Stylistic features of written English advertisement and translation strategy英語(yǔ)專業(yè)畢業(yè)論文

Stylistic features of written English advertisement and translation strategy0. IntroductionAdvertising is meant to seduce us into buying wanted and sometimes unwanted products. The question is: does that work? What messages "get across" and when and why, and what messages dont? Thus with the direction of advertising psychology we should do research in the stylistic features and translation strategy of commercials in detail. Based on a large number of translation examples, the essay makes a sum on stylistic features of written English advertisement through analyzing wording, syntax rhetoric and its translation strategy separately. 1. Advertising psychologyScott initially did research in the study of advertising psychology, which began with the analysis and design advertising text. During the annual meeting in Chicago in 1901, he proposed that the working practice should be theoretically studied, making ads research become a science and psychology had play an important role in it from then on. This insight got the enthusiastic support of the participants. For the next two years, Scott continuously published 12 articles about advertising psychology and made it a book, which is called The Advertising Theory, published in 1903. The book marked the birth of advertising psychology. In 1908, Scott furtherly systematized the knowledge of advertising psychology and wrote the book Psychology of Advertising, which discussed key topics in the fields of social and consumer psychology. Important questions are addressed such as: What impact does advertising have on consumer behavior? What causes this impact? What are the psychological processes responsible for the effectiveness of advertising? How do consumers make sense of advertising messages? What messages "get across" and when and why? This is the first book to offer a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of the psychological findings on the impact of advertising, and to discuss this research in the context of recent developments in the fields of social and consumer psychology. It presents and discusses results of both classic and contemporary studies in an engaging style that avoids highly technical language. In the book, Scott put forward three main factors of an unforgettable ad: repetition, strength and contact. According to the three factors, companies need to repeat their ads regularly, to adopt vivid images and words, and to link the contents of advertisements with the buyers life. The starting point of ads is to understand the customers needs, rather than impose the enterprise needs on the customer. Scotts research results make him become the countrys most famous advertising street, New Yorks Madison Avenue, the honored guest. It also made the advertising psychology recognized all over the world. His "advertising psychology" became the advertisers "bible" His motto "Dont sell the goods, first you have to buy the customer", then became the advertisers creed. In the book Psychology of Advertising, Scott firstly suggested the content of the advertisements should be concise, simple. It should improve the level of repetition of the contact between advertising and consumer, with the number of ways to attract consumers sentiment appeal as viewpoint. Scotts research advertising ideas is very similar to the later behavior science. "I focus on the psychological processes that play a role in influencing and the resistance to influence", said Scott. "These processes also play an important role in advertising and other forms of marketing communications. The feeling of self-control in consumers is a central concept. Consumers, who are tired after a long day of working, or who are busy with multiple tasks at the moment of influencing, have less self-control to resist advertising, and thus become vulnerable."He believed that human economic behavior was usually built on the basis of perceptual emotions, not based on the basis of rational logic. So advertising should stimulate consumers sentiment, induction of consumer perception, and not let consumers calculate subsidiary ledger, or explain logic to consumers. On the path of effects of advertising, suggesting is more effective than argument. For example, to show one mans advertising picture of the arrow bow tie could make the consumers feel his handsome and elegant demeanor, which is more acceptable than a list of reasons for choose arrow bow tie. Advertising aims at affecting the persons potential desire, rather than convincing them. 2. The stylistic features of English commericals The stylistic language of English advertising belongs to loaded language with the persuasive power. So it can affect peoples values, or peoples life style with a clear goal. For the vocabulary, syntax structure and rhetoric aspects of English advertising, it has many unique features. 