Linguistic Strategies for Western Cosmetic Brand Translation in China

Abstract

Based on an aim-adaptation approach, this article investigates the linguistic strategies used by 126 western cosmetic brands in their Chinese renaming. Firstly, the linguistic features of the original English brand names and the translated Chinese names are summarized and compared. Secondly, the specific features reflected in the translating process are summarized. Our analysis shows that adaptations from phonetic, lexical and semantic components of the name should be adopted to meet the aims and needs of the cosmetic brand and its customers.