On Puns Translation in English Advertisements

WANG Yan CHEN Shengli

Juheng Road Primary School,Yancheng,224002,China

Yancheng Teachers University,Yancheng,224002,China

[Abstract] Puns are the most commonly used rhetorical devices in advertisements.In the research of advertising language translation,previous translation theories have placed great emphasis on the comparison and correspondence between the translated text and the original text,and have only focused on the translation of puns in advertising from the perspective of language which usually leads to the versions being limited to simple formal equivalence.This article explores the pun translation in advertising based on Nida's functional equivalence with the following findings:the methods of division,imitation,omission,and compensation are more effective.

[Keywords] advertising;pun translation;functional equivalence

Ⅰ.A General View of Puns

The pun,also called paronomasia.It is a kind of word game that indicates two or more meanings,by means of making use of various meanings of words,or of similar-sounding words,for a particular humorous or a specific rhetorical effect.

Puns can be used as a rhetorical device,in which the pun serves as a persuasive instrument for a speaker or an author.Although puns are often regarded as cliché,if a pun can be used appropriately,it can be a very effective communication tool in a variety of forms and situations(Junker,2013).

Ⅱ.The Classification of Puns in Advertising English

Puns in English can be classified into several types:homo-phonic pun,homo-graphic pun,grammatical pun and idiomatic pun,which are widely adopted and commonly accepted in English advertisements.

1.Homo-phonic pun

The homo-phonic pun:“Homo-phonic pun is composed of several words which have some similar spellings,close,or even same pronunciation.” The copywriter prefers to use the homo-phonic pun for its humor,witness,and interest,which intensify the sense of the persuasion and impression,so that the customers will be impressed deeply.

(1)More sun and air for your son and heir.

这里有充足的阳光，清新的空气，一切为了您的子孙后代。(项成东,1996)

This advertisement is produced for a bathing beach.In this advertisement,the copywriter uses the two pairs of homo-phonic words “-sun,-son,-air,heir” appropriately which not only make the language pleasing in sound and joyful in reading,but make this advertisement filled with humor,fun and charisma.It is easy to touch the parents’ hearts,aiming to attract the various holiday makers to this bathing beach.

(2)Trust us.Over 5000 ears of experience.

相信我们吧。历经多只耳朵的检验，有着多年的经验。(单祝堂,1999)

This advertisement is for the dentiphone.Its bright and unique language form shapes the pun which reinforces the attraction of the advertisement.Literally,it demonstrates that this product has experienced the tests of massive customers,but between the lines it embodies a pair of phonogram,fully suggesting that it has profound history and high quality which is old and trial.Many advertisements make an issue of the title of the commodity brand.The pun of the brand title can add the enjoyment and the sense of humor to the advertisements.More importantly,the brand title can draw the attention of people and are easy to remember,增加宣传攻势力度in order to achieve the goal of advertising.

(3)WEAR-EVER introduces a new concept in glass oven ware:Cleanabiliy.

“恒久”玻璃炉具带给您一个全新的概念：洁净。(项成东,1996)

The manufacturers uses features of the brand “WEAR-EVER” — polysemy — to promote its products.On one hand,WEAR-EVER is the title of the brand.On the other hand,this word has another meaning:wear forever can reflect the durability of this product,and where shows the popularity.This advertisement promotes this product all the round,arouse the desire of the customers to purchase which certainly is persuasive.

(4)Forget hot taste.Only Kool with pure menthol has the taste of extra coolness.Come up to Kool.

忘掉辛辣的感觉。只有“酷”牌，纯正的薄荷口味带给你特别清凉的感受。想“酷”你就来。(米春 贾德江,2009)

This advertisement is for cigarette named Kool.Kool and cool have the similar pronunciation,so it is also a pun.It is the brand of the cigarette and the feeling of coolness.This feeling shapes sharp contrast with the first sentence “hot taste”,which is bound to stimulate the customers to buy.

2.Homo-graphic pun

The homo-graphic pun:it has the wonder of using different approaches to achieve equally satisfactory results with homo-phonic pun.

(5)The label of achievements.

Black Label commands more respects.

酒是功成名就的标志。黑色标志使您更显尊贵。(孟琳 詹晶辉,2001)

homo-graphic pun is used in the titles of brands.It is an advertisement for whiskey.Label has two different meanings;one is for the brand —— Black Label.It uses the pun to remind people that when they are successful,the alcohol suits them.At the same time,using the title to form the pun is easy for the customers to remember in order to attract their attention.

(6)Spoil yourself and not your figure.

尽情大吃。不增体重。

This advertisement is for the title of Weigh-Watcher ice cream.This ice cream is made for dieter.Pun is embodied in the title,the “spoil” in the title is also a pun.spoil oneself means to enjoy oneself to the full.And spoil one’s figure means to destroy the body.This advertisement make the dieter accept it naturally in the humorous atmosphere by using pun and it also make people want to buy it.

