Comparing
Catalogues
Kristin Graf
Translation Workshop
SS 2003
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Content:
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Introduction
German vs. English advertising
Translation strategies
Phonological aspects
Semantic aspects
Syntactic aspects
Pragmatic aspects
Other aspects
Stilistics
References
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Introduction
• Globalization of advertisement can only be successful if
the local market and its culture is respected
 therefore one concept for all markets is almost impossible
 advertisement is supposed to reflect the local culture (e.g. bed
sizes; measuring)
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Introduction
• The IKEA catalog is the print medium with the highest circulation
of the world (24 mil.); it is issued in 30 countries
• English translation of the catalog is not universal for all english
speaking countries: it has to be modified for GB, USA, CAN,AUS
as well as the German for CH, AU
• the Source Text (ST) for the English catalog is in Swedish; for the
German it is an English ST
• IKEA has translation agencies in each country which are assisted
by culture specialists and market researchers
• Basic assortment stays the same and is added by national
preferences
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English advertisement
• contains direct affective consumer appeals
(e.g.We know your children will be thrilled with their IKEA
bedroom)
• is primarily humorous, entertaining and
emotive (e.g. Disaprove the chaos theory)
• is low on information, understandability and
credibility
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German advertisement
• focuses on information, incl. More details
which are not available to the Englishspeaking consumers
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German advertisement
• is less humorous, although entertaining in
an emotional way
• is reasonably informative
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Translation strategies
• Straight translation: fails to adjust to the
cultural demands (only for passages that are
not culture specific, e.g. IKEA policies)
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Translation strategies
• Adaption: keep visuals, change text slightly
or significantly (GB-D)
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Translation strategies
• Revision: keep visuals, write new text
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Translation strategies
•Substitution: new visuals, new text
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Phonological aspects
• Not significant in written texts
 No translation of Swedish
product names although
phonological difficulties for
English speaking customers
(e.g.: Granås) or negative
connotations (e.g. Gudvik –
product name for a bed)
 Swedish accent in TV spots
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Semantic aspects
• Prototype semantic:
– thinking in categories/typical association
Is used contrarily (Stop thinking in categories –
„Entdecke die Möglichkeiten“): e.g.
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Prototype semantic
(furniture does not match the typical
categories of chair/wardrobe/etc.)
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Prototype semantic
 „bedroom“ in German associated with „Schlafzimmer“
(room+bed); in English this term is often used to
describe the size of real estates (3-bedroom house)
 therefore it can also be translated as „Kinderzimmer“
or „Zimmer“
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Syntactic aspects
• Cultural specific usage preferences: e.g. gerund,
Genitiv (children‘s IKEA vs. IKEA Kinderwelt)
demonstrative pronouns (unter diesem stabilen
Bett vs. underneath a bed)
• Word order: (Living with 2 children on 55 m2 can be a
challenge. vs. Mit 2 Kindern auf 55 m2 Wohnfläche zu
leben, ist eine echte Herausforderung.)
• Articles, tenses , voice, gender, preposition, etc. differ
too
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Pragmatic aspects
• Skopos (Gerichtetheit) of the text: same
skopos same audience, just different
languages
• Text function: communicative (informative
+ persuative ) appelativ (buy!) focused
• Text type: advertisement
• Register: neutral – colloquial (e.g. comfy
vs. comfortable)
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Other aspects
• Dialects/Sociolects: AmE/BrE/CanE/AusE
• Politeness: direct requests (Give them...!
Stop thinking...!) can be impolite
• High/low context cultures: detremines the
amount of detailed information
• Layout (blue/yellow = Sweden)
• Go Cubic (GB), Think cubic (USA), Live
cubic (D)
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Stilistics
• Metaphors: kinderleicht
• Idioms: - it‘s the stuff that dreams are made
of
» mighty oaks from little acorns grow
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Stilistics
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References:
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Albrecht, J. (1973): Linguistik und Übersetzung. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag.
Bell, R.T. (1991): Translation and Translating. New York: Longman Group UK Ltd.
Herbrechter, S. (2002): Critical Studies. Cultural Studies, Interdisciplinarity and
Translation. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi.
Smith/Klein-Braley: Advertising – A five-stage strategy for translation. In: SnellHornby/Jettmarová/Kaindl (1995): Translation as Intercultural Communication.
Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Snell-Hornby/Hönig/Kußmaul/Schmitt (1998): Handbuch Translation. Tübingen:
Stauffenburg Verlag Brigitte Narr GmbH.
Sorvali,I. (1996): Translation Studies in a New Perspective. Frankfurt/M: P.Lang
GmbH.
Robinson,D. (1997): What is translation? Kent/Ohio: The Kent State University Press.
Witte, H. (1998): Die Kulturkompetenz des Translators. Tübingen: Stauffenburg Verlag
Brigitte Narr GmbH.
Venuti, L. (1992): Rethinking translation. London/New York: Routledge.
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