Study On The English Translation Of TCM Terms

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) bears a long history of more than 2500 years. It is a great treasure of China playing an important role in the traditional Chinese culture. In recent years, with the frequent international communication and cooperation in the medicine filed, the magic therapeutic effect of TCM has gained more and more international attention. However, factors like medicine systems, linguistics and culture backgrounds make the translation of TCM a very difficult task. In addition, lacking unified translation theory and translation standard, the current translation of TCM is in a chaos situation which seriously affects the image of TCM and the effect its international transmission.This thesis explores and analyses the application of Nida’s Functional Equivalence Translation Theory in the translation of TCM. Viewing the domestic and foreign researches of TCM translation in recent years, the author analysed the current characteristic of TCM translation. Based on the translation theory of Functional Equivalence, relevant principles and methods for the translation of TCM terms are provided in this thesis.This paper contains six chapters. The first chapter introduces the research background, purposes, significance, and contents of the study. The second chapter is literature review. Some achievements and several famous scholars in the field of TCM translation at home and abroad are discussed in this chapter. The third chapter makes an introduction of the existing problems and the corresponding reasons in today’s TCM translation. The fourth chapter is discussions about the application of Functional Equivalence Theory to the translation of TCM. Some suggestive principles and methods of TCM translation based on Nida’s translation theory are introduced in the fifth chapter. Chapter six is the conclusion part, illustrating the major findings and implications of this thesis and putting out some suggestions for future research.