APPLYING SKOPOS THEORY TO THE TRANSLATION OF ENGLISH ADVERTISING SLOGANS INTO FRENCH: A FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH TO ONLINE ADVERTISING / 从格莱斯合作原则角度分析《乔吉与曼迪的第一次婚姻》中的言语幽默

Abstract

This study applies Skopos Theory to the translation of English advertising slogans into French, offering a functionalist examination of how global brands adapt their messaging for French speaking markets. The research explores how the three core rules of Skopos Theory, the Skopos Rule, which prioritizes the purpose of the advertisement; the Coherence Rule, which ensures cultural and linguistic accessibility; and the Fidelity Rule, which maintains a meaningful connection to the original message provide a flexible and practical framework for translators working in the digital advertising space. Through the analysis of fifteen real-world taglines from internationally recognized brands such as Nike, L'Oréal, McDonald's, Apple, and others, the paper demonstrates that this functional approach enables creative adaptation that speaks to the target audience while safeguarding brand identity, ultimately strengthening global marketing effectiveness. The research adopts a qualitative, descriptive design and uses comparative textual analysis to assess translation choices through the lens of Skopos Theory. Each advertisement is evaluated according to three criteria: Skopos alignment, which considers whether the translation fulfills its intended communicative purpose in the French context; adequacy versus fidelity, which weighs creative freedom against respect for the original message; and target audience engagement, which examines how compelling, persuasive, and culturally appropriate the translated message feels to French speakers. The corpus draws on advertisements from emotionally and persuasively charged sectors, including fashion, technology, tourism, and food and beverage. The findings show that successful advertising translation depends on translators acting as cultural mediators, not simply as linguistic converters. The Skopos Rule pushes translators to put function before form, allowing them to reframe and recontextualize taglines to maximize their persuasive impact. The Coherence Rule ensures that translated messages are logically structured, culturally accessible, and linguistically natural qualities that are especially important in online advertising, where messages need to land instantly. The Fidelity Rule guarantees that the core message, tone, and brand identity of the original are preserved, even when creative departures from the source text become necessary. Together, these three rules form a practical, adaptable, and context-aware framework for managing the linguistic, cultural, and strategic demands of online advertising translation. This study contributes to both translation theory and professional practice. It extends the application of Skopos Theory to contemporary digital formats, such as social media posts, website banners, and video thumbnails. It also offers practical guidance for translators, marketers, and translation educators, highlighting the growing importance of transcreation and localization in international marketing campaigns. By foregrounding purpose, audience, and creativity, this research shows that translated advertisements have the potential not only to inform but also to inspire, persuade, and build connections across cultural boundaries.

幽默是情景喜剧的核心元素，通常源于语言操纵。本研究运用格莱斯的合作原则（包含量、质、关系、方式四项会话准则）分析情景喜剧《乔吉与曼迪的第一次婚姻》中的言语幽默。通过对第一季选定剧集的详细分析，本研究展示了这些准则的故意违反如何产生喜剧效果。分析表明，量的准则违反通过误解和过度披露制造幽默；质的准则违反依赖于欺骗、讽刺和夸张；关系准则违反使用不相关或不恰当的评价；方式准则违反引入歧义或过多细节。这些技巧不仅推动了该剧的幽默效果，也反映了角色的个性。本研究有助于理解语言原则在电视幽默中的应用，并为媒体话语中幽默的进一步研究提供了启示。