HT102 作业

郑家音 Zheng Jiayin

Tutorial Group 2

2．现在的广告语言经常出现一些比较奇特的表达，如 “I’m

bueno-ing”（一种巧克力饼）之类。试举出若干例证，说明翻译

上的特点，也指出困难所在。可把重点放在英译中，或中译英，

或两者都谈。

Translation, by itself, is an arduous task to master – not only does a translator

have to be proficient in the use of both source and target languages, an awareness of

socio-cultural backgrounds and customs in which the languages are steeped is

imperative. Now, carry translation over to the thorny world of advertising, and we

have in our hands a whole new level of complexities and considerations to deal with.

For brands planning to enter the lucrative Asian market, weighing up the issues of

translation would be necessary, as the key to winning over local consumers lies in the

ability to seamlessly appropriate advertisements to the new linguistic environment.

One convention of coining advertising slogans is the use of wordplay – be it

puns, rhymes or alliteration – which lends humour, memorability and persuasive

power to the advertisement, and also, encourages us to associate certain qualities

with the brand1. The problem is, wordplays can only be decoded by an understanding

of the cultural context which they are inherently bound to, and this makes exact

translation of such ad slogans extremely difficult, if not impossible.

For instance, Citibank – which is known as 花旗银行 among Chinese-speaking

audiences – cleverly plays on the close relationship between its brand name and the

word “city”, in the tagline “The Citi Never Sleeps”. Its Chinese counterpart – “花旗永

远不睡觉” – stays largely true to the literal meaning of the original. However, due to

the corporation’s choice of translating its brand name phonetically (“Citi” as “花旗”),

the playful pun on “Citi” fails to be carried across to Chinese. With that, extended

meaning pertaining to brand characterisation is lost as well, for the city allusion

posits the bank as a metropolitan goliath, both reliable and in tune with the needs of

urban dwellers.

                                                            1 Lost in Translation, http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=340, (October 2010).

Another example is the excellent ad slogan by Absolut Vodka (known as 绝对

伏特加 in Chinese) – “Absolut Perfection”. Like Citibank, it assimilates the brand

name as an inseparable part of the pun, and is slick and memorable to boot. In this

case, however, the Chinese translation – “绝对完美” – epitomizes a seamless

transference of meaning; it does not drive down the slogan’s original symbolism or

add anything on. This could be due to the use of a conceptual, or literal, translation

for the brand name (“Absolut” as “绝对”) rather than it being purely phonetic, so the

end result makes more sense and resonates better with Chinese consumers.

Furthermore, “绝对完美” maintains the brevity and poise of “Absolut Perfection” by

using a 4-character format, which is considered one of the most stable and

rhythmically powerful word structures in the Chinese language2.

While I have said that a conceptually translated brand name – which fully

embodies a company’s vision and is often less stilted – comes across better than one

that is transliterated, it is not feasible to conceptually translate a brand name every

time. Many imported brand names do not have actual symbolism, so under such

circumstances, transliteration may prove to be the best solution. Transliteration also

assists in pronunciation of the English label, upholding the rhyme and rhythmic

construction of the original3. Kinder Bueno demonstrates this well; its translation

健达缤纷乐 may not be an exact replica of the original pronunciation, but it skilfully

conveys Kinder Bueno’s rhythmic accents, pitch variations and positive vibe.

Moreover, this example underscores the attention paid to choice of words

even in phonetic translation. In general, words containing favourable connotations

(such as “乐”, “美”, “佳”) are preferred. 健达缤纷乐, for example, is composed of

characters that express positive feeling and value – and by extension, promotes the

consumption of Kinder Bueno chocolates as an enriching and joyful experience.

Still, the best form of translation for brand names would be one that unites

both literal translation and transliteration. This is exemplified by beverage behemoth

Coca-Cola, whose choice of 可口可乐 is renowned and consistently applied in all

Mandarin-speaking markets. “可口” refers to a strongly appealing taste, and the

name in whole roughly translates to “bringing happiness to your mouth”. This                                                             2 “广告口号”，MBA Lib 智库百科，(October 2010). 3 William Wells, Advertising – Principles & Practice 4th edition (Beijing: Qing Hua University Press, 1999).

translation is not only faithful to the sound and intonation of the original, but the

careful selection of characters also helps to invoke an image of blissful consumption

to Chinese audiences. The Chinese are more often drawn to advertisements with an

emotional appeal4, and in this case, Coca-Cola is an outstanding example of

international brands which have succeeded in localizing their brand names and

aligning themselves with the interests and preferences of Chinese consumers.

