Foreignization and Domestication on Translating Life-nurturing Terms in Three Versions of Huangdi Neijing - Su Wen

Abstract

Huangdi Neijing - Su Wen (Su Wen) is the first recommended book for foreign readers who are interested in preservation of health and ancient Chinese culture. It is a pity that many life-nurturing terms in the classic were translated differently in different English versions, which may confuse and even misguide the readers. This study aimed at investigating foreignization and domestication on rendering life-nurturing terms in three representative versions of Su Wen. A corpus of 101 life-nurturing Chinese terms and their corresponding English versions was established. The translation methods of the terms without and with specific TCM concepts were identified and the translation strategies related to foreignization and domestication were analyzed to reveal the linguistic features of the translated life-nurturing terms in three versions. Our study found that translation methods such as literal translation, transliteration with additional explanation, and transliteration-literal translation could achieve the effect of foreignization while such translation methods as free translation, interpretive translation and literal translation with annotation could produce the effect of domestication. The results of the study suggest that foreignization rather than domestication is mainly applied in rendering the life-nurturing terms with specific TCM concepts to retain their unique linguistic and cultural features accurately, concisely and elegantly. The study of foreignization and domestication in the translation of life-nurturing terms is of great help to the translation of traditional Chinese medical classics with accuracy in meaning, smoothness in expression and faithfulness in style.