Applying Relevance Theory in Advertisement Translation: A Particular Look into Electronic Product Advertisement

Abstract

Competition among different electronic product manufacturers has become increasingly fierce, and advertisement translation now significantly influences both product sales and brand image. Relevance Theory, situated within the realm of cognitive pragmatics, demonstrates great compatibility with translation and proves to be effectively applicable. Viewing electronic product advertisement translation through the lens of Relevance Theory, this study regards it as “ostensive-inferential” communication. This study analyzes the advertisement translation of some renowned foreign electronic products and the translation strategies employed. It points out that translators must consider the cognitive environment of target language readers and flexibly adopt translation strategies to help them recognize advertiser’s communicative intention with minimal referencing effort and achieve contextual effects, and concludes that the key to successful translation lies in whether the translation aligns with the principle of optimal relevance.