Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system with a history of 23 centuries, aiming to prevent or treat diseases by maintaining the balance of Yin and Yang. This study is based on Zhang Zhongjing’s “Treatise on Febrile Disease Caused by Cold”, and explores the translation norms of cultural-loaded terms (CLT) in traditional Chinese medical classics from the perspective of data analysis, aiming to promote the dissemination of traditional Chinese medical culture. The objective of this study is to analyze how different English translations handle the profound cultural and philosophical concepts of TCM. To achieve this, qualitative research methods and quantitative research methods were adopted in this study. First of all, with a dedicated bilingual corpus, including the source text and two influential but different English translations (such as the translations by Nigel Wiseman and Luo Xiwen). Secondly, it is analyzed that each translation term is systematically encoded to determine its main strategy, including foreignization and domestication. In addition, the quantitative analysis results are interpreted through qualitative analysis to explore the philosophical and pragmatic motivations behind the translation strategies. Finally, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted among target readers with different levels of knowledge in traditional Chinese medicine to evaluate the acceptability of different translation strategies. By combining corpus-based analysis with reader feedback data, this study aims to map out the mainstream norms for the translation of TCM classics, providing valuable insights for translation training, standardization of TCM terms, and the global dissemination of traditional Chinese culture.

Authors:
Yulin ZHuang, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. ZHUANG Yulin is a graduate of the Master of Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong, with a strong enthusiasm for Pali Language and the interpretation of Buddhist Sutras, hoping to promote religious culture from generation to generation.

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark