VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

POST GRADUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT
-----------------------------------

PHAN THỊ VÂN ANH

A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN

ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF ADVERTISING
SLOGANS
(NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC KHÓ KHĂN VÀ CHIẾN LƯỢC CHO VIỆC
DỊCH ANH-VIỆT KHẨU HIỆU QUẢNG CÁO)

M.A. THESIS

Field: English Linguistics

Code: 60 22 15

HA NOI, 2011
 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
POST GRADUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT
-----------------------------------

PHAN THỊ VÂN ANH

A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN

ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF ADVERTISING
SLOGANS
(NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC KHÓ KHĂN VÀ CHIẾN LƯỢC CHO VIỆC
DỊCH ANH-VIỆT KHẨU HIỆU QUẢNG CÁO)

M.A. THESIS

Field: English Linguistics

Code: 60 22 15
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lê Hùng Tiến

HA NOI, 2011
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY OF STUDY PROJECT REPORT .................................. i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACTS ....................................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS ..................................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... v
PART 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 1
1. Rationale ........................................................................................................................ 1
2. Objectives of the study ................................................................................................... 2
3. Research questions ......................................................................................................... 2
4. Scope of the study .......................................................................................................... 2
5. Methods of the study ...................................................................................................... 2
6. Structure of the study ..................................................................................................... 3
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................... 5
1. TRANSLATION THEORY ........................................................................................... 5
1.1. Translation definition .................................................................................................. 5
1.2. Translation methods .................................................................................................... 8
1.3. Translation equivalence ............................................................................................. 11
1.3.1. Translation equivalence ...................................................................................... 11
1.3.2. Types of translation equivalence ......................................................................... 11
1.4. Translation process .................................................................................................... 12
1.5. Translation procedure ................................................................................................ 13
2. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING SLOGANS .................................................... 14
2.1. Advertising................................................................................................................ 14
2.1.1. Types of advertising ........................................................................................... 16
2.1.2. Language in advertisement ................................................................................. 18
2.1.3. Structure of an advertisement .............................................................................. 20
2.2. Advertising Slogans .................................................................................................. 22
2.2.1. Definition of advertising slogan .......................................................................... 22
2.2.2. Characteristics of advertising slogans ................................................................. 25

v
CHAPTER 2: STUDY OF DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE
TRANSLATION OF AD SLOGANS ...................................................................................... 33
1. STUDY OF MODIFICATION IN LEXICAL AND STRUCTURE IN TRANSLATION
OF ADVERTISING SLOGANS ...................................................................................... 34
1.1. Lexical addition......................................................................................................... 35
1.2. Lexical omission ....................................................................................................... 36
1.3. Lexical adaptation ..................................................................................................... 37
1.4. Structural addition ..................................................................................................... 38
1.5. Structural omission .................................................................................................... 38
1.6. Structural adaptation.................................................................................................. 39
2. STUDY OF TRANSLATING PUNS IN AD SLOGANS ............................................. 42
2.1. The phenomenon of puns in ad slogans ..................................................................... 42
2.2. Translating puns into Vietnamese equivalent ............................................................. 44
3. PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES IN AD SLOGAN TRANSLATION FROM
ENGLISH TO VIETNAMESE ........................................................................................ 45
3.1. Unability to preserve nuance meaning ....................................................................... 46
3.2. Pun as case of untranslatability .................................................................................. 47
3.3. Neologism as a case of untranslatability .................................................................... 48
3.4. Cultural barrier .......................................................................................................... 49
4. STRATEGIES FOR TRANSLATING AD SLOGANS ................................................ 51
4.1 Recognizing the technique used .................................................................................. 51
4.2. Understanding background information of ad slogans ................................................ 54
4.3. Dealing with unstranslable factors ............................................................................. 57
4.4. Preserving and reproducing typical qualities of ads slogan......................................... 59
4.5. Applying the original slogan:..................................................................................... 63
5. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 64
PART 3: CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 66
1. Recapitulations ............................................................................................................. 66
2. Suggested activities……………………………………………………………………...69
3. Limitations and suggestion for further study ............................................................. 6971
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 73
APPENDIX 1 ...................................................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX 2: ..................................................................................................................... 80

vi
 ABSTRACTS

This thesis investigates the difficulties and strategies in translating ad slogans from
English to Vietnamese. The main theoretical basis of the study is involving concepts of
methods, equivalence, process and procedure of translation; as well as significant characters
of the subject- ad slogans. The research begins with comparison and quantitative and
qualitative analysis of 100 ad slogans and equivalents under three categories: lexical, structure
and puns. This aims at finding out common translating tendencies and typical characteristics
of English-Vietnamese translation of ad slogans. The result is also the base for later analysis
of common problems translators face to in translating practice. Later on, some techniques and
methods are suggested to help translators solve the difficulties and improve translation.
After the investigation, some significant findings have been discovered are: translating
ad slogans, especially translating puns or wordplays, are interesting but challenging. Thus,
translators tend to be flexible and creative in vocabulary features and rhetorical devices and
faithful to the organization of message and spirit of original slogans. It can come to a
conclusion that the adaptation and free methods are preferable and recommended in
translating the subjects. The conclusion clarifies research questions and gives some
suggestions for further research.

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