Study Of Translation Of Traditional Chinese Medicine From The Perspective Of Reception Theory

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a great treasure in the Chinese history. With the increasing development of medical exchange, the magic clinical and therapeutic effect of TCM and its unique theoretical system have attracted international attention. However, due to the great barriers in the aspects of language and culture, and the differences between the western medicine and TCM, there are many problems in the translation of TCM, such as the problems of confusion, the redundant translation and the inaccurate translation. As a result, the present level of translation quality is relatively low. And the author believes that there are few-effective translation theories and standards causes the main barriers in the translation of TCM. In order to achieve the aim of giving the study of the TCM translation a broader vision, this thesis attempts to apply Reception Theory to the TCM translation and to prove the applicability of Reception Theory in the English translation of TCM.It is true that many Chinese terms contain rich cultural information. The source language readers do not usually have difficulties to understand and accept the related information, but it is not the case for the target language readers who live in the different cultural background. In the view of this, when translating TCM, the translator should consider not only the informative function of the text, but also its social function and aesthetic function. Therefore, it is undesirable not to consider the target readers’acceptance and reaction when translating. The author thinks Reception Theory can solve the problem effectively. Different from other traditional translation theories, Reception Theory shifts its focus to the reader’s response instead of being confined to the comparison between the source text and the translated version. In the process of translating TCM, Reception Theory regards the reader’s acceptance and understanding as the guide to translation. Under the guidance of Reception Theory, the mutual exchange and understanding between the source language and the target language can be achieved to the maximum extent. This unique advantage is particularly important in the translation of TCM. In this thesis, the author holds that the two important concepts in Reception Theory-the horizon of expectation and the calling structure-have certain inspiration to the studies of the TCM translation.According to Reception Theory, the author thinks that the study of the TCM translation should be analyzed in the following two aspects:the linguistic aesthetics and the cultural aesthetics, in order to achieve the greatest degree of understanding and acceptance of TCM for the target reader.First, the TCM translation should conform to the target reader’s requirement of linguistic aesthetics. In order to meet this requirement, the author proposes that the translated TCM should achieve the beauty of conciseness and the beauty of rhetoric. The TCM expressions are concise but rich in cultural connotation, and are likely to contain rhetoric, such as figure of speech. If the translator uses literal translation to translate and convey all the rich connotation in TCM, not only is it very difficult to achieve the requirement of conciseness, but also the beauty of rhetoric is hard to fulfill. Under the guidance of Reception Theory, the translator should translate in accordance with the target language reader’s practical horizon of expectation. In this way, the beauty of conciseness and the beauty of rhetoric of the translated TCM can effectively be realized.Secondly, the translated TCM should meet the requirement of cultural aesthetics. The author thinks the realization of cultural aesthetics means making readers gain the pleasure of aesthetic value of the original text and the pleasure of culture exploration of the original text. In the translation of TCM, translating cultural blank excessively will make the reader lose the enjoyment in exploring foreign culture. According to Reception Theory, when translating cultural blank, the calling structure should be used properly to call on the target reader to further explore and understand the translated TCM, in order to achieve maximum exchange between translated TCM and the target language readers. Under the guidance of Reception Theory, in the process of translating TCM, in order to achieve linguistic aesthetics and cultural aesthetics, the author puts forward three possible following translation methods:transliteration, literal Translation and free translation. These can not clear all the obstacles in the translation of TCM, but can give some advisable suggestions for the current problems in the TCM translation. These three translation methods have their different applicable contexts, and each has its efficacy in the translation of TCM terms.Finally the thesis draws the conclusion that the application of Reception Theory to the TCM translation is feasible and reasonable. Therefore, the translator can learn from the view of Reception Theory and use the theory in the practice of the TCM translation in the future. The translator should grasp the spirit and the original intention of the author and at the same time, give full consideration to the readers’ horizon of expectation and properly use the calling structure with the aim of improving the quality of the Chinese literature translation.