Localization of meaning is also the key to effective translation of advertising

slogans. Fast food giant McDonalds’ overseas marketing strategy was to allow each

country to convert the brand’s famous tagline “I’m lovin’ it” to its own language as it

saw fit. Many countries like China adopted a freer approach to translating the slogan;

although the Mandarin end result – “我就喜欢” – may not be conceptually precise

(“喜欢” refers not to “love”, but to a lesser “like”), I think it packs a greater punch

than a completely literal translation would have. First of all, the expression “喜欢” is

more culturally appropriate in China than “爱” (for the Chinese are considered to be

more conservative in expressing affection than Westerners), and “我就喜欢” has a

hint of debonair charm in it – carefree, nonchalant, individualistic; characteristic of

the adolescent crowd McDonald’s advertising message is directed towards. So, when

translating an ad slogan, attention should not only be paid to transmitting its content

succinctly across another linguistic platform, but most crucially, to whether it fits

well in the local culture. Whether an advertisement is embraced by native audiences

(Chinese or otherwise) will depend very much on the cultural adaptability of the

translated form.

However, not every corporation that ventured overseas has succeeded with as

much aplomb as McDonalds. Even popular brands like Pepsi had made outright

mistranslations before, such as this – Pepsi once used the tagline, “Come Alive:

You’re in the Pepsi Generation”, which morphed horribly into “百事可乐将使你的祖

先起死回生” in China. (The correct translation is “觉醒吧，你属于百事一代”.) Such

embarrassing language divides can be blamed on linguistic ineptitude on the

translator’s part, but sometimes even if the translation is technically accurate, the ad                                                             4 “Chinese society is a relationship society. The Chinese are not so easy with big bang advertising. They listen to recommendations, and emotional appeals. They are phenomenal readers and talkers and branding works well using word of mouth. Brands therefore must tell a story and have a strong identity and history.” Quote by Hans Fuchs, Branding with Chinese Characteristics, http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=246, (October 2010).

slogan will still flop if it is not to the taste of local consumers. (As mentioned earlier,

localization of meaning is central.) One unfortunate example is Kentucky Fried

Chicken (肯德基), whose first foray into Hong Kong failed miserably, partially

because of an advertising campaign that gave consumers an unpleasant first

impression of the fast food conglomerate. KFC had then translated its motto “Finger

lickin’ good” into “好味到舔手指”, but it did not work in China as it did in the rest of

the world, as licking one’s fingers after food consumption was deemed unhygienic

and not a concept that locals could accept readily5. This again highlights the complex,

wide-ranging issues that translation covers, especially in the advertising province; a

good, commercially successful translation is not possible unless with substantial

research into market dynamics and cultural beliefs.

Now, KFC (which has since found a strong footing on the Chinese market),

uses a new slogan “有了肯德基，生活如此多娇”, adapted from “We do chicken right”.

The translation was originally “有了肯德基，生活好滋味”, but “好滋味” was found to

be too generic and did not shed light upon taste-related properties of the chicken

(other than it being flavourful), so it was discarded in favour of “生活如此多娇”. “娇”

here is a double entendre, alluding to the tenderness of the meat (“娇嫩”) as well as

the verve it brings to your life (“精彩”). Thus the Chinese translation injects new

meaning – through the use of puns – that the original slogan did not have. Notice

that KFC’s focus is no longer on the precise translation of “We do chicken right”, but

on finding an appropriate Chinese equivalent that would speak to local audiences

and reflect a uniquely Chinese spirit. Instead of telling consumers about KFC’s

mastery in making mouth-watering chicken (as the English slogan does), the Chinese

translation chooses to expound on the favourable effect it has on our daily lives. This

decision could owe itself to Chinese consumers’ inclination towards emotional

appeals and positive references, but I think the chief reason is to avoid using the

character “鸡”, as it connotes prostitution in Chinese slang. Hence, allusions to the

taste of KFC chicken are subtle and confined to a single evocative word – “娇”.

