Empathy translation in traditional Chinese medicine: Reader reception and paradigm building through the English translations of Shang Han Lun

Abstract

This study investigates the emotional and cognitive reception of Shang Han Lun translations among global readers and explores how translation strategies can be optimized to enhance affective resonance and cultural intelligibility. Based on the reception data from Amazon, Goodreads and academic reviews, the research identifies persistent challenges including symbolic dislocation, terminological alienation, and affective disconnection. In response, the study proposes empathy translation as a novel theoretical and practical paradigm that integrates insights from empathy theory, reader-response theory, cultural translation, and hermeneutic approaches. To operationalize this framework, three translation strategies are introduced: reader empathy mapping, emotionally informed lexical choices, and affective annotation. These strategies collectively aim to anticipate reader expectations, mitigate interpretive friction, and restore the symbolic and emotional dimensions of Traditional Chinese Medicine discourse in translation. By addressing the epistemic, linguistic, and affective discontinuities inherent in cross-cultural medical translation, the study contributes to a more nuanced and humanistic model of global Traditional Chinese Medicine communication. Ultimately, it positions empathy not only as a cognitive-affective mechanism but also as a methodological foundation for bridging cultures through translation.