On C-E Translation Of Culture-Loaded Words In Huangdi’ Canon Of Medicine From The Perspective Of Memetics

Having laid the theoretical foundation with unparalleled medical contributions, Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine, or Neijing is indisputably elected as the most important work of the four great classics of TCM. It’s a required book for those majoring in TCM and also a referential one for scholars to carry out academic researches.Problems in culture exchange are the main challenges for translation work of TCM and distinctively national features of culture-loaded words in classics have hindered spreading TCM abroad for a long time. Focusing on these words, therefore, should be regarded as the possible breakthrough point for overcoming difficulties in translation of Neijing. As words are the basic elements to constitute language and text, to deal with culture-loaded words successfully is most likely to promote the spead of medical culture in Neijing.Taking the above factors into account, memetics, a new theory aiming to analyze cultural transmission phenomena is applied to translation research of culture-loaded words in Neijing, which is full of theoretical guidance power for intercultural communication via translation. In order to observe the interpreting and guiding force from memetics and compare Li Zhaoguo’s and Ilza Veith’s English versions under memetics,365 words in the first 34 chapters of Neijing and their corresponding translation results in versions were selected. In addition, quantitative and qualitative research methods were all used in the whole process by giving statistics and inductive generalization respectively.Results show that memetics is quite helpful to broaden translators’thinking mode. Firstly, a series of issues like common translation phenomena, translation errors, translators’roles and translation history of culture-loaded words in Neijing can be illustrated by memetics. Secondly, translation principles involving nationality and stipulation need to be highlighted as soon as possible. Finally, two English versions of Neijing from Li Zhaoguo and Ilza Veith are sometimes same or different in translation strategies, translation backgrounds and translation concerns,which can be analyzed memetically with deep consideration.