English Translation Strategies for Four-character Terminologies in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as the essence of Chinese culture, has rich connotations and distinct Chinese characteristics. Thanks to its splendid therapeutic effects in the treatment and prevention of diseases, TCM has won its increasing popularity both home and abroad. However, TCM is more than a type of medicine; it also reflects the culture of Chinese nation, which necessitates the cultural exchanges between China and other countries for better understanding. During cultural exchanges, it’s not unusual to find that TCM classics are full of four-character terminologies, and the translation of which has posed difficulties as these terminologies are more often than not structurally different and semantically diversified. If not properly translated, these terminologies can bring about many problems which impede communication. Therefore, the paper deals with the translation strategies for these four-character terminologies based on the analysis of their grammatical structures and logical relations. Some translation strategies, such as, metaphrase, paraphrase, and some other comprehensive translation strategies have been proposed to provide some reference for the translation of TCM four-character terminologies.