English Translation Research Articles

Reconstructing the Fictional Character of Fourteenth Daughter Xin (Xin Shisi Niang) in the English Translation of Liaozhai Zhiyi

Fourteenth Daughter Xin (Xin Shisi Niang) is one of the unusual tales in the anthology Liaozhai Zhiyi by Chinese novelist Pu Songling. The characterization of Fourteenth Daughter Xin, crafted to portray both the character development of the memorable female protagonist and the story’s structure, contains numerous Chinese literary and cultural elements that present challenges in English translation. This study, based on a systematic examination of the original Liaozhai Zhiyi and its complete English version, aims to investigate how the translator reconstructs Fourteenth Daughter Xin’s character image in English renderings. Through analysis of Fourteenth Daughter Xin’s appellation, appearance, speech, and action, the findings reveal that the translator enhances emotional descriptions, emphasizes the elegance and beauty of Fourteenth Daughter Xin, and simplifies some action descriptions through omissions and adaptations. It can be observed that the translator tends to preserve cultural nuances closely while effectively conveying the overall characterization of Fourteenth Daughter Xin. This research aspires to serve as a reference for the English translation of literary fictional characters, facilitating the international dissemination of ancient Chinese literature.

UNVEILING MULTIPLE MEANINGS OF THE INDONESIAN POEM MENUMBANGKAN POHON BERINGIN AND ITS ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The present study aims to investigate the meanings embedded in the Indonesian poem, Menumbangkan Pohon Beringin, by Heru Joni Putra (source text-ST), and its English translation, Felling a Banyan Tree, by George A. Fowler (target text-TT). Employing a qualitative approach, both texts were examined through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) developed by Halliday (1925-2018). SFL sees every clause as having three strands of meanings simultaneously, namely experiential, interpersonal, and textual meanings, analyzed through transitivity, mood, and thematic structures, respectively. The study found that both texts frequently employ material Processes, declarative moods, and particular topical and textual Themes, reflecting a focus on collective participation and material actions, an authoritative tone, and an explicit dialogic orientation, respectively. Although such grammatical and semantic characteristics appear across both ST and TT, this study highlights some translation-related considerations in terms of semantic modulation and (in)definiteness. This study gives insight into poetry translation theoretically and practically, particularly involving Indonesian and English. The multiple meanings unveiled in the poems in this study are not meant to be exhaustive, as poetry invites infinite readings. Consequently, the poem should be examined not only at the surface level but also through a deeper lens. Thus, various approaches, including the linguistic perspective employed in this study, are valuable for uncovering its potential meanings.

Translating Metaphors at Table: Figurative Language and Food in Emilia-Romagna Tourism Discourse

Food terminology plays a crucial role as a micro-specialised language used in tourism discourse to promote local cuisine and represent local dishes as appealing to tourists. The language of food traditionally makes extensive use of metaphorical and figurative expressions (e.g., see Demaecker, 2017), which are powerful tools for persuasion (see Ferrari, 2018). When translating these metaphors into other languages, the challenge lies in maintaining their persuasive impact. Considering the extensive use of figurative expressions in food-related communication, the study investigates Italian tourist materials on Emilia-Romagna’s food and their English translations. It specifically focuses on how metaphors originally found in the Italian texts are translated and mediated into English to better persuade different target audiences. Adopting a corpus-assisted perspective, the article analyses the different translation strategies used by Italian institutions in the tourist materials. Results show that metaphors are primarily rendered with direct translation of metaphorical concepts and terms. The study also highlights the omission of certain metaphors in the translated text, as well as their adaptation to better fit the target language both conceptually and linguistically. Metaphors are occasionally paraphrased or explained in the target language, and in a few cases, they are not translated and left in the source language.

