Abstract

Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. Advertising translation plays an increasingly important role with the development of international market. This paper analyzes the characteristics of advertisements and explores the principles for and strategies of advertising translation. The characteristics of advertisement are different from the general styles. Firstly, the localization of advertisement is due to the difference in culture and mindset. Secondly, the economic nature of advertisement reveals its commercial nature. Lastly, the defamiliarization of advertisement intends to arouse audience’s attention and interest. In order for a company to extend its international market, two advertising strategies are usually employed. One is the localization standard of advertising language, and the other is the globalization of advertising language. In accordance with these two strategies, two translation strategies may be used, namely, domestication and foreignization. By following the principles of fidelity of the information content, attractiveness in language and cultural acceptance, translators may translate advertisements by adopting an appropriate translation strategy. For a domesticated translation, translators need to takes into account differences in culture, lifestyle and even the way of thinking; for a foreignized version, translators may show cultural and language differences deliberately to keep the exotic aroma.

Key words: advertising translation; domestication; foreignization

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 The Definition of Domestication and Foreignization-3

3 Advertising Translation-5

3.1 A Brief Introduction to Advertisements-5

3.1.1 Definition of Advertisements-5

3.1.2 Components and a Classification of Advertisements-5

3.2Characteristics of Advertisements-6

3.2.1Localization of advertisement-6

3.2.2 Economic nature of Advertisements-6

3.2.3Defamiliarization of Advertisements-7

3.3 Principles for Advertising Translation-7

3.3.1Fidelity of Information Content-7

3.3.2 Attraction in the Form of the Language-8

3.3.3Cultural acceptance-9

4 The Application of Domestication and Foreignization to Advertising Translation-9

4.1 The Application of Domestication-9

4.2 The Application of Foreignization-11

5 Conclusion-12

References

Acknowledgements