Abstract:With Chinese rapid development of various undertakings, the quality of life which people demand is getting higher and higher. We have new requirements and ideas with the basic necessities of daily life. Since China has entered the World Trade Organization, a large number of well-known cosmetic products of foreign brands have swarmed into the domestic market. Meanwhile traditional domestic brands also seek the internationalization way. A good brand name translation can make the customers accept better and leave them a deep impression. Brand name translation has its own features and complexities. It is not easy to translate the foreign brand name into Chinese conforming to the Chinese language characteristics and meet the customers’ aesthetic emotions. In translation process, relevance, marketing demand and language characteristic and so on may influence the translation methods.
This article explores brand name translation relevance and strategies on the basis of Relevance Theory, and aims to better know brand name translation. It explores the brand translation techniques from English into Chinese through Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Translator can make an accurate assessment of the source and target cognitive environments with the relevance principle, taking the differences between the original and the receptor contexts together with his understanding. Then he will achieve the purpose of cultural exchange and communicative function.
Key Word: brand name translation; Relevance Theory; brand relevance; translation strategy
摘要:随着中国在各项事业的长足发展，人们对生活的品质的要求也越来越高。 大家对日常生活的衣食住行各方面都有了新的要求和观念。中国入世后，大量的外国知名日化品品牌涌入国内市场，国内传统日化品牌也寻求国际化道路。品牌翻译作为翻译应用的一个分支，如何使品牌名称获得最佳的翻译效果显得格外重要。品牌翻译有它自身的特点和复杂性，一个好的品牌译名能更好地使消费者接受并留下深刻的印象。将英文品牌名翻译成具有中文语言特性和符合中国消费者审美情感的中文译名绝非易事。在翻译过程中，要注意中西文化差异，翻译关联性和市场因素对品牌翻译的影响。
本文是从关联理论这一语用学的视角出发探讨品牌翻译研究，通过对关联理论框架的认识，分析了品牌汉译存在的问题，并通过宝洁和联合利华这些日化品品牌作为研究对象，研究日化品品牌的汉译技巧。在关联理论的指导下，译者通过比较研究在翻译过程中的各方面的因素并创设译语消费者认知环境的最佳语境，达到最佳关联，实现品牌名称语言形式和交际功能最大程度的转换。
关键词： 品牌翻译；关联理论；品牌关联；翻译策略
