中国地名意译的若干原则(上)

Principles of Translating Chinese Geographical Names(A)

地名是民族的历史文化遗产,它承载和传承着丰富的历史文化信息。本文阐述了中国历史悠久,有世界上最古老的文化,文化底蕴深厚;提出了富有中国特色文化的8条意译原则,其重要意义在于:1)统一规范译法,消除翻译中的混乱现象;2)提供准确的地理信息,促进生态文明、绿色发展;3)保护历史地域文化,传承中华文化;4)向世界传播优秀的传统文化,提升中华文化的软实力。

Geographical names are the historical and cultural heritage of a nation and they are loaded with information on history and culture. This paper expounds China＇ s long history, the oldest cuhure in the world, and profound cultural deposits, and then puts forward 8 free-translation principles with Chinese cultural characteristics. Their great significance lies in 1 ） unifying and standardizing translation methods, and eliminating chaos in translation; 2） providing precise geographical information for the world, promoting ecological civilization and green development; 3 ） protecting historical and local culture, and ensuring that the Chinese culture will be passed on from generation to generation; 4） disseminating fine traditional Chinese culture to the world, and enhancing the soft power of the Chinese culture.