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1、On Characteristics of English Advertisements 英语广告的特点Abstract: A good translated version of an advertisement will not only best convey the original information, but also reflect the characteristics of the product advertised, attract consumers and lead t hem to produce desire of purchase as well. Howe
2、ver, different features of languages, different cultures and consumer s acceptance determine that the translation of advertisement is far from being easy. This paper studies the characteristics of English advertisements from two perspectives: lexical, syntactical.Key Words: English advertisement; ch
3、aracteristics1. Definition of AdvertisingThe word “advertise” originates from the Latin word “advertere” meaning “to inform somebody of something,” and “to draw attention to something.”Albert Lasker, generally regarded as the father of modern advertising, defined advertising as“salesmanship in print
4、, driven by a reason why.” But Lasker, the owner of Lord&Thomas, espoused that definition around the turn of the 20th, long before the advert of radio and television, when the nature and scope of advertising were pretty limited.Advertising is the non-personal communication of information, usually pa
5、id for and usually persuasive in nature, about products (goods and services) or ideas by identified sponsors through various media.2. Lexical characteristics2.1Using Large Number of Positive Words British linguist G.H.Leech ranks the first twentieth used advertisement positive words:(1)new (2) good/
6、 better/ best (3) free (4) fresh (5) delicious (6) full (7)sure (8)wonderful (9) clean (10) special (11) crisp (12) fine (13) big (14) great (15) real (16) easy (17) bright (18) extra (19) safe (20) richFor examples,(1) Selected materials, fine workmanship, modern designs, reasonable price, various
7、specifications. Orders welcome. (“Aviation” ArtificialLeather Suitcases)用料上乘、做工精细、款式新颖、价格合理、规格齐全, 欢迎选购。(“航空牌”人造革皮箱)(2) Why our special teas make y our precious moments even more precious? (Lipton Tea) 非凡立顿,异样人生。(立顿茶)2.2 The Use of Oral English“The only car in its class” is the Villager autos adverti
8、sement in 1993. And the word class in this sentence is the oral speaking of the meaning of same type.“It gives me clear, plain paper faxes at a price I can afford.” This is the message of Canon duplicate machine. And its structure is daily used, like it give somebody something. All the advertisement
9、 above is in formal words but conveys the information exactly. And we can understand it from its surface.2.3 The Repetition of the Words Vocabulary of duplicate advertisements in English is a common technique, which is mainly used to stress the focus point, express strong feelings and increase the v
10、itality of narration. It can leave the consumers deep impressions. For instance, the famous copier brand Xeroxs advertisement, “We cant Xerox a Xerox on a Xerox.” It is very outstanding for the three times repetition of the same word. In this sentence, the first Xerox means the verb sense “copy”. Th
11、e second one means the noun sense “hard copy”. And the last one means the brand name “Xerox”. This advertisement slogan protrudes the theme, leading to the success of the world-known brand. There are also many other examples, like “A new year, a new career.”(An invitation Ad); “Extra Taste. Not Extr
12、a Calories.” (A food Ad) The repetition of the words new and extra make the advertisement more outstanding. These words show the functions of them directly. 3. Syntactical Characteristics3.1 The use of simple sentence. Advertisement must consist of the least of the layout, the most refined language,
13、 and the most expressing information, which is the most effective way to motivate readers to buy the goods. Therefore, English advertisement adopts simple sentences, and avoids using complex compound sentences. For examples,Cant beat the real feeling!Coca- cola挡不住的诱惑!可口可乐Good to the last drop.Maxwel
14、l House Coffee滴滴香浓,意犹未尽.麦氏咖啡A diamond is forever.de Beers钻石恒久远,一颗永流传.戴比尔斯钻戒Stop in a store near you. Take a look.到你附近的商店停一停, 看一看。Go ahead compare.往前走,比一比。Visit an authorized IBM Personal Computer dealer. (IBM Personal Computer)拜访 IBM 家用电脑指定经销商。(IBM家用电脑)Arthritis?Dont suffer more than you have to. (P
15、fizer)关节炎吗?别再忍受不必要的痛苦。(辉瑞制药) 3.2 The Frequent Use of Imperative Sentence An Imperative Sentence contains a tone of requesting itself, calling on people to do something meaningful. Using it in the advertisement can effectively cater to consumers psychology, to achieve the advertisements purpose. Ther
16、efore, imperative sentences are widely used in the advertisement. For examples,Designed with a computer. Silenced by a laser. Built by a robot. (Volvo)电脑设计, 激光消音,机器人制造。(沃尔沃小汽车)Well tell you the odds before they are out.我们要向您预示未来的结果。Well publish w hat other publications dare not.我们要发表别人不敢发表的东西。Well g
17、ive you inside information you wont find else where. (Time Magazine)我们给您在别的地方找不到的内部消息。(时代周刊)4. Conclusion Generally speaking, most advertisements have their singular qualities which can attract the attentions of the audiences, and set up their own brand-named. And also to attract the audiences attention, the advertisement should be specialized whatever the creation, the form, as well as the sort.References1 Leech, G. H. The Language of Advertisement M.London: Longman, 1966.2 谭载喜.新编奈达论翻译M, 北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,1999.3秦秀白.英语文体学入门M ,长沙:湖南教育出版社, 1986.4贾文波.英汉时文翻译M, 北京:中国对外出版公司，2000
