Abstract

Mobile applications markets with app stores have created a new definition of selling and grown rapidly in a very short time. This rapid growing market has led to 500 million App Store users in 155 countries downloading about 40 billion apps. 

    The Chinese App market is extremely important. China has one-fifth of the world’s entire population and is a fast-growing economy in the world, which is predicted to be the largest in terms of purchasing power in the first quarter of the century. The size and growth of this market offers great opportunities for a variety of businesses, including, of course, the App market. But different cultures and languages pose difficulties for this special kind of product to be accepted.

    Especially, Verschueren (1999) presents that language use is the continuous making of linguistic choices. Three key notions are needed to make sense of the process: Variability, Negotiability and Adaptability. The general concern is to understand the meaningful functioning of language as a dynamic process operating on context-structure relationships at various levels of salience. This is the theoretical basis of this thesis. 

    This research investigates the effects of translation of foreign apps in Apple’s App store to explore the best alternative of giving a translated name to an app launching in China on a cross-cultured base. Also, the factors that influence this process will be discussed. This study helps explore the role of adaptation theory in the translation of foreign brand names, or in other words, of foreign apps in Apple’s App Store.

Key words: E-C translation, adaptation theory, app names

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.2 Research Objective-1

1.3 Thesis Structure-1

Chapter 2 Literature Review-2

2.1 Previous Study on Brand Name Translation-2

2.1.1 Perspectives on the Study of Brand Name Translation-2

2.1.2 Factors Impacting the Brand Name Translation-3

2.1.3 Translation Methods in Previous Studies-3

2.1.4 Evaluation on Previous Studies-4

2.2 An Overview of Apple’s App Store in China-4

Chapter3 Theoretical Framework-6

3.1 Verschueren’s Pragmatics and Adaptation Theory-6

3.1.1 The Theoretical Sources-6

3.1.2 An Overview of Verschueren’s Ideas-6

3.2 Adaptation Theory and the Three Key Notions-7

3.3 Four Pragmatic Approaches to Language Use-8

3.3.1 The First Approach-8

3.3.2 The Second Approach-8

3.3.3 The Third Approach-8

3.3.4 The Fourth Approach-8

3.4 The Applicability of Adaption Theory to Brand Name Translation-9

Chapter 4 Translation of App Names in App Store: An Analysis-10

    4.1 Methods of the Translation of App Names in App Store-10

4.1.1 Free Translation-11

4.1.2 Literal Translation-12

4.1.3 Zero Translation-13

4.2 Adaptation Theory in App Name Translation-14

4.2.1 Influence of Three Key Notions-14

4.2.2 Adaptation to Target Language-15

4.2.3 Adaptation to Cultural Background-16

4.2.4 Adaptation to Target Audience-16

4.3 The Translation Model-17

4.3.1 Translation Rule-17

4.3.2 The Translators’ Intention-17

4.3.3 The Translation Model\Process-18

Chapter 5 Conclusion-19

5.1 Major Findings of The Study-19

5.2 Limitations and Further Suggestions-20

References-21

文献综述报告-23