Translation of Stylistic Lexical Devices of English Advertising Slogans into Ukrainian

Abstract

Abstract. This article presents an analysis of stylistic lexical devices in the process of creating advertising slogans and the ways of their translation into Ukrainian. There is no unified definition of the advertising slogan In the scientific literature, therefore the article defines the essence of advertising slogans in the context of marketing communication. The main functions of the advertising slogans are to influence customers and communicate with them. Advertisement and advertising slogans are such a way of this communication, so there is a need to translate commercials. In the article, we have studied the use of stylistic devices in advertising slogans and the ways of their translation.

The purpose of the study is to describe stylistic devices in advertising slogans from the viewpoint of primary and connotative meanings and consider the peculiarities of conveying them in Ukrainian.

Results of research. The notion of advertising slogan has become the subject of discussion in many fields of science such as psychology, linguistics, and marketing. It is one of the most important components of the structure of advertising text. Different scientists give different explanations for this phenomenon, so it is possible to define an advertisement slogan as a short, independently existing stand-alone advertising message that is used to attract customers’ attention to a product or service. To create an advertisement slogan diverse stylistic devices are used. They add the emotional component and help to attract the potential buyers’ attention. Connotative words are lexical units, characterized by the ability to evoke special stylistic impression. Metaphor, epithet, metonymy, repetition, zeugma, hyperbole and occasionalisms can be attributed to connotative words.

The use of stylistic devices helps to liven up, animate the advertisement slogans, but their overuse can also lead to negative consequences, such as distorted advertising image, broken style, neutralization of stylistic effect. In addition to the relevance of applying the stylistic devices there is a problem of their translation. Translation of advertising slogans is complicated by the fact that connotative words contain both stylistic, and socio-cultural concepts that can exist mostly in the original language and are not easy to convey adequately or fully in translation.

Advertisement slogans are characterized by the use of epithets, alliteration, anaphora, epistrophe and phonetic repetition, that do not cause great difficulties in translation into Ukrainian. The most difficult test for a translator in translating slogans is metaphor – one of the most frequent stylistic devices. For adequate translation the translator needs to make certain transformations and take into account the socio-cultural aspects of potential consumers.

Conclusion. Stylistic devices are used to give expressiveness to advertising slogans, which can create problems when translated into Ukrainian. The translator can either save the reception of the original or create his/her own compensatory stylistic device with a similar emotional effect. The translator should know not only how to translate this or that stylistic device, but also to predict the reaction of consumers to the advertising slogan. Advertising slogans have a great psychological impact on people, so they should be understandable and comprehensive.