A Research on English - Chinese Translation of Automobile Brand Names

Abstract

A brand name is not only the symbol of a product but also an essential part of marketing communication. When multinational companies promote their brands in a culturally different area or country, translation of brand names becomes inevitable, which is critical to the success of global brand management. This thesis takes automobile brand names as an example, trying to conduct research on the brand names translation strategy from the perspective of Skopostheorie. This thesis consists of six chapters: Chapter one presents the research background, significance, methodology, and structure of the thesis. Chapter two gives an overview of brand names. It introduces some basic knowledge about brand and brand name. Chapter three establishes the theoretical framework of the thesis. It makes clear three essential concepts in Skopostheorie, namely, the concept of Skopos, culture specificity, and the role of initiator, translator, and receiver. Chapter four is related to brand names translation. It makes a critical review on the previous translation theories on brand names translation and mainly introduces the three factors affecting the translation of automobile brand names and the application of translation strategies. Chapter five is the most significant part, applying the Skopos theory to the translation of automobile brand names. In addition, the internationalization of Chinese automobile brands is also discussed. In chapter six, this thesis comes to its conclusion.

Key words: Skopostheorie, automobile brand names, brand naming, translation strategy