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e cultural differences on advertising translation between English and Chinese. At last, this thesis suggests the principles and strategies of advertisement translation. At the same time, this thesis will use the research methods of examples, quotation and comparisons to discover the influence of western and Chinese cultural differences on advertising translation.

This thesis embarks on three deep-rooted aspects of cultural differences before offering the principles on the cross-cultural advertising translation. Then this thesis suggests the fundamental strategies for handling the three aspects of cultural differences. All this aims to achieve an ideal state that those who have read it will be well aware of cultural differences in advertising translation and acquire the ability to take up specific advertising translation between English and Chinese.

Wang Zuoliang said “… translator must be the intellectual.” [1]In other word, he must master two languages at least. But if a person cannot understand social culture of the language, he can never really be familiar with the language. Different countries have different cultures and people

from different cultural backgrounds may interpret the same information of language differently. Therefore, the advertising translation is involved in cross-cultural differences, which becomes extensive and complex problems. Nowadays, many researchers have a deeply probing to the advertising language, such as, language characteristics, translation methods, etc. But in the background of international globalization, the study of cross-cultural advertising translation for products from all over the world has the profound significance.

The word “advertising” has several different, professional meanings. But the word originates from the Latin “advertere”, meaning basically “to warn or to call attention to”. In Middle English period, the word evolved into “advertise”, with the meaning as “to call the public’s attention to things for sale or rent ,help wanted, etc., as by printed notices and by sponsor concerning advertising.”

Encyclopedia Britannia regards advertising as “the techniques used to bring products, services, opinions, or causes to public notice to the purpose of persuading the public to respond in a certain way toward what is advertised.” [2]

Advertising, in a broad sense, includes both profitable commercial advertisements and non-profitable public service advertisements and notices. In a narrow sense, according to the American Marketing Association, advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. [3]Advertising refers to “The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media.” in American Heritage Dictionary. [4]

Song Yushu claims that advertising is a form of cultural category, which stresses the close relationship between advertising and culture. [7] Jing Huikang thought that a special language, an indispensible and the most essential part of culture, is the carrier of culture and implies the way of thinking, values, customs, etc. [8] Therefore, advertising translation is regarded as a cross-cultural communication, by which det