Preparing Real-world Professionals: Integrating Translation, Sustainability, and Digital Media in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Education

Innovative pedagogical approaches are essential in fostering environmentally conscious professionals who can successfully deal with complex, real-world challenges. This paper investigates how integrating themes of sustainability into an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course enhances students' four competencies (4Cs; critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication) while strengthening linguistic and professional skills. First-year students pursuing a degree in marketing at Fan S. Noli University engaged in bilingual translation tasks and digital content creation, using Instagram to create, translate, and share sustainability messages and MURAL for collaborative problem-solving. A pre- and post-course survey assessed students’ evolving perceptions of sustainability and skill development. Findings among others indicate that translation reinforced comprehension, social media fostered engagement, and interdisciplinary digital tools enhanced critical thinking and communication skills. These results highlight the pedagogical benefits of integrating translation and social media into ESP curricula to develop multilingual professionals with a strong awareness of sustainability.

Strategies and Challenges in Coding Ambiguous Information Using MedDRA®: An Exploration Among Norwegian Pharmacovigilance Officers.

The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA®) is an international standardized medical terminology used to code various types of medical information, including safety reports of suspected adverse reactions to medicines. Quantitative studies have highlighted varying levels of coding inconsistency across MedDRA®-relevant platforms, though the possible grounds of such inconsistency remain unclear. We explored the reasoning and strategies employed by pharmacovigilance officers when coding selected ambiguous adverse events to MedDRA®, categorized the types of coding inconsistencies, and explored sources of the inconsistencies. Pharmacovigilance officers from the Norwegian public health sector were invited to participate in a survey-based, cross-sectional study followed by focus group interviews. The survey consisted of 11 coding tasks, with varying degrees of ambiguity, purposively sampled from the Norwegian pharmacovigilance registry. Participants selected the appropriate MedDRA® terms and graded the difficulty level of each task on a scale from 1 (least difficult) to 4 (most difficult). Terms selected by participants were compared with a Standard Term Selection (STS), agreed upon by the authors in consultation with a MedDRA® trainer. Inconsistencies with the STS were classified as omission (missing term), substitution (extra term selected in the presence of an omission), and addition (extra term selected and none omitted). In focus groups, participants discussed challenges in the coding tasks and the strategies they used to overcome them. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. In total, 26 coders (79% of the eligible population) completed the survey. Of the survey answers, 36% were identical to the STS; answers consistent with the STS varied across the specific coding tasks and did not align with the perceived difficulty of the tasks. The most common inconsistency (30% of the survey answers) arose from substituting one of multiple MedDRA® terms. Of the survey answers, 18% included omissions without substitutions, and 6% added unnecessary terms to the STS. Eight of the 26 coders (31%) participated in the focus groupinterviews. Focus group themes revealed that substitutions were explained by difficulties in translating lay language to medical terminology, finding accurate English translations for Norwegian medical terms, and fitting complex descriptions into MedDRA® terms. This was explained by themes related to ambiguity-resolution strategies. Themes explaining omissions included strategies for resolving ambiguity, contextual thinking, causal and pharmacological reasoning in the coding process, and information categorization. Tailored training programs and clear institutional guidelines are needed to target the sources of coding inconsistencies suggested by this study.

Mirroring Meaning: Reduplication in Vietnamese Literary Prose and Its English Translation- A Contrastive Perspective

