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MCDONALD’S drew ridicule(嘲笑)in China when it changed its registered name to Jingongmen, or “Golden Arches” in October, after it was sold to a Chinese company. Some on Weibo, a microblogging site, thought it sounded old-fashioned and awkward, others thought that it had hidden meanings of furniture. The fast-food chain was quick to reassure customer that its restaurants would continue to go by Maidanglao, a rough transliteration(音译)that has, over the years, become a recognizable brand name. But for most companies now entering Chinese markets, transliterations are a thing of the past, says Amanda Liu, vice-president of Labbrand, a consultant firm based in Shanghai that advises firms on brand names.

Companies are instead choosing Chinese names with meanings that capture people’s imagination. That often involves going beyond a direct translation. New entrants are taking inspiration from BMW, which is Baoma, or “treasure horse” in China, and from Coca-Cola, which is Kekoukele, or “delicious happiness”.

The naming process is forcing companies to think harder about the image they want to project in China, says Ms Liu. LinkedIn, a professional networking site owned by Microsoft, chose the name Lingyin, or “leading elite(精英)” in 2014, meaning more uniqueness than its Western name. Her other corporate customers have included Airbnb, Marvel Comics and Haribo. Labbrand tests proposals with focus groups, ensuring that the name has no negative associations in any of the major Chinese dialects.

A vital part of the process is checking that candidate names have not already been snapped up. The Chinese are energetic trademarkers: in 2015 there were 2.8 million trademark applications in China, more than three times those in America and the EU combined. Companies considering entering the Chinese market might often find that their products have already been given local names, thanks, for example, to coverage in the press.

Some even find that their Chinese name has already been trademarked, says Dresden of Harris Bricken, a law firm, either by their own distributors, competitors seeking to block its entry, or counterfeiters(伪造者)taking advantage of soundalikes, etc.

Perhaps thanks to these mishaps, foreign firms are getting wiser to the importance of naming in China. More Chinese firms are also seeking advice on foreign names, says Ms Liu, as they seek to conquer Western markets. Both know that if they make a mistake, the social-media critics will be waiting.

1.The example of McDonald’s in Paragraph 1 indicates that ________.

A. it doesn’t attract Chinese customers any more.

B. having a recognizable name is important for companies

C. transliteration becomes less popular for many companies

D. more foreign companies tend to change their brand names

2.According to Paragraphs 2 and 3, with a proper Chinese name, companies entering the Chinese market are trying to ________.

A. project their ads more widely   B. ensure that customers are satisfied

C. show a good and impressive image   D. give inspirations to other companies

3.The underlined “snapped up” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.

A. quickly seized   B. properly used

C. carefully examined   D. completely forgotten

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Chinese firms also put emphasis on their foreign names.

B. There were more trademark applications in China than in America in 2015.

C. Some new entrants feel bothered by counterfeiters making use of soundalikes.

D. With the Chinese name Lingyin, LinkedIn has more elite members than before.

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