Page 44 - Translation Journal July 2015
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ure 1. Domesticating and foreignizing strategies applied in translation of advertisements.
All translation strategies have both positive and negative aspects. The domesticating approach is perhaps more appropriate in
marketing and advertising translation. This strategy may encourage customers to purchase goods of certain brands. Therefore, in
the translation process, the translator should take into account the target culture, and make alterations so as to make the translation
intelligible. In other words, translators should clarify the differences between their own culture and the target language culture by
consensus (Zhang & Li, 2012).
IV. Conclusion
In many cases, translation of advertisements seems to be a challenge in a specific culture and in a religious country. The paramount
tasks of translator are to eliminate cultural and ideological contradictions, and to facilitate communication in reading and understanding
a text. The present paper tries to elaborate on the translation techniques and strategies applied in rendering English advertisements
into Farsi. Based on the obtained results and data analysis, English advertisements were mostly translated into Farsi based on
Iranian translators’ cultural filters and/or backgrounds, in order to have impacts that are more impressive and effective on the religious
consumers of a specific culture in Iran.
Due to certain cultural and ideological filters present in Iran, domesticating translation strategies can be more appropriate
in marketing and advertising translation. In many cases, one may conclude that most of the translators were restricted or even
suppressed by their own cultural filters, in the Farsi language, or the Islamic culture of Iran. Therefore, translators were applying mostly
domesticating strategies. “There are various restrictions for advertising, including people’s habits and customs, religion and beliefs,
morals and ethics, laws in the target place, and linguistic or stylistic requirement” (Cui, 2009). It is worth noting that foreignizing
translation strategies were used due to lack of time and interest, and lack of enough effective knowledge, expertise, and even creativity.
44 | Translation Journal - July 2015
All translation strategies have both positive and negative aspects. The domesticating approach is perhaps more appropriate in
marketing and advertising translation. This strategy may encourage customers to purchase goods of certain brands. Therefore, in
the translation process, the translator should take into account the target culture, and make alterations so as to make the translation
intelligible. In other words, translators should clarify the differences between their own culture and the target language culture by
consensus (Zhang & Li, 2012).
IV. Conclusion
In many cases, translation of advertisements seems to be a challenge in a specific culture and in a religious country. The paramount
tasks of translator are to eliminate cultural and ideological contradictions, and to facilitate communication in reading and understanding
a text. The present paper tries to elaborate on the translation techniques and strategies applied in rendering English advertisements
into Farsi. Based on the obtained results and data analysis, English advertisements were mostly translated into Farsi based on
Iranian translators’ cultural filters and/or backgrounds, in order to have impacts that are more impressive and effective on the religious
consumers of a specific culture in Iran.
Due to certain cultural and ideological filters present in Iran, domesticating translation strategies can be more appropriate
in marketing and advertising translation. In many cases, one may conclude that most of the translators were restricted or even
suppressed by their own cultural filters, in the Farsi language, or the Islamic culture of Iran. Therefore, translators were applying mostly
domesticating strategies. “There are various restrictions for advertising, including people’s habits and customs, religion and beliefs,
morals and ethics, laws in the target place, and linguistic or stylistic requirement” (Cui, 2009). It is worth noting that foreignizing
translation strategies were used due to lack of time and interest, and lack of enough effective knowledge, expertise, and even creativity.
44 | Translation Journal - July 2015