(7)A deal with us means a good deal to you.

和我们做买卖意味着您做了一笔好买卖。

The beauty of this sentence is taking advantage of deal which has three meanings perfectly.“make business” “a good business” and “a lot of” makes a perfect pun.

3.Grammatical pun

The grammatical pun is created because of the issues about grammar,including the elliptical constructions,or words or phrases which have over two grammatical functions.

(8)Which larger can claim to be truly German?

This can.(a tin of beer beside)

哪种大罐啤酒可称得上是地道的德国货这罐。

It is an advertisement single ale.The “can” in the sentence can used as the modal verb or beverage can as a noun.Because of the pun in can and the brand title “larger”,as well as the use of illustration,it creates a sense of humor to make the customers impressive.It happens that there is a similar case in Coca-Cola company which also makes an issue of the word can.

(9)Coke refreshes you like no other can.

没有什么能像可乐那样令您神清气爽。

The word “can” can be regarded either as a noun “tin” or the modal verb” be able to”.The whole sentence means Coke refreshes you like no other(can:tin,drink)can(refresh you).This advertisement is full of wit and wisdom,and the language is filled with humor.Both the advertisement and the product can impress the customers.

4.Idiomatic pun

The idiomatic pun:Advertising language is especially good at using some quotes from people who are familiar with the idioms or sayings.These ads are based on human’s original society and cultural knowledge which Form a pun in a distinct and unique language.It not only enhances the advertising appeal,but also reflects the art of advertising language,even more the ads have a memorable overtone.

(10)You’ll go nuts for the nuts you get in Nux.(崔刚,1993)

纳克斯坚果让你爱不释口。

From the literal meaning of advertisement,“go nuts” means “去买坚果”.But it is also an idiom with the meaning of “疯狂，发疯”.The use of puns shows that Nakas Brand Nuts’ attraction to people is irresistible.

(11)A Mars a day keeps you work,rest and play.

一天一块玛斯巧克力，让您工作像工作，娱乐像娱乐。

The ad makes people think of two very familiar idioms:“An apple a day keeps the doctors away.” and “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.The advertisement not only uses the mode of language,but also quote the content of the two idioms.It makes people get a new judgment from the familiar idiom that Thomas chocolate can not only make people healthy,but also let people full of energy at work while fully relax at rest.

Ⅲ.Nida’s Functional Equivalence

The theory named “functional equivalence" developed by Eugene A.Nida,who was a linguist,has influenced many scholars a lot.Different from the traditional translation theories,which pursue the correspondence between the source language and target language,Nida’s theory emphasize more on the ideal translation and reader’s response.

In Nida’s view,under the dynamic equivalent translation standard,a receptor language and culture are needed to make the translated message accessible and natural to the readers.Functional equivalence was designed to complete the most natural expression,and attempts to establish relationship between the receptor to modes of behavior relevant and the culture behind the context.

In short,“functional equivalence” doesn’t mean a comparison of lexical meanings,grammatical clauses and rhetorical devices;but of the same feelings between the readers of both source language and target language(similar in spirit,or a range of adequacy—not completely equivalent,only in terms of proximity and closeness).

Ⅳ.Translation Methods for Puns in Advertising English

Advertising language is a kind of refined,implicit,expressive and encouraging language.Puns is the expression of double meanings and there are insurmountable barriers to translation in the language structure and expression.Therefore,the translation of puns in English advertisements should be based on the content and characteristics of the advertisement,also choose the proper way of Chinese expression to ensure that it should fully take care of the original style of the original text,but also try to convey the original information.To adopt the dialectical method of translation,reduce the loss of the amount of information in the translation of puns as far as possible and enhance advertising style characteristics,all above make the translation of puns in English advertisements possible.

1.Division

If you want to put the double meaning of puns in the translation,except in the case of bilingual coupling,in addition to adopt Division,“you can also adopt adaptation to strip off puns meaning and split into two layers to express”.

(1)The Unique Spirit of Canada.

别具风味的加拿大酒，独特的加拿大精神。

In this Canadian wine advertisement,the word spirit is a vivid work.It can be explained as “烈性酒”,also can be used as a “精神”.In order to preserve the double meaning,we can open the double semantic and translate it as “别具风味的加拿大酒，独特的加拿大精神”

(2)I’m more satisfied.

Ask for more.

摩尔香烟，我更满意

再来一支，还吸摩尔。(崔刚,1993)

This is the two set of a model of a pun in the advertising language in More Cigarette.They use the word "more" in a clever way:it is an adverb means “more”,after capitalized,it becomes a brand name.These two advertisements make it easy to remember a commodity brand and the same time give people an impression that “the product is superior to similar products and it can make consumers more satisfied”.Translations are:“摩尔香烟，我更满意”；“再来一支，还吸摩尔”。The pun meaning is divided into two layers to describe separately in the translation.And four-word structure makes it easy to read.It is worth pointing out that although this translation method preserves the double meaning of a pun,the concise of the original text,a groovy witty charm and two words meaning is lost.