2.1 Lexical features: using high- frequency-used words Advertising words must be simple, easy to understand. Attention must be paid to the high-frequency words，especially those usually used in daily life. Those words include the populous oral English vocabulary, simple verbs and common adjectives. 2.1.1 Using oral English vocabularyOral English is the language that is used by common people in daily life. It is simple, concise, and easy to understand. It is very popular for the ad creators to use to make the good ads and could easily grasp the readers attention.For example: Mosquito Bye Bye Bye. （We can translate it as“蚊蟲(chóng)殺殺殺”in Chinese.）Here “Bye” is a very colloquial word in this ad, which makes the ad vivid and humorous. It makes consumers unforgettable and has a wonderful advertising effect which stimulates the consumers desire to buy the pesticide.2.1.2 Using simple verbs Commercial English ads often use simple verbs (monosyllable verb). The use of single syllable verbs, often can make ads simple and accurate, make advertisement content clear at a glance. Because simple words, especially the single syllable verbs are succinct, popular, catchy, simple，they are commonly used in daily life. These words include make、come、get、go、know、have、keep、look、see、need、buy、love、use、take、feel、like、start、taste、save、choose etc. Here are some examples: Start Ahead. The path to success, start from scratch. (The shampoo Rejoice) Take TOSHIBA，take the world. With Toshiba, you will own the world. (Toshiba Electronics) We bring high technology home. (Japanese NEC Electronics)Commercial English ads sometimes use verb - ing participle forms, which bring up "dynamic" effect and give the consumer the feeling of vivid, lifelike images. It grasps the consumers rangaimei psychology to attract them to buy the cars. It reflects the importance of advertising psychology in practice.For example:Poetry in motion, dancing close to me. (Toyota motor) 2.1.3 Using adjectives Adjectives are part of speech which alleges attribute or characteristics of nouns. Adjectives have the original, comparative and superlative level. In advertising English ads, the use of evaluative adjectives with commendatory color, and their comparison make ads full of emotional color and rendering force. In the book English in Advertisement, G. N. Leach listed the high-frequency used adjectives : new, good, better, best, fine, fresh, great, big, special, real, delicious, etc. For example: Theres never been a better Time. Never have the good times. (Time Magazine) Minolta, finest to put you finest. ( Minolta Camera)2.2 Using compoundsEnglish compounds are used widely in the English commercials, and their method of word-making is not restricted by English grammar. Therefore they are more flexible and can fully show the creators innovation consciousness. They are used flexibly, leaving the consumer deep impression. For example:The Self-Made woman，Shes living better all the time. The woman becoming rich from scratch will always live a better life. (United States Independent Women Magazine)2.3 Using AcronymsAbbreviations, also called initial acronym (acronyms), is a major phrase of word first-letter condensation , so a few letters can stand for a few words. These distinct and beautiful words are easy to attract customers curiosity and their attention, arousing their desire to buy the products to enhance the commodity economic efficiency. For example:We offer 3 - R guarantees: guaranteed repaired, replacement and refund. 2.4 Creation Creating new words has been increasingly popular in modern English commercial wording form. The so-called creation, namely, the advertising creators add some prefix or suffix to the words which are similar to us, such as superexcellent, superfine supernatural, superlight or change the spelling of the word to create new words and even intentionally make spelling errors to attract consumers curiosity. For example: Easier dusting by a stre-e-etch! This duster dusts the dirt much better! (Stretch brand duster) Stretch is a word with uniquely long spelling with its original meaning "extension" to show its dust cleaning effect better in the degree of meaning. The unique spelling gives the readers a sense of extension, obtains the humorous effect and reaches the purpose of marketing. 