In Vietnam, the increasing use of translated texts reflects the growing effort to introduce Vietnamese literature to a global audience. This study examines the use of both partial and full reduplication in the Vietnamese version of Cánh đồng bất tận and its English translation, exploring how each type is employed in both languages and analyzing the similarities and differences in their usage. Based on the novella Cánh đồng bất tận and its English translation, the research examined 96 Vietnamese sentences and 105 English sentences to explore the phenomenon. The sentences were purposively selected from the novella to focus on examples of reduplication, and the contrastive analysis was conducted using a linguistic framework that compares morphological and phonological features across the two languages. The findings revealed that (1) Both English and Vietnamese employed similar methods for using reduplication in the novella, utilizing repetition of sounds or words to create emphasis, express intensity, and add a rhythmic or playful quality to the language, (2) Although reduplication is not a fundamental morphological process in English, it occurs more frequently than in Vietnamese in this text, primarily as a stylistic or emphatic device rather than a grammatical one, and (3) The rules governing letter- and word-groupings, such as the use of reduplication in both Vietnamese and English, contribute to making the text more engaging for readers by adding rhythm, emphasis, and expressiveness. Additionally, the findings also revealed that pairs of tonal patterns combined with descriptive words using the suffix -ish, create a unique and interesting linguistic feature in English. This study uncovers how reduplication functions differently in Vietnamese and English within a bilingual novella, revealing nuanced strategies translators can use to preserve stylistic emphasis and cultural meaning, thereby improving the fidelity and expressive quality of translations for diverse audiences.

The Phenomenon of Chinese Cultural Implications Lost in the English Translation of The Analects—Case Study of Legge’s Translation

In the context of accelerated globalization, the international dissemination of Chinese culture has become a task of great strategic importance and received great attention from all walks of life. As a classic work of traditional Chinese culture, the English translation of The Analects plays a crucial role in presenting Chinese wisdom and values to the world. James Legge’s English translation of The Analects had a great influence on the West. However, some problems deserve careful study. Based on Venuti’s translation theory, this paper analyzes James Legge’ s English translation, The Confucian Analects, classifies the phenomenon of the loss of cultural implications in the original language, explores its causes, and proposes appropriate translation strategies. The aim is to provide useful information on the practice of translating Chinese classics into English, effectively promote the broad and effective dissemination of Chinese culture, strengthen the soft power and international influence of Chinese culture, and promote in-depth exchange and harmonious coexistence between different cultures. It is shown that the loss of cultural implications is manifested mainly in philosophical concepts, historical allusions, and ritual terminology. The phenomenon is largely caused by language differences, cultural estrangement, the impact of the translator’s identity and considerations for target readers. Given the limited number of translation examples selected for this paper, future research should further broaden its horizons and explore the best opportunities to present China’s unique cultural qualities in traditional classics.

POET Psalm 144: Integrating Exegesis with Poetic Devices for Effectiveness and Compositional Unity

The POET Psalms English translation of Ps 144 follows a poetic form that can be sung. I use this translation to highlight the application of twelve principles I propose for translating biblical poetry. I also advocate for adopting alternative exegetical decisions in difficult verses when it increases coherence, as opposed to tacitly accepting the status quo. Then, using this alternative, but equally valid, exegesis, I show how the curtal sonnet poetic form, related poetic devices, and a suggested tune all contribute to Ps 144’s overall effectiveness as a unified English composition. I conclude that heightened language translations should be considered best practice in the translation of biblical poetry and suggest approaches to doing so in languages other than English.

Insights on AI-Driven Anxiety and Career Awareness in Translator Education: A Case Study

In recent years, advances in artificial intelligence technologies have intensified discussions about the future of the translation profession. The present study aims to evaluate the occupational career awareness of translation students and their anxiety about artificial intelligence in the context of the translation profession and the relationships between these two variables by using multiple data collection methods. In this framework, Kırklareli University's Department of English Translation and Interpreting was selected as the research sample. The study used multiple data collection techniques and utilized quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches simultaneously. In this regard, demographic and occupational questions, an Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale, and an Occupational Career Awareness Scale were administered to the students, and 166 valid questionnaires were collected. In addition, a focus group interview was conducted with the participation of 10 students from different years of study. As a result, translation students' AI anxiety was not at a high level. At the same time, their career awareness was high, and there was no statistical relationship between the two. It was observed that the uncertainty experienced while entering the sector and job search were the main factors that increased AI anxiety. Finally, the majority of the students emphasized that to decrease their anxiety levels, AI-related courses should be included in the curriculum from the first year onwards.

