3. 2. 1 Strategies Combining Phonetic and Semantic Translation
This is a means often used to translate trademarks. On one hand, because of the cultural divergence, the meaning contained in a trademark probably can not be transferred to another language, if the trademark is simply translated on phonetics. That is to say a phonetic translation can not make people associate the same cultural image. Besides, while a translator is translating, the emotional connotation of the wording in advertisement should also be taken care of, because the communicative value of the version is that it can extend a word’s associational pleasure in maximum. On the other hand, sometimes it is unacceptable if advertisement is simply transliterated. There is a sort of perfume called “poison”. The word poison means “toxic substance”. There are some rebel women in the West who want to be different and pursuit a kind of wildness. So in order to meet them, “poison” is used to address this perfume so as to reveal the extraordinary feature of the perfume and suggest the women who use it will be charming. Under the influence of the advertisement, market in the West is soon established.[12] However, in such country as China where whose citizens hold conservative ideas and thoughts, few women can admit and accept that. So in such a case, Poison is supposed to be translated into “百爱神”on its pronunciation, as to follow the culture and conventions of Chinese readers. Strategy of combining transliteration and free translation, a means to translate the trademark both phonetically and semantically, anyhow can make up this lacuna. The version made by this means will reserve the general pronunciation, meanwhile convey the absent meaning probably done through transliteration. “Polaroid”, a trademark of an imaging camera manufactured in America, is translated into “拍立得”(literally photograph can be obtained once the shoot is done.) It is a wonderful translation, since it reflects the flash-shooting traits of the camera. In the process of translating a cosmetics from the US with the trademark “Revlon”, the translator extract the three characters “露华浓” from an ancient Chinese poem “云想衣裳花想容，春风拂榄露华浓”, which is written by LiBai, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty, to describe the beauty of Concubine Yang. “Goldlion” was first translated into “金狮”, which gave a big punch to the sale. This is because that “金狮” has the same pronunciation with “金失”, but “金失”in Chinese means “loss of wealth”, a very unlucky word to consumers. Later “Goldlion” was translated as “金利来”, which means considerable treasure. Clearly the translated trademark meets the consumer’s psychology and wins a good market. “Longines”, is a trademark for a renowned Swiss wrist watch. The word longines has no special meaning in English, and originally is name of small village. When introduced to China, “Longine” is translated into “浪琴”, which reminds people of romance or beauty, simultaneously, reminds especially the Chinese consumers of nobleness and elegance. The Chinese electronic appliance branded “美的”has established a broad market throughout the world. At first “美的”was translated into M.D, actually an abbreviation of its phonetic spelling. Later it was translated into “Midea”, which will remind English-speaking people of “My idea” or “My ideal”. This changed translation conveys much more cultural connotation.
3. 2. 2 Rhymed Rhetoric Translation
The advertisement language is unique in style, concise in form and attractive in wording. A successful wording of advertisement is often unforgettable and even popular with the society. Thus a translator first should consider the publicizing effect placed on the consumer, and choose an attractive wording, in this way rhymed rhetoric is employed. Here is an advertisement designed for Ravel shoes:
Source text: Red hot fashion at Ravel. Sizzling styles. All these and many, many more. In a riot of colors, plaint or what you fancy. You want it. We’ve got it. Ravel. Who else? (Ravel shoes)
Target text: 拉维尔火爆时尚，咝咝发烫的新潮款式。所有这些以及许许多多，色彩缤纷的，简简单单的，应有尽有，包您满意，您想得到它，我们拥有它， 除了拉维尔，还会有谁？（拉维尔鞋）[13]
The source text describes the new style of Ravel shoes with the rhetoric alliteration, while the target text uses to reinforce the rhyme and arouse an appealing music tone. Furthermore four-word phrases are also used to strengthen the rhymed effect, as to maintain the same promoting effect as that in the source text. This version is a good example to reappear the original style of the source text. Another example is the advertisement for Times(泰晤士报), which reads as “We take no pride in prejudice.” There are two rhetoric included, one ids parody, which connects people’s mind with “pride and prejudice”. The other is alliteration. The source text tends to explain that the report is objective and justified, not honor of being prejudice. In order to reserve the original style, the version should be carefully handled to maintain the music tone. A smart translation may be like this, “有失偏颇的报道，我们并不引以为豪。”(Literally we are not proud of a partial report.) In the Chinese version, “道” and “豪”take the same end rhyme ao. In this way, parody and alliteration in English are converted into end rhyme in Chinese to some degree, vividly interprets the original text in semantic as well as in rhyme. To those advertisements whose original text is not rhetoric, the translator shall also consider how to maximize its expected function. In this case, the translator should make full use of advantages of the target language. For example, the advertisement for the Apple computer is designed as “Apple thinks different.” An excellent Chinese version is “苹果电脑，不同凡想（响）。”Here phonetic pun is used in this version. The translator skillfully replaces “响”with “想”, both of which share the same pronunciation. “不同凡想”literally means “thinks different”, while “不同凡响”means “outstanding”. Not only does the version faithfully transfer the original meaning, but furthermore it shows the consumer the specialties of this computer, which may activate their purchasing desire.
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