Post on 02-Jan-2016
transcript
Practical information
Get the photocopies at the copy shop. More material will be posted on my
web page. Make sure you always keep track of
what we do in class (and what you are supposed to do in between classes)
Aims and topics
In this course we will be looking at promotional texts, mainlyadvertisements (released through different communicative channels).
The texts we will be working on shall display different characteristics,but they all share a persuasive purpose and their translation isproduced and assessed in functional terms.
This means the main issue in the translation of promotional texts is not the faithful transfer of content, but the achievement of an intended effect on an intended target group.
By the way…
What is an advert? A university prospectus A political manifesto A film trailer A “speed limit” road sign A manufacturer’s label sewn on the outside of
clothes A shop name on a carrier bag A T-shirt with a slogan on it (e.g. “time to party”) A poster in the grounds of a church, with “Jesus
Lives” written on it
Advertising: goals
Level of communication Attract attention Give “selected” information on product/service Win support to message content Elicit emotional response
Level of purchase Move instinct / activate desire to buy Build a reputation for the product / make it well-
known
What’s in an advert
Advertisements/adverts/ads are made of:
Art (images, graphics, formatting...) Visual Packshot Logo
Copy (verbal text) Headline Bodycopy Payoff
What this course aims at:professional profiles
Freelance or in-house translators Copywriters at advertising agencies Sales/Marketing/PR staff at public or
private companies (from the multinational to the local level)
…and the rest? (development of “private” skills eg writing CVs, understanding ads)
Professional practice
Why advertising translators aren’t “just” translators: non-linguistic skills
E.g.:
Semiotic Cultural Legal Creative (copywriting)
(is translation ever a merely linguistic act?)
General issues - 1
Accuracy and “loyalty” to the original text
Functional view: the (translated) promotional text must “work”, not necessarily be “accurate” or “faithful”. The degree of loyalty is normally proportional to the amount of factual information conveyed (i.e. the translation of a CV is usually more faithful to the original than that of an advertisement).
General issues - 2
Accuracy and “loyalty” to the original text Local commercial needs (i.e. loyalty to the
purpose of the promotional text) are more important than accuracy in rendition (i.e. loyalty to the content and form of the original ad). See Example 1.
Clients may have hidden agendas, i.e. their own, unspoken priorities which influence their perceptions of what “works” and of their “needs”. See example 2.