Quick Translation?

[Hobbes828]

At work I am supposed to correct some marketing materials and a big slogan here is this:

强强联手 共谱华章

which they have previously translated in materials as:

"Win-win co-operation, Writing Glorious Chapters Together"

Basically, I'm looking for something a little catchy/marketing-ish that holds to a similar translation without needing to be too literal.

Thanks for any help

[creamyhorror]

A partnership of strength, a story of excellence?

[Hobbes828]

I like it.. definitely a possibility...

On an unrelated note, are Wordpress blogs down for the rest of you guys today? Not surprising based on the Google stuff, but ironic considering this headline from Shanghai Daily:

"China has open invite for global Net firms"

- China's Internet was open and welcomed international companies

[Kenny同志]

强强联手 共谱华章

How about

Our partnership will compose a glorious chapter.

[Hobbes828]

Yeah my job is more about marketing and BSing then it is about translating, which is probably a good thing since I can BS better than I can accurately translate

Strong Partnerships Composing Stories of Excellence

is what I'm going with as of now... I'd almost prefer getting rid of the 2nd part and using something simpler... accuracy is of low importance, having the same catchiness and feeling as the Chinese is what they want.

By the way I just asked about this one since it is their motto for 2009 (2010?) and is therefore a little more important.... basically phrases like this throughout Chinese marketing are what make my job funny/frustrating.

p.s. I was thinking Strong Partnerships, Excellent Stories -- except that excellent stories reminds me less of success and more of Bill and Ted

Edited January 15, 2010 at 07:26 AM by Hobbes828
addition

[Kenny同志]

basically phrases like this throughout Chinese marketing are what make my job funny/frustrating.

touche! Many of the slogans have been used too often and therefore degenerates into cliches. And there are many others that are simply too long or boring. They fail themselves.

[Kenny同志]

p.s. I was thinking Strong Partnerships, Excellent Stories -- except that excellent stories reminds me less of success and more of Bill and Ted

I think this version

Strong Partnerships Composing Stories of Excellence

is good enough.

[Hobbes828]

Good enough is no fun

I have decided to leave poetical fairyland and now I'm deciding between:

Strong Partnerships Result In Excellence

or

Strong Partnerships Bring Excellent Results

with a slight leaning toward the first.

[Kenny同志]

Strong Partnerships Result In Excellence

How about

Strong Partnerships Promise Excellence

[Hobbes828]

I like it, definitely better to have one word than "result in"

The only issue with Promise is that there is the potential for not delivering... which made me think:

Strong Partnerships Deliver Excellence

Thanks for keeping the creative juices flowing... I've translated the rest of the material (albeit less thoroughly), so this might have to be the final.... though i have no doubt you or others could keep improving it!

[Kenny同志]

The only issue with Promise is that there is the potential for not delivering

You have a point there. The final version is better.

[creamyhorror]

I'm going to spoil the party by saying I think the last few lack marketing fizz

[Lu]

I like the last version. 'Strong Partnerships Result In Excellence' and 'Strong Partnerships Bring Excellent Results' look a bit too obvious to me as statements.

The problem with such things, I think, is that Chinese slogans just look very different from English ones. When translated they sound extremely cheesy, although apparently they work just fine in Chinese. One wonders what English slogans translated to Chinese look like to Chinese people.

[Kenny同志]

A good translation entails that it sounds natural in the receptor language. In such circumstances, it is not what many people call "translation" any more, it is rewriting, and indeed, this is the REAL TRANSLATION. For example, the advertisement “Good to the last drop” is rendered into Chinese as 滴滴香浓, rather than 最后一滴都好喝，or 好喝到最后一滴.To native Chinese speakers, the literal faithful translations appear unnatural, if not awkward. They convey the meaning of the original but not the charming quality therein, while 滴滴香浓, in my view, utters all of the original.

and another case in point:

GARY GABLES, BUZZARD’S BAY, MASS,,

OCTOBER 6, 1895.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, ESQ,:

MY DEAR SIR: I thank you for sending me a copy of your address delivered at the Atlanta Exposition.

I thank you with much enthusiasm for making the address. I have read it with intense interest and I think the Exposition would be fully justified if it did not do more than furnish the opportunity for its delivery. Your words cannot fail to delight and encourage all who wish well for your race; and if our colored fellow-citizens do not from your utterances gather new hope and form new determinations to gain every valuable advantage offered them by their citizenship, it will be strange indeed.

Yours very truly,

GROVER CLEVELAND

(Rendered into Chinese by 思果)

布克尔. 华盛顿先生大鉴：

承寄先生在亚特兰大展览会发表演讲之辞，幸甚！

先生此次俯允演讲，意极可感。鄙人拜读之余，至为关注，窃以为该展览即使别无所成，仅得先生莅临，发表演讲，亦不虚此行矣。凡期望贵种族兴盛之人，聆先生言论，当无不欣慰振奋；而黑种同胞闻先生之言，而不获新希望并下新决心，以求沾公民身份之种种权力者，亦未之有也，专此敬请。

台安

格罗佛尔.克利夫兰启

一八九五年十月六日

You who know Chinese will see how funny it is when literally translated into Chinese. It sounds like the letter was composed by a child.

（The above letter and Chinese translation are cited from 喻步医的新浪博客）

Edited January 19, 2010 at 01:15 PM by kenny2006woo