Abstract

 

With the advance of economic globalization, a high-quality translated trademark is of great advantage for enterprises in expanding markets overseas. There is no doubt that a uniformed brand name will deepen customer’s sense of identification. In turn, a strong sense of identification between customers inevitably benefits the product image and corporate image. However, it is still not easy today for Taiwan area and Mainland China to reach an agreement even on trademark translation. This also matters to translation of camera trademarks. 

This thesis mainly analyzes such three translation methods as transliteration, meaning-based translation, as well as the combination of transliteration and free translation in the translation of camera trademarks, and makes a comparative study on the differences in translation of camera trademarks between China Mainland and Taiwan. By analyzing these specific differences, the author finds out some possible causes. Both some subjective causes like different translation systems, different translation practices, and some objective causes like different cultural backgrounds, different dialectical habits, influences of foreign versions of trademark translation and political inevitability have eventually led to the many differences in the translation of camera trademarks between China Mainland and Taiwan. The author also makes some suggestions in the end of this thesis for further studies.

 

Key words: trademark translation; differences in translated trademarks; comparative study; camera related trademarks

 

Contents

中文摘要

Abstract

1.Introduction……………………………………………………………………1

1.1 Research background…………………………………………………………...1

1.2 Research objectives…………………………………………………………….1

1.3 Thesis structure…………………………………………………………………2

2.Literature Review……………………………………………………………...2

2.1 Brief history of camera trades in China Mainland and Taiwan………………...2

2.2 Characteristics of camera related trademarks……………………………….….3

2.3 Introduction to trademark translation…………………………………………..4

2.4 Summary.……………………………………………………………………….5

3.Translation Methods in the Translation of Trademarks…………………….5

3.1 Transliteration…………………………………………………………………..6

3.2 Meaning-based translation………………………………………………...……7

3.2.1 Literal translation……………………………………………………………..7

3.2.2 Free translation……………………………………………………..………...8

3.3 Combination of transliteration and free translation……….……………………8

4.Analysis of the Differences in Camera Trademarks Translation Between China Mainland and Taiwan………………………………………………….9

4.1 Differences in translation of some specific brands……………………………..9

4.1.1 Imported camera brands……………………………………………………...9

4.1.2 Domestic camera brands………………………………………………...…..14

4.2 Possible subjective causes of above-mentioned differences………………….15

4.3 Possible objective causes of above-mentioned difference……………………16

4.3.1 Difference of cultural and dialectical habits.………………………………..16

4.3.2 Influence of foreign versions of trademark translation……………….…….17

4.3.3 Political inevitability...………………………………………………………18

5. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….19

5.1 Major findings……………………………..…………………………………19

5.2 Limitations of the research…………………………………………………..20

5.3 Suggestions for further studies………………………………………………..20

References……………………………………………………………………...…21