3. Syntactic features The syntactic features include the use of the simple sentence, the imperative sentence, the interrogative sentence, and the elliptical sentence.3.1 Using the simple sentence English commercial language writing could be summarized as a KISS principle-Keeping It Short and Sweet. Commercial advertising language must transmit effective information with the least space and time to depict the products effectively to the purpose of attracting the peoples interest with simple, eye-catching language. For example: The taste is great. (The Nest Coffee)Good morning, world! (Vietnam Airlines Company) 3.2 Using the Imperative sentenceAccording to linguistic statistics, "more than a quarter of the independent sentence is imperative in ads." Imperative itself contains request, command and advice, calling on people to do something meaningful with the significance of commercial advertising. This just shows the purpose of persuasion and urge to let consumers take action in the market.For example: Catch that pepsi spirit. Drink it in. (Pepsi beverage)Fresh up with Seven-up. (QiXi beverage)3.3 Using the interrogative sentenceCommercials can cause consumers thinking and resonance by using the interrogative sentences, which leave them deep impression, and encourage them to adopt consumer action. For example, from consumers point of view, the English commercial creators often raise a question by using the special question. Although the question and answer are already clear, they still want to reach the best publicity effect in the self-question-and-answer form. For example:Have you driven a Ford lately? (Ford motor)3.4 Using the elliptical sentenceThe elliptical sentence of the commercial English could omit the subject, predicate or other components, and can even use one word as a sentence. Commercial ads could make it a reality that the ad creators highlight the importance and distinctive features of the products in limited time, space and use the least cost. For example: Good to the last drop! (Maishi Coffee)4. Rhetorical featuresThe rhetorical features include the features of part of speech such as personification, analogy, repeat, pun, and rhyme. These methods are also commonly used in daily life, so it is easily accepted by the general public. 4.1 Personification The personification in the commercial advertisement English is to personalize the promoted products, endowing them emotion and life with kindness to consumers. For example:Unlike me, my Rolex never needs a rest. (Rolex watches)4.2 AnalogyAnalogy refers to process that people compare one thing to another to depict features of the former according to the similar points of different things. Analogy includes simile and metaphor.Analogy can make the abstract concept simplified, materialized and play a novel effect, leaving the consumers deep impression. For example: Cool as a mountain streamCool fresh Consulats. Consulats cigarettes are like the mountain streams which refresh the peoples minds. (Consulats cigarettes) All of New York is a stage. (Tourism advertising) 4.3 Repeat Repeat includes the lexical and grammatical repetition. The repetition in commercial use, can strengthen tone, deepen the readers impression and make language has rhythm. For example: Clean your breath while it cleans your teeth. (Colgate toothpaste) 4.4 Pun Pun is to use the homonym phenomenon to make a word or sentence have two different meanings. Pun can increase the latter aftertaste of language in use, inspire readers or listeners to enhance the thinking of advertising language in order to strengthen advertising appealing, reaching the purpose of leaving the readers impression and memory. For example: Every Kid Should Have An Apple After School. Every little guy who comes home from school should have an apple. (Apple PC) 4.5 Rhyme Rhyme consists of the same or similar stressed or unstressed syllables fall, while the rhythm is composed of the stressed vowels at the end of the row. It is an important means of rhetoric in commercial advertising English. It makes ads harmonious and catchy. It mainly includes Alliteration and rhyme. For example: All the taste - None of the waste. (Coffee Ad)5. Translation strategy According to the principle of advertising psychology, if the translated ads can or most likely reach the purpose of making ads play the best business function and achieve the desired business effect, it is not necessary for the translation to be faithful to the original text, let alone the original meaning equivalence, semantic equivalence, style equivalence. In a word, it is good translation on the condition that it can reach the purpose of the advertising. Based on this principle, I do research in some English translation of ads in newspapers and media to generalize about English translation strategies. 5.1 Literal translation Literal translation is mainly used to handle some advertising slogan or title whose original meaning is clear, whose syntax structure is so simple, complete that it can literally express the sentence meaning and its deeper meaning under the surface of the advertisings.For example:Challenge the limits. We translate it as “挑戰(zhàn)極限”in Chinese（SAMSUNG)Hand in Hand, Future in Your Hand. We translate it as “伴你同行”in Chinese.When you come, you are a guest of outs; when you leave, we are the friends of yours.We translate it as “來(lái)是他鄉(xiāng)客，去時(shí)故人心”in Chinese.