The Literal Translation of English Advertising Slogans into Arabic and the Loss of the Originally Intended Effects

Abstract

In the context of standardized advertising, importers are usually required to maintain the same meaning of the source advertising slogan to preserve the originally intended effects. Translators may either transfer the original advertising slogan into the target advertisement or literally translate it into the target language. The problem with literal translation is that the original advertising slogan has originally been intended for target customers who speak a different language and belong to a different culture. The paper attempts to explain how the literal translation of English advertising slogans into Arabic can lead to a loss of the originally intended effects.