Abstract

This study explores bilingual customers’ preference of trademark translations between logographic Chinese and alphabetical English language structures. It tests four probable means of trademark translations: phonologic, semantical, phono-semantical and Hanyu Pinyin. Customers’ long-term disparity in language dexterity fields connected with semantical or phonologic working collectively has an impact on preference of the trademark translation means. Moreover, former findings agree with the precondition which semantic/phonetic working has impact on alphabetical (Chinese)/logographic (English) languages. A quantitative study is done to find out the translation preferences of the above four ways of trademark translations. 31 undergraduates of Hangzhou normal university (Cangqian Campus) participated in the study. They are divided into three groups: a) those who are good at both Chinese and English, b) those who are good at Chinese but poor in English, c) those who are poor in Chinese but good at English. The study shows that customers who are good at both Chinese and English prefer to choose phono-semantic translations and Pinyin translations among the above four ways of trademark translations; customers who are good at English but poor in Chinese prefer to choose phonologic translations among the four means of trademark translations and customers who are poor in English but good at Chinese prefer to choose semantical translation among the four means of trademark transformations.

Key words: translation preference; bilingual customers; translation means; trademark translation

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1-Introduction-1

2-Literature Review-3

2.1-The Significance of Trademark Translation-3

2.2-Logographic and Alphabetical Structures-3

2.3-Semantical, Phonologic and Phono-semantical Translation Means-4

2.4-Hanyu Pinyin-4

2.5-The Significance of Trademark Translation Means-5

2.6-Bilinguals-5

3-Research Methodology-7

3.1-Research Questions-7

3.2-Precondition of the Experimentation-7

3.3-Experimental Subjects-7

3.4-Experimental Materials-8

3.5-Procedures-9

3.6-Experimental Data-9

3.6.1-The Data of Test 1 and Test 2-9

3.6.2-Analysis about the Test 1 and Test 2-10

3.6.3-The Data of Questionnaire-10

4-Analysis of the Data of the Questionnaire-12

5-Results and Discussion-13

5.1-Results-13

5.2-Discussion-13

6-Conclusion-15

6.1-Major Findings-15

6.2-Limitations and Further Research-15

References-17