Abstract and Key Words

Abstract: This thesis aims to study the translation strategies of pun in advertising English on the basis of Nida’s functional equivalence. It is a theory laying stress on the target reader’s response the same with the source reader and the transition of culture in the translation version. Advertising English is a kind of persuasive language, through which puns are commonly used. Punning is a concise way to express humor and wit, making the advertising English more readable, memorable and attractive. As to translatability of pun, which is a controversy for a long time in translation field, there’s also a detailed analysis. Language and culture barriers are referred to the difficulties of translation of pun. The paper also gives the definition and classification of the pun.

Key words: advertising English; pun; functional equivalence; translation strategies

摘要：本文旨在根据Nida的功能对等理论讨论广告英语中双关的翻译策略，Nida的功能理论强调译文读者对译文信息的反应与原文读者对原文信息的反应基本一致，同时强调翻译要传递文化内涵。广告英语是一种劝说性语言，双关在广告英语中被广泛运用，它以一种简洁的方式表达幽默和诙谐，使广告英语更具可读性，更容易记忆，更加具有吸引力。对于翻译界争论不休的双关的可译性问题，本文也给出了较为详细的分析。语言和文化障碍是双关翻译中的两个难点。另外，有关双关的定义和分类，本文也对其作了一定的陈述。

关键词：广告英语；双关；功能对等；翻译策略

1．Introduction
Advertising English is a kind of language that is very concise and persuasive, and it always implies something. It lays stress on rhetorical devices, among which, pun is the commonest used one. In the advertisement, to pun is to catch consumers’ eyes and hold their attention due to its humorous, economical, thought-provoking and aesthetic effects. As to translation, puns are usually considered to be untranslatable due to the language and culture divergences. Therefore, the traditional translation which focuses on the faithfulness and formal equivalence is no longer suitable. Luckily, it turns out that Nida’s functional equivalence offers a good solution to translating puns in advertisement English since it puts emphasis on “readers’ response”.  According to this theory, the thesis puts forward four specific strategies to translate puns in advertising English. They are from pun to pun, preserving both meanings, preserving one layer of meaning and compensation. Each of one will be analyzed in details in this thesis.