For the most part, I think translating brand slogans that have already

established quite a following worldwide, that are no less significant than a company’s

logo, poses the greatest challenge to ad translators. Because when it comes to slogans                                                             5 “市场营销环境”，百度文库，(October 2010).

like this, translators assume the mammoth undertaking of carrying its influence and

recognisability across, without losing any nuances in its original meaning. As such,

they may choose to not localize meaning, and implement a purely literal approach

instead. One example is Adidas’ (阿迪达斯) tagline “Impossible is Nothing”, which is

translated into Chinese as “没有不可能”. “Impossible is Nothing” takes from the

common saying “nothing is impossible” (which in essence means the same as

“everything is possible”); but by inverting the phrase, Adidas flips its meaning

around completely. It is not merely saying that there is a chance of success in

anything you do, but that “impossibility”, as a concept, is of absolute insignificance.

This negation of “impossibility” is a much stronger statement than “nothing is

impossible”; it inspires self-belief and audacity to do things out of the ordinary in

consumers, and works well to position Adidas as a groundbreaking brand at the

forefront of sportswear industry. In comparison, “没有不可能” is lacklustre; it is

simply a translation of “nothing is impossible” and loses the linguistic subtleties of

the original.

On the other hand, diamond manufacturer De Beers’ (戴比尔斯) slogan

“Diamonds are forever” translates splendidly into Chinese. “钻石恒久远，一颗永留传”

has since become a classic of its own right in China – and I think it even outshines

the original. While “Diamonds are forever” is understated and elegant, “钻石恒久远，

一颗永留传” is a beautiful, poetic piece that crystallizes the timeless value of a single

diamond. Literary translations like this work very well in capturing the hearts of

Chinese audiences, as such treatments draw on a poetic ambience (“意境”) that is

held in high regard in Chinese language.

All things considered, the best ad slogan in my opinion is not just one that

highlights brand characteristics and smoothly delivers a message, but ultimately,

permeates the consumers’ lives, functioning as a catchphrase in everyday speak.

Kinder Bueno (健达缤纷乐) is a case in point. Its tagline, “Hang on, I’m Bueno-ing!”

is so much fun that people begin to use it in conversation, to specifically denote the

activity of consuming Kinder Bueno chocolate. However, the tagline’s incorporation

of its brand name as a verb makes it tricky to translate. Translators coped with this

by converting “缤纷乐 (Bueno)” into a verb, so that the Chinese counterpart closely

mimics the sentence structure of the English slogan – “等等呢，我在缤纷乐！” The

appending of “呢” after “等等” gives the tagline a touch of everyman parlance,

reinforcing its suitability for use in informal conversation. Also, “呢” rhymes with “乐”

at the back; this unites both parts of the sentence and imbues the tagline with a

spirited linguistic fluency.

Finally, chocolate confectionery Kit Kat (奇巧)’s popular slogan, “Give me a

break, give me a Kit Kat” is my favourite example of successful advertising messages

that have pervaded everyday lives. Its Chinese translation, “轻松一刻，奇巧时刻”

succeeds in conveying the tagline’s good humour and liveliness across, preserving the

association of eating Kit Kat with break time and unwinding. What the translation

regrettably loses is the extended meaning of “break”, which also signifies the act of

snapping off Kit Kat’s distinctive multi-fingered wafer; but this connection is hinted

at by the word “刻”, referring to the engraved line on Kit Kat bars that enable each

finger to be broken off easily. “奇巧时刻” is also a good coinage, bringing to mind the

idea of a space in time specially reserved for the consumption of Kit Kat chocolate.

Hence, the translation “轻松一刻，奇巧时刻” serves not only as a skilful

Chinese conversion of Kit Kat’s slogan, but also encapsulates some of the best

features of well-translated advertisements – memorability, preservation of original

meaning, and most importantly, relevance and appeal to local audiences.