The English Translation of Poetry - Deer Song from the Perspective of Eco-translatology

This study applies the "three-dimensional transformation" theory of Eco-translatology to analyse in depth the English translation of "The Song of the Deer". The study focuses on the adaptive selection of linguistic, cultural and communicative transformations, aiming to reveal how the translation crosses linguistic and cultural barriers and conveys the original text's phonetic beauty, cultural connotation and communicative intent. By exploring examples of English translations of Deer Song, the paper demonstrates how translators strategically make linguistic and cultural adaptations while maintaining the aesthetic qualities and cultural values of the original text. The study emphasises that future translation research and practice should continue to pay attention to the complexity of intercultural communication and develop translators' intercultural communicative competence in order to promote understanding and respect among different cultures.

A Comparative Research on the English Translation of “The Book of Poetry - Caiwei” from the Perspective of Three-Dimensional Transformation in Eco-translatology – Taking the Translations of Xu Yuanchong and Wang Fanglu as an Example

As the earliest collection of poetry in China, Shijing is not only the cultural canon of the Chinese nation, but also a valuable heritage of world culture. The poem “Caiwei” in “Shijing-Xiaoya” can be regarded as the opening poem of the ancient war, which depicts the sufferings of the war, and also writes about the inexhaustible family and national sentiments. This paper selects the translations of Mr Xu Yuanchong and Mr Wang Fanglu, and based on the three-dimensional transformation theory of Eco-translatology, compares the adaptive transformation of both of them in Linguistic dimension, cultural dimensionl, and communicative dimension, and appreciates the translations’ embodiment of the original context and its embedded Chinese culture, and explores the translation strategies of ancient poems.

On the Translation and Dissemination of Chinese Children’s Literature: Gains and Losses in the Cases of Bronze and Sunflower and Mo’s Mischief

Setting its goal at providing concrete and actionable insights for optimizing the global dissemination of Chinese children’s literature, this study examines the English translations of Bronze and Sunflower and Mo’s Mischief, with emphasis on five key dimensions of dissemination: translation agents, translated content, dissemination channels, target readership, and reception impact. This analysis is essential for effectively promoting high-quality Chinese children’s literature to wider international readership.

What Translators Don’t Tell You When Translating Haruki Murakami：A Textual Analysis of Jay Rubin’s English Versions of “The Elephant Vanishes”

This paper examines Jay Rubin’s engagement with the Japanese language not only as a translator of Haruki Murakami but also as a language teacher, focusing on his textbook Gone Fishin’ (1992), later revised as Making Sense of Japanese：What the Textbooks Don’t Tell You (1998). While Rubin is widely known for his English translations - especially The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1997) - and his critical biography Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words (2002), his pedagogical work has received little attention in literary studies. This article situates Rubin’s textbook in the context of world literature and translation studies, examining how his use of alternative Japanese version of Murakami’s short story “The Elephant Vanishes” serves as a tool for both language teaching and literary interpretation.By analysing the interplay between Rubin’s pedagogical aims and his translational choices, the study argues that his translations reflect the sensibilities of a language teacher attuned to the complexities of cross-cultural reading. Rubin’s work implicitly advances Murakam’s project of situating Japanese literature within a global literary framework, demonstrating how translation can function as a critical site of literary and cultural negotiation. Ultimately, the paper highlights the translator’s dual function as a mediator and educator within the transnational circulation of contemporary Japanese fiction.

