| With the economic globalization and the implementation of the "The Belt and Road",Chinese medicine has become global and has shown the people of the world profound traditional Chinese philosophical culture.As an important part of Chinese medicine,Chinese patent medicine(CPM)is increasingly popular and competitive in the international trade.CPM instruction is used as a communication carrier in the trade,delivering drug information and Chinese medicine culture.It can be seen that the Chinese-English translation of the CPM instructions is of great significance to Chinese medicine trade.The action and indication(AI)is not only the key of the CPM instruction,but the main factors for users’ choices of drugs.Currently,however,the research on this part is relatively inadequate.Therefore,it is necessary to carry out in-depth exploration and study of English translation of AI.ObjectiveThis study aims at analyzing the features and problems of English translation of AI,and investigating the acceptance of English version by different subjects(ordinary drug users and Chinese medicine foreign language experts),as well as analyzing the translation under the guidance of text typology,so as to summarize the principles and methods of English translation and to provide reference and suggestions for the translation of AI,finally to improve the popularity and competitiveness of CPM in the international community.MethodsResearch methods include text analysis and investigation.(1)Text analysis:A total of 10 instructions of CPM treating respiratory diseases(Chinese and English)were selected and analyzed,adopting the text typology as the theoretical framework.The problems of English translation were summarized,exploring the nature and law of AI’s translation.(2)Survey① Questionnaire:A questionnaire was conducted to 113 foreign drug users on an on-site or online basis.The information about acceptance and satisfaction of foreigners for the English translation of AI was obtained from five aspects in terms of the basic information of foreign subjects,the awareness of Chinese medicine and CPM,the assessment of English translation of AI,the selection and evaluation of the best English translations and their suggestions and opinions.② Interview:On-site interviews were conducted with five Chinese medicine foreign language experts with backgrounds of Chinese medicine or English.The information about acceptance of English translation of AI was obtained from five aspects in terms of experts’backgrounds,analysis of current status of English translation of Chinese medicine and CPM,selection and evaluation of the best English translation,review and analysis of translation of AI and comprehensive evaluation and opinions.Results(1)Text analysisThrough text analysis,it is found that English translation of AI of the CPM for respiratory diseases on the market is of poor quality,mainly because terminology standards are not unified,and the text body and structure are not standardized.(2)QuestionnaireThrough a questionnaire survey to foreign drug users,it is found that Chinese medicine is well recognized abroad,especially in Europe and Asia.Most subjects support the natural curative effect of Chinese medicine,expressing that they are willing to purchase under the advice of a doctor or friends.However,foreign drug users tend to buy drugs with easy-to-understand and concise English instructions,so abstract Chinese medicine terms and long text are still the main barriers for them to understand and make a choice.(3)InterviewThrough interviews to experts,it is found that the current status of translation of Chinese medicine and CPM is not optimistic.The main problems include that terminology standards are not unified,there is no theoretical guidance,and the text structures are not organized.Experts agreed that English translation of AI must be faithful to the original text to express Chinese medicine culture,instead of blindly catering to ordinary drug users.In addition,translation should be conducted in accordance with international legal regulations to achieve communicative purposes.ConclusionGuided by the theory of text typology,this study has analyzed some CPM instructions and the results of questionnaire and interview to draw the following conclusions:(1)The current situation of the English translation of AI is not optimistic and needs to be improved,especially vocabulary and discourse.The vocabulary problems are mainly manifested in the inconsistent terminology standards,abstract terms,and structural problems mainly in lengthy sentences,unclear structure,and poor logic.(2)There are four principles that should be followed in English translation of AI:the principle of simplicity,the principle of loyalty,the principle of interpretation,and the principle of integrity. |
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