(Centre Hotel)The translation completed based on the literal translation strategy may be usually straight. Although it may not be as original as that in their native language, but its message (including surface and deep meaning) is very clear. The translation above , is not only faithful to sentence, but faithful to word. However, it does not mean that more loyal, more better. Because we all know, the longer the sentence is, the higher the faithful semantic level is. However, sort of translation , whose advertising flavor is relatively weak. 5.2 Free translation Free translation usually refers to take the original content instead of its form, is a kind of "intralingual translation after digesting". It allows the translator has certain creative ideas, but the original basic information must be preserved. This translation is relatively free and flexible, usually taking into consideration the cultural differences in reading and understanding for the target readers. The translation is more authentic but less faithful to the original text than the literal translation. For example: Ask for more! We translate it as“渴望無(wú)限”in Chinese.（Pepsi-cola）THE COLOR OF SUCCESS! We translate it as“ 讓你的業(yè)務(wù)布滿色彩”in Chinese.（Minolta一copier machine）Every time a good time. We translate it as“秒秒鐘鐘歡聚歡笑”in Chinese.（McDonalds一麥當(dāng)勞） Although none of the translation above can let one of the key words accord with the original meaning, but you will find the deeper meaning is still preserved in the process of translation. Above all, the translations above are all refined. Although the rhetoric skills of the original text , such as the rhyme（Every time a good time）,do not appear with the same form in the process of translation, but they are refined in other forms, thus make the readability of the target language equal even beyond the original.5.3 Creative translation Creative translation, as its name implies, has got away from the translation category, is to create. The reason why it is called creative translation is because these ads are known for having two populous versions. Its Chinese version, although is not have the same meaning as in the original English text in surface meaning, has long been considered the English texts counterpart. Therefore, we still say this kind of Chinese text is translation, namely with certain creative translation, rather than pure creation. For example: Good to the last drop! 滴滴香濃，意猶未盡!（Nest coffee）A great way to fly. 新加坡航空，飛越萬(wàn)里，超越一切。（Singapore Airlines）It happens at the Hilton. 希爾頓酒店有求必應(yīng)。（Hilton Hotel） In the above, the Chinese translation can be difficult to find the clues of the original meaning. Even the creator paraphrases the English ad, it is also hard to find the equivalent information like the last category in the translation process. Just as Nokias famous Chinese AD translation version “科技以人為本” is concerned, even if let 100 translators separately translate it into English, they will not translate it into"Connecting People". Similarly, A great way to fly, anyway, it is impossible to translate it into “新加坡航空，飛越萬(wàn)里，超越一切”. Thus, the Sino-British advertising has basically got away from translation framework, belonging to the creative translation category. The Chinese text, from the rhetoric angle, has reached very high standards. the readability of the sentence is not less better and the artistic conception is more far-reaching than the original version. 5.4 Supplemented translationThis kind of translation is to dig, extend, or expand the original meaning of the key words to make the deeper meaning implicit. So, in most cases, the supplemented meaning often goes beyond the original meaning. For example: Beyond your imagination.意想不到的天空。（Korean Air） You are at 35,000 feet. Your head is in New York. Your heart is in Paris. Your Rolex can be in both places at once. 身在35,000英尺的紐約上空，巴黎的浪漫仍系心中惟你的勞力士可兩地兼容。（Rolex watches） The ads above both have the information the original text does not exist. For example, the last sentence above " Your heart is in Paris. " could be translated as “巴黎的浪漫仍系心中”. If it is translated into “心系巴黎”, it will be more faithful and concise. But such literal translation for the east, only after a beat around the bush, can realize the creators ideas. And in the modern society with the information explosion, the general public will not closely study the deep meaning or the implication of an advertisement. But when it comes to Paris, it will naturally occurs to people the Paris culture full of artistic atmosphere, the Paris fashion and perfume leading the world trade, and the amorous French girl, etc. There is no doubt that its artistic conception is more far-reaching, and its advertising taste is more full-bodied, although it is less faithful to the original text.5.5 "No translation" "No translation ", of course can not be regarded as translation. But in the advertising translation there are literally two kinds of " not translated "phenomenon. This section of "no translation" is mainly conc