Translation methods of American cosmetic advertising language

How to improve consumers' purchasing desire is the most important issue in advertising translation, which is a bridge between manufacturers and consumers. In order to have a good sales performance abroad, product translation must conform to the local culture, which requires translators to consider the cultural differences between the two countries and pay close attention to their different consumption habits, different aesthetics and differences. Here, the translation strategies of cosmetic advertising language are analyzed with specific cases.

literal translation

Literal translation is a translation method that preserves both the original content and the original form. When English sentence structure is similar to Chinese, literal translation can make the translation appear fluent and natural. In advertising translation, the original text is retained according to its meaning. In the translation of cosmetics advertisements, we should try our best to preserve the meaning and image of the original text and convey the cultural significance of the original text.

Avon's Little Black Dress literally translates as "little black dress" Whether in China or abroad, it is considered appropriate and dignified for women to wear colorful skirts on various occasions. Therefore, based on the principle of functional equivalence, it is literally translated as "little black dress", which is very popular in domestic and foreign markets. The product name matches its function, which naturally achieves the purpose of publicity. In this way, they can not only integrate into the China market, but also maintain their own brand culture.

Chanel Brand likes to use literal translation to translate advertising language. It often touches women's hearts with simple catchy phrases, causing * * *. For example, Nair's classic line "I wear nothing, a few drops of chanel no.5" bows to countless women's yearning for perfume. I don't wear anything but chanel no.5, and I don't have any decoration, which simply and directly stimulates women's deepest desire for charm.

2. Free translation

Translation refers to a translation method that is faithful to the original content and does not stick to the structure and rhetoric of the original. On the premise of ensuring the content of the original text, the translation of the translation is more in line with the readers' reading habits and aesthetic taste. When literal translation is difficult to express the characteristics of cosmetics, translators should consider the translation method of free translation. On the basis of the original name, the translator finally created a new name according to the brand connotation, cultural factors, aesthetic characteristics and other factors, which well reflected the brand connotation and form.

Make Up For Ever is a famous French cosmetics brand, which literally translates as "make up forever", which is puzzling. Translators adopt the strategy of free translation to translate it into a dream, which means it is as beautiful as a dream. At the same time, it conveys the concept of Taoist philosophy, which conforms to the psychology of consumers in China, and makes people expect the effect of using cosmetics and achieve the effect of publicity.

Conclusion: In the process of translation, choosing suitable Chinese characters is not a simple subjective translation. The purpose of advertising is to promote and popularize goods. In order to promote advertising products, translators must clearly understand the consumption habits of consumers in China, respect the culture and customs of China, and combine the linguistic features of Chinese and foreign cosmetic trademarks. In the process of translation, a good translator should adopt the translation method of "adaptation", not pursuing literal equivalence, but focusing on the expected effect in the reader's mind. The translation of cosmetic advertisements can take a relatively free form, which will arouse the expected reaction of consumers in China. Combining the aesthetic and cultural background of consumers in the target language countries, we should choose appropriate translation methods to attract consumers' attention.