发布时间 : 星期日 文章从严复信达雅浅析英语广告中双关语的翻译更新完毕开始阅读f271372e19e8b8f67d1cb9b8
different meanings have the same form in a particular circumstance. The second small type, Grammatical Pun, implies a grammatical equipped sentence with double meanings, such as omitting the phrase which has two or more structural or grammatical function for people’s further imagination. The last branch, Parody Pun, refers to apply the idioms which people are familiar with to construct the pun. Advertisements usually tend to apply idioms or famous sayings which reflect the local culture, which is a good way to strike a chord among consumers and enrich the content of advertisements.
2.3 Characteristics and Functions of Puns in English Advertisements
In this paper, three major characteristics corresponding to three significant
functions will be discussed. The first big characteristics of puns in English advertisements are the wit and humor embodied in the language. For example, “Oh, I see.” is an ad coming from one optical company in America named “OIC”（Xu Zhang 100）. In this ad, homophonic puns are used tactfully and vividly. The pronunciation of this sentence “Oh, I see.” corresponds to the brand name “OIC” perfectly. At the same time, this ad humorously expresses the joy of weak-eyed people who has seen the world clearly since they worn this brand of glasses. In this perspective, we can see the function of creativity and originality that puns possess in English advertisements. The second obvious characteristic is the impressiveness of puns. “Coke refreshes you like no other can”（Gong Xiaobin 131）.This is an ad for Coke. The word “can” here implies two aspects of meaning. And the whole sentence tells us that the coke they produce is the best comparing to other brands .Quite sensibly, people always want to buy the best product. So this advertisement can easily catch people's eyes and stimulate their desire to buy it. In this respect, impressiveness reflects the persuasion function of puns. The third typical characteristic of puns is the implicitness. “Excellent Taste.” It is an advertisement for whiskey. The word “taste” here is a pun .On one hand, it means “flavor”. On the other hand, it actually informs us that it is about the taste of people. So we can conclude that the ad implies the excellent flavor of this brand as well as people's high appreciation ability. From an aesthetic angle, the
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implicitness of pun plays a role in satisfying people's requirement of beauty.
3.Introduction to Yan Fu ＇s Three-Word Translation Theory
In 1898, Yan Fu put forward his Three-Word Translation thought in his preface to the translation of T.H Huxley 's book Evolution and Ethics and Other Essays（Lian Shuneng 4）. He believes that “faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance” are three hard things to achieve in translation. Nowadays, Yan Fu’s theory is regarded as the milestone in China’s translation study. In the past one century, it has been widely accepted by most translators. It serves as guidance for translation study and practice. Many famous translation theories are made on the premise of his. Thus, some think that studying the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” equals to study the whole translation theories of China. From that we can be see Yan Fu’s triple principle of translation has influenced profoundly in the translation circle of China.
3.1 Definition of “Faithfulness”
Faithfulness is the first theory raised by Yan Fu which is considered as the most fundamental translation principle and so far it has been universally acknowledged in the field of translation. Yan Fu thinks that faithfulness should be given the priority in translation. According to Lin Yutan, another outstanding translation theorist in china, he holds that Faithfulness is the first duty that a translator should keep（1995:306）.Thus, we can see “Faithfulness” plays a very important role in the process of translation. In a narrow sense, Faithfulness is the fidelity to the original idea, which is to express the meaning of the original text in another language. Strictly speaking, faithfulness is the core of the three principles proposed by Liu Zhongde—faithfulness, smoothness and closeness (Lian Shuneng 5). In other words, a good translation need to be faithful to the content, language and style of the original at the same time.
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3.2 Definition of “Expressiveness”
“Expressiveness” is another important theory in Yan Fu’s translation thought, which is set up on the basis of faithfulness. Confucius says that expressiveness is all that matters in language (Lian Shuneng 4). According to Yan Fu, the so-called “Expressiveness” requires that the version must be clear and flowing without any grammatical mistakes or confused logic and sense. Supposed that the translation version is just a collection of all the information from the originals, the language must be awkward and rigid. Translation is a work of reproduction and recreation. To make readers catch the general idea of the translation and better understand the original meaning, translators must reconstruct his version logically and smoothly by means of his language skills. Expressiveness is the responsibility that a translator should take for the target readers, quoted by the famous translator Lin Yutan.
3.3 Definition of “Elegance”
Elegance is the last major theory that Yan Fu presents in his translation
thought. In Yan Fu’s interpretation of “Elegance”, he means that translating the original thought by virtue of the vocabulary and syntax of Pro-Han could give the language classic beauty (Lian Shuneng4). Nowadays, the definition of “Elegance” has changed from time to time for different types and style of writings and it becomes the higher request of language. For many translators ,“Elegance”now implies the safe and sound preservation of the taste and shade of the original（Lao Long1983:10）. To put it another way, translators should translate the original into the most acceptable and enjoyable style of writing for readers. In fact, Elegance is a thing of form. It is just like a highly practical commodity accompanied with a fine package, proper publicity, and excellent service, which could be counted as a \
4. Application of Yan Fu＇s Three-Word Translation Theory in Pun Translation
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Yan Fu's three-word translation theory contains many pragmatic effects for translation. The well-known “Faithfulness” 、“Expressiveness” and “Elegance” demand the veracity and standardization of target language. To that point, Yan Fu's theory caters for the necessity of advertisements. In one hand, Pun Translation from English to Chinese advertisement is expected to be accurate, easy-understanding and popular for consumers. In this regard, “Faithfulness” and“Expressiveness” meet the needs of Pun Translation. On the other hand, puns in advertisements serve an aesthetic function to satisfy people's requirements of beauty. The theory “elegance” is of great advantage to create an enjoyable Chinese version of puns in advertisements. This section engages in applying useful translation skills in Yan Fu's Translation Theory to promote Pun Translation in advertisements.
4.1 Introduction to the application of Yan Fu＇s Translation Theory in Pun Translation
Pun Translation has aroused a hot debate in the field of translation. There are a lot of scholars trying to explore a better approach to translate puns in English advertisements, such as analyzing Pun Translation from the perspective of functional equivalence theory (Nida 87), conceptual integration theory(Fauconni and Tuner133), relevance theory(Gutt 56), etc. Different translation methods have their own merits and demerits. This paper, from the perspective of Yan Fu＇s Three-word Translation Theory, aims at finding a more specific and flexible way to improve Pun Translation. In Yan Fu’s translation theory, “Faithfulness”, “Expressiveness” and “Elegance” explore three different translation levels respectively.“Faithfulness”is the first translation phase which lays emphasis on the correct understanding of the original version. “Expressiveness” is looking for a high level of translation which better expresses the original idea. And “Elegance” is the third and most difficult phase to perfect the version by improving the language (Xu Jun49). Combining these three translation approaches with dialectical and practical analysis, Pun Translation in English advertisements can be presented as the most closest and enjoyable
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