2.Imitation

Puns in some advertisements are based on specific cultural background.The spreading of English language and culture in Chinese can be a bridge to the bilateral translation.Imitation uses the natural modes to translate.

(3)All is well that ends well.

烟蒂好，烟就好。

This advertisement is actually an English idiom which means that if the ending is well that all is well.However,the advertisement producer applies it to the cigarette so that the word “end” has two meanings.As a verb,it means end while as a noun it means cigarette butt.According to its original pattern,this cigarette advertisement can be translated into “All is well that ends well”.

(4)Better late than the late.

晚了总比完了好。(吴然菊,2008)

“Better late than the late” is from the idiom “Better late than ever”.It uses perfectly not only because quote the structure of this idiom but also take full advantage of the pun in the word “late”.The word “late” means “the dead”.Using the pun adds the powerful effects to this traffic public service advertisement.Therefore,the advertisement can be translated into “晚了总比完了好”.

(5)We take no pride in prejudice.

对于您的偏见，我们没有傲慢。

This sentence is used as an advertisement for The Times.It comes from the Austin’s masterpiece “Pride and Prejudice”.Citing the title as their advertisement is to prove that they are impartial and upholding the justice.It can be translated into “We take no pride in prejudice”.For those who known this work “Pride and Prejudice”,it’s self-evident for them to understand the connotation of the pun.

The advantages of Imitation lie in conveying the cultural connotation of the advertisement as well as assuring the language concise and terse.However,if the pun can’t be fully shown,the translation will lose the elements of interesting,clever and humorous.

(6)Where there is the way,there is a Toyota.

车到山前必有路，有路必有丰田车。

This advertisement is world-renowned.Its success is due to the parody of the wellknown proverb “Where there is a will,there is a way”.Therefore,the consumers are diffi-cult to forget this advertisement.Consumers can draw a conclusion from this advertisement that the Toyota which has good quality is popular among people.We can imitate this proverb to translate this advertisement,which is “Where is the way,there is a Toyota”.Due to the purpose and types of the advertisement,the standard of translation should be focused on context and culture.It must be a good translation as long as it is equivalent to the context and culture as well as have the same effect of the context.This advertisement uses the Imitation skillfully,achieving the effect that the source language is equal to the target language in the aspect of culture and context.It’s also famous in China.

3.Omission

Sometimes the ingenuous representation of puns is hard to express in advertisement so that we have no choice but to remove its formal meaning,homo-phonic allusion and the implied moods,especially in some advertisements which have the multi group puns and one word with different meanings.Therefore,we adopt Omission to maintain the conceptual meaning.

(7)The driver is safer when the road is dry;

The driver is safer when the driver is dry.

路面干燥，司机安全；

司机清醒，道路安全。

This advertisement is to propagandize the traffic safety.The word “dry” is a pun.One meaning is “dry” and the other is “without drinking”.This advertisement gives a wake-up call to the drivers.When we translate it,we only use one meaning in one sentence.

(8)When the wind has a bite…and you feel like a bite…the bite on a whole Nut.

当寒风刺骨而您又想吃点什么的时候，请嚼嚼全营养坚果。

The word “bite” has several meanings:prickling,food and snapping.It vividly expresses the feeling which whole Nut gives to the people suffering the hungry and cold through the multiple meanings.This translation can present different meanings within a word respectively.

4.Compensation

Most of the pun in advertisement can be translated by Omission.However,sometimes the second meaning can’t be translated after translating the first although they are both important.According to this,we can use some compensatory methods which refer to the advertising media,including the television images,the broadcast sounds and the newspaper designs.

(9)OIC

哇，我看见了。

This is an advertisement about glasses.The shape of this three capitalized letters looks like glasses.It means “Oh,I see”.It uses the visual language to attract the consumers’ attention.What’s more,by using the auditory language,it cheers the poor-eyesight consumers.Nevertheless,the translation can’t give considerations to visual and auditory language so that It is translated into “Oh,I see” from auditory aspect.The visual aspect can be translated by the shape which the three letters formed though using advertising media.

Ⅴ.Conclusion

English advertisements have a very important role in our daily life and today’s commercial trades.As China makes economic communication and co-operations with the outside world more and more frequently,the pun translation of English advertisements becomes more and more significant to Chinese customers.However,as a special type of text that containssome message,it is even more difficult to translate when included some rhetorical devices,for example puns.

Based on Nida’s functional equivalence,the author puts forward five methods for puns translation,including preservation,division,imitation,omission,and compensation in a hopeto make a little contribution to the study in this area.