| This paper focuses on the English translation of basic terminologies in ancient materiamedica books. The study is based on literature research and translation practice ofEssentials of Materia Medica (Bencao Beiyao), a concise and useful book which is widelyspread in Chinese medical field and has a great influence on later physicians. The paperconsists of two parts: literature research and translation study.In the first part, the research advances of Essentials of Materia Medica (BencaoBeiyao) in recent30years is analyzed by literature method. A systematic analysis of thebasic information of the book is made, including the author’s life, the completion time, themedicinals, the editions, the characteristics, the academic thoughts and the influences onlater generations. This analysis is basic to the English translation.In the second part, the English translation of five kinds of terms in Essentials ofMateria Medica (Bencao Beiyao) is studies, including the terms of materia medica,functions, formulas, diseases and syndromes, and appellations. Through comparison ofdifferent translations and deconstruction of the terms, the applicable scope ofdomestication and foreignization is found and the translation methods of the five kinds ofterms are summarized. For the translation of materia medica, Pinyin, Latin and Englishshould be used together. For sake of reliability, the Chinese characters can be kept. For thefunctional terminologies, literal translation could be applied as the main method. Thetranslation of the verbs in the functional terminologies could be more flexible. For theterms of formulas, literal translation and transliteration are used as the main methods. Ifnecessary, notes can be added. For terms of diseases and syndromes, all the three methods including literal translation, free translation and transliteration are needed. Some westernmedical terms can be properly borrowed. For the appellations, transliteration is adopted asthe main method. |
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