On Translation of English and Chinese Game Names: A Socio-semiotic Perspective

Abstract

Video game, as an emerging media, has developed by leaps and bounds in recent years. As one of the most popular forms of leisure and entertainment today, it is referred to as the “ninth art”. Its commercial and cultural values have influenced people in a new generation. The translation of names in video games (simplified as ‘game’ hereinafter) has become an important topic for many people nowadays. In current game development, most of the games are packaged with the names of source languages, which makes foreign players choose games with deviations. Thus, it is a drawback for overseas promotion of games in the source language and the introduction of foreign games into a country. Therefore, it is required to explain the translation of game names from the perspective of socio-semiotics and summarize the characteristics and translation strategies of the translation of texts based on the analysis of successful game name translations. Thus, this study is conducted to provide a reference for the translation of game names.