In application style, advertisement may be the one using rhetoric most frequently. Admen not only need to concentrate their efforts on creativity, but also should rack their brain to make the advertisement fresh and attractive.

In advertisement translation, which rhetoric in English can be translated into Chinese? Which can not? Which can be made cross-culture modification? Which is untranslatable?

Simile and metaphor

Simile and metaphor are made up of three components: tenor, vehicle and simile maker. There must have some similarity between tenor and vehicle.

When translation simile and metaphor in advertisement, several points need to be pay special attention to: i) the simile or metaphor you use in translation must be appropriate, that is to say, tenor and vehicle must be different in nature but similar in some certain aspect; 2) vehicle must be more common than tenor; 3) the simile or metaphor you use must be novelty and creativity.

A flawless skin, a porcelain-clear complexion (Marie Claire)

搪瓷般的透白肌肤 美白新肌系列

Tough as a Tiger (The Tudor Hydronaut)

坚毅犹如虎威(帝陀表)

Pun

There are two kinds of pun: homophonic pun and homographic pun. Please see the following examples:

homophonic pun:

Live with focus (FordFocus)

生活有焦点,才是真正享受(福特焦点系列汽车)

The 1999 BMW 7 Series and its closest rival: a side-by-side comparison. (BMW 7 Series)

不管是黑马白马,领先的总是宝马。(宝马七系列)

homographic pun:

完美无“夏”的体验,终身无“汗”的选择!(中意空调)

华力牌电蚊香,默默无“蚊”的奉献。(华力电器厂)

Read Also: THE TRANSLATION OF “SUBJECT TO"

Personification

In advertisement, products are always treated as thoughtful human beings, to make it closer to people and stimulate consumer to buy them.

With genes from jets (SAAB)

航天血统,成就独特个性

Send melanin to sleep (Chanel)

让黑色素睡着 彻底美白肌肤

Refreshing Mist for Summer (Gucci)

给夏日带来一抹清新感觉

True passion forgets fear…

overcomes fatigue…

triumphs over difficulties. (Rolex)

多少疲累与忧虑,

此刻已被炽热击退。

Exaggeration

When using exaggeration in advertisement, you should keep your eyes on the expenditure benefits. If it is over exaggerated, consumer may consider it as misleading or cheating. Also, translators should consider cultural acceptance in translation. For example:

You’er at 35,000 feet. Your head is in New York. Your heart in in Paris. Your Rolex can be in both places at once. (Rolex)

身在 35,000 英尺的纽约上空,巴黎的浪漫仍系心中…唯你的劳力士可两地相容。

Here, the source English exaggerates:你头在纽约,心在巴黎. If one translates it literally, it may seems very abrupt. So, we translate it freely as:身在纽约,心在巴黎. Then, paraphrase it into: 巴黎的浪漫仍系心中.

Rhyming

Always listening. Always understanding. (Prudential)

用心聆,更知你(英国保成保险)

Investment and Banking

Anytime Anywhere (Hang Seng Bank)

投资理财,(恒生银行)

Be Safe Be Right. Turn on the Lights. (Hong Kong Government)

顾己及人 记得着灯(香港政府)

Marching shoulder to shoulder

Braving the challenges together (Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)

并肩向 接受挑(香港特别行政区税务局)

Parallelism/Parallel construction

New Fortress

New Perspective (Fortress)

新丰泽 新视野(丰泽)

Maybe she’s born with it

Maybe it’s Maybelline (Maybelline)

美来自内心

美来自美宝莲(美宝莲)

Best Bank

Best Trade Finance Bank

Best Bank for Payments and Collections

Best Sub-Custodian

Best Securitization House

At HSBC, we strive to do the best. (HSBC)

最佳银行

最佳贸易融资银行

最佳账款收支管理银行

最佳附属托管银行

最佳资产融资机构

竭诚以付,以您为尊(汇丰银行)