Marmaduke Pickthall and the Translation of the Qur'an: A Study of the Literal Approach and Its Relevance in the Western Context

Islam is one of the religions with the largest number of adherents in the world. Muslims, although they come from diverse backgrounds, are united by the teachings of the Qur'an which was revealed in Arabic. To meet the needs of understanding for non-Arab Muslims, translating the Qur'an into various languages is important, but must still maintain the authenticity and sanctity of the original text. One of the English translations of the Qur'an that is considered authentic and neutral is the work of Marmaduke Pickthall, a convert from England. In his work The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an (1930), Pickthall uses a literal approach with a classic English style ala the King James Bible. The goal is for Western readers to feel familiar and be able to understand the text with a similar spiritual nuance. This study is a literature review (library research) with a qualitative method that aims to examine Pickthall's translation approach, the challenges he faced, and the influence of his work on English-language Islamic studies. The results show that although his translation has been criticized for its archaic language style and extreme literal tendencies, Pickthall's work remains an important reference and has made a major contribution to building bridges of cross-cultural understanding.

An empirical study on the teaching mode of cultural translation in college English based on the Production Oriented Approach (POA)

Under the circumstances of “Curriculum ideological and political”, in order to adapt to the reform of college English teaching and the needs of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), as well as optimize the A-level distinguishable teaching mode of college English stratified teaching, this paper takes the fifth stage of “Production Oriented Approach” (POA) as the theoretical basis and completes a one-semester mixed teaching experiment for the Chinese culture translation section in New Horizon College English. Taking the paragraph translation of “Tai Chi” as an example, a detailed teaching design and implementation process were presented, attempting to construct a sustainable blended teaching model for the cultural translation section of college English. Quantitative and qualitative data statistics and analysis were used to evaluate and reflect on the effectiveness of teaching practice. The research results indicate that compared to traditional college English teaching, blended teaching model based on POA can enhance the English language and cultural output ability of A-level students. The mode is of sustainable value, which is beneficial to students understanding of Chinese culture, thereby enhancing their cultural confidence. In addition, this model can effectively enhance teachers’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge in blended teaching design, which has certain significance for the college English curriculum reform and the practice of “curriculum-based political and ideological education”.

The Translator’s Subjectivity in Ken Liu’s Translation of Chinese Science Fiction: A Case Study of <i>Invisible Planets</i>

Science fiction is a genre combining literariness, imagination, and scientific logic. Now this genre written in English is still occupying a dominant position, while Chinese works have been peripheral in the field of science fiction. This paper investigates the translator’s subjectivity in Ken Liu’s English translation of Chinese science fiction, focusing on his anthology Invisible Planets. The study first provides a brief overview of the development of science fiction globally and within China, emphasizing Liu’s role in introducing Chinese science fiction to Anglo-American readers. Then the concept of translator subjectivity is discussed highlighting how Liu’s bilingual background informs his translation choices. Through detailed analysis, this paper aims to explore Liu’s subjective role in the translator’s the selection of source stories, his collaborative relationships with the original authors, his understanding of cultural nuances in both Chinese and English, and his strategic application of translation techniques, such as omission, addition, coinage, borrowing, and footnoting. The findings reveal that the translator’s subjectivity in Liu’s translated texts not only preserves essential cultural elements of Chinese science fiction, but also enhances its accessibility and reception in the Anglophone world, thereby fostering intercultural literary exchange.

Cultural Translation in Practice: Domestication and Foreignization in the English Translation of Bano Qudsia’s <i>Raja Gidh</i>

This research article explores the translation strategies of domestication and foreignization in the English translation of Raja Gidh, a culturally rich Urdu novel by Bano Qudsia. Employing a qualitative, comparative textual analysis, the study examines how culturally specific elements—such as religious terms, idioms, and food references—are rendered in the target language. The analysis is framed within the theoretical perspectives of Venuti’s (1995) translation strategies and Bhabha’s (1994) concept of cultural hybridity. The findings reveal a predominant reliance on domestication, which enhances readability for the target audience but results in a dilution of cultural and ideological nuance. However, selective use of foreignization suggests an attempt to preserve source culture specificity in certain contexts. The study concludes that while domestication facilitates accessibility, a more balanced approach integrating foreignization would better reflect the source text’s cultural richness. The research contributes to the ongoing discourse on cultural translation and highlights the ideological implications embedded in translation practices.

