbacks of different brand names. Finally, the conclusion was drawn during the last part. This paper is aimed at analyzing the brand name translation from the perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory to find out the reasons why certain brand translation makes its product stand out while others fail.

Key words: Brand name, Functional Equivalence, translation

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

I. Introduction...1

II. The Definition of Brand Names-2

III. Functions of Brand Names-3

3.1 Functional equivalence theory-3

3.2 Functions of brand names-4

3.2.1 Informative function-4

3.2.2 Cultural aesthetic function-4

3.2.3 Advertising function-5

IV. Principles Used in the Foreign Brand Names Translation in China-6

4.1 Respecting the national feelings and conveying pleasant associations-6

4.2 Avoiding special political annotations-7

4.3 Being terse, reading smoothly and easy to remember-8

V. Analysis of Brand Name Translation from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory-8

5.1 Literal translation for the meaning of brand names-8

5.2 Application of transliteration in brand name’s translation-9

5.3 A combined translation of sound and meaning-9

VI. Conclusion-10

References.11