Discussion On The Difficulties And Methods For English Translation Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is a great treasure house of Chinese culture and the most extraordinary system of traditional medicine in the world. For thousands of years it has made great contribution to the thriving and prosperity of the Chinese nation and also for the progress of world civilization. Even in the 21st century, Chinese medicine is also of great vitality. In spite of the fast development of modern medicine, Chinese medicine is still used far and wide in the world because of its excellent therapeutic effects and mild toxic and side effects. However, the international exchange of Chinese medicine is faced with a lot of difficulties due to different cultural backgrounds and language barriers. In recent decades, the rapid growth of international interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demanded English translation of this system of traditional medicine more than ever. Principles for English translation. Accurate, Clear and Elegant are the main guidelines for English translation of terms of Chinese medicine. the principles for English translation of basic terms of Chinese medicine are as follows:①equivalent:the English translations fit the original meaning of Chinese terms. it is the most important principle among other principles。②the term should be as short as possible without adversely affecting its clarity.③identity:two or more Chinese terms are acknowledged to be absolute equivalents; the translator may be justified in offering a single rendering. ④English translation accepted through popular usage。In brief, conciseness, informative, back translation. The key points from which the divergence of standard translation arose:1 use of western medical terms.2 sanction of tradition3, morpheme translation 4,transliteration. On both the Chinese and western sides, the discussion of how to translate traditional Chinese medical terms has been complicated because of different understandings about their connotations and the use of too many western medical terms to represent traditional Chinese concepts. translating methods and the proposed solutions to standardizing the English translation of TCM terms are intended to facilitate the faithful translation of any traditional Chinese medical text and thereby provide access to the full body of traditional Chinese medical knowledge in all of its historical dimensions. It is desirable for developing an efficient transmission mechanism for TCM; it is more necessary because of the speculative nature of traditional Chinese medical concepts, diversified definitions, and the broader need in a discipline that looks back to antiquity as a golden age, to reflect adequately in the translation of the terminology of TCM.