Edge computing based english translation model using fuzzy semantic optimal control technique

People’s need for English translation is gradually growing in the modern era of technological advancements, and a computer that can comprehend and interpret English is now more crucial than ever. Some issues, including ambiguity in English translation and improper word choice in translation techniques, must be addressed to enhance the quality of the English translation model and accuracy based on the corpus. Hence, an edge computing-based translation model (FSRL-P2O) is proposed to improve translation accuracy by using huge bilingual corpora, considering Fuzzy Semantic (FS) properties, and maximizing the translation output using optimal control techniques with the incorporation of Reinforcement Learning and Proximal Policy Optimisation (PPO) techniques. The corpus data is initially gathered, and necessary preprocessing and feature extraction techniques are made. The preprocessed sentences are given as input to the fuzzy semantic similarity phase, which aims to avoid uncertainties by measuring the semantic resemblance between two linguistic elements, such as phrases, words, or sentences involved in a translation using the Jaccard similarity coefficient. The fuzzy semantic resemblance component’s training estimates the degree of overlap or similarity between two sentences, such as calculating the percentage of characters and length of the longest matching sequence of characters. The suggested Reinforcement learning and PPO can address specific uncertainty causes in machine translation assessment, like out-of-domain data and low-quality references. In addition to simple word-level comparison, it permits a more complex grasp of the semantic link. Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Proximal Policy Optimisation (PPO) techniques are implemented as optimal control techniques to optimize the translation procedures and enhance the quality and precision of generated translations. RL and PPO aim to improve a machine translation system’s translation policy depending on a predetermined reward signal or quality parameter. The system’s effectiveness is evaluated by various metrics such as accuracy, Fuzzy semantic similarity, Bi-Lingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU), and National Institute of Standards and Technology score (NIST). Thus, the proposed system achieves higher quality and translation accuracy of the text that has been translated and produces higher semantic similarity.

Unearthing the Foundations of the German Enlightenment: the Recent Soundings of Martin Mulsow

A widely esteemed and decorated scholar who currently directs the Gotha Research Centre at the University of Erfurt, where he is also Professor in the Cultures of Knowledge in Modern Europe, Martin Mulsow has been working for over two decades to better understand the early modern origins of contemporary European thought. The Hidden Origins of the German Enlightenment, his most recent English publication, is best understood as the latest installment in what is already a three-volume history of the origins of the German Enlightenment. He indicates here that a fourth book has already been finished in German and awaits translation and publication in English in the manner of his other books in this series. The bibliography lists over sixty publications authored by Mulsow, and while his work does not appear to be finished, his recent books in English mark the apex of a scholarly arc that is noteworthy for its persistent questioning of familiar interpretive paradigms and an insistent drive to offer new insights into the origins and dynamics of European Enlightenment history.

A Comparative Study in English Translations of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an

This study aimed to highlight the rules governing the translation of the Holy Qur'an and to present the views of scholars on the subject, both in the Arab world and globally. It also examined the development of Qur'anic translation in modern times. The study emphasized the importance of translating the meanings of the Holy Qur'an into all languages, to facilitate understanding for non-Arabic-speaking Muslims and to serve English-speaking communities. However, it acknowledges that no matter how accurate a translation may be, it will inevitably fall short of fully conveying the profound meanings contained in the miraculous Qur'anic text. The research also addressed the major challenges and difficulties encountered in translating the meanings of the Qur'an, as well as the essential features and conditions required for all types of translation. It reviewed the differing opinions of scholars from the four major Islamic schools of thought—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali—regarding the permissibility and rules of translating the Qur'an. Additionally, the study discussed contemporary Muslim scholars' perspectives on the translation of the Qur'an, including the views of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar and Sheikh Ahmed Mustafa Maraghi. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended the establishment of educational centers dedicated to teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Furthermore, it is essential to develop practical proposals to overcome the difficulties in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, utilizing modern methods from the early stages of learning and book development.