Does the information density of English-Chinese brand name translation impact Chinese readers’ reception? An eye-tracking study

Purpose English-Chinese brand name translation is flexible, and different methods result in variant information density. This research aims to explore how information density may impact Chinese readers’ reception. Design/methodology/approach It studies three translation methods, including phonetic translation which reproduces the original sound and provides no discernible meaning, semantic translation which conveys the original meaning and provides a larger amount of information and metaphorical translation which carries implied meaning and provides the largest amount of information. An eye-tracking experiment was conducted to investigate Chinese readers’ attention distribution, processing depth and interest, and a follow-up questionnaire survey was implemented to obtain their self-ratings of purchase intention. Findings Data analyses show that metaphorical translation involves the highest total fixation duration, first-pass gaze duration, pupil dilation and self-ratings, followed by semantic and phonetic translations. Meanwhile, English names generally invoke higher total fixation duration or first-pass gaze duration, larger saccade amplitude and higher pupil dilation and self-ratings than translations. Practical implications The results imply that elevating the information density of brand name translations is effective for attracting Chinese readers’ attention and enhancing their purchase intention, and presenting English names is beneficial for promotion among Chinese consumers who are young and bilingually proficient. Originality/value This study takes a linguistic perspective on Chinese consumers’ reception of brand name translations and sheds light on how information density impacts their attention distribution, processing depth, interest and purchase intention. The findings are supported by objective eye-tracking data and subjective self-ratings data.