A Preliminary Study on China English in Translation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Terms

Abstract

China English, standard English with Chinese characteristics, exists largely in English translation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) terms with unique Chinese philosophy and culture. This study conducts a translation criticism on English Translation of TCM terms selected from Classified Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the perspective of China English under the guidance of Coordination Theory of Translation, that is, translators are required to coordinate all aspects and relationships in translation to the greatest extent. The key issues to be resolved in this study are as follows: 1) What are the word-formation methods of China English in the translation of TCM terms? 2) How should English translations of TCM terms in Classified Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine be evaluated? 3) What strategies, methods, and techniques should be adopted in English translation of TCM terms? Through the translation criticism of typical cases, conclusions are made as follows: firstly, domestication and foreignization strategies should be used together in a coordinated way on translation of TCM terms; secondly, as for terms whose corresponding expressions cannot be found in Western medicine, the translator should coordinate the use of various translation methods and techniques, such as literal translation plus free translation, transliteration with annotation, and literal translation with annotation. The findings of this study are expected to promote the normalization and standardization of English translation of TCM terms as well as provide some implications for future studies on TCM translation.