中华思想文化术语的英译原则及应用

The Principles and Their Applications for Translating Chinese Thought and Culture

中华思想文化术语的国际传播是适应新的时代要求、为促进中西方文明平等对话与交流互鉴而启动的基础文化建设工程。术语英译遵循以下原则:一、准确理解与体现术语的思想文化内涵;二、体现术语在具体语境中的含义,不强求译文的唯一性;三、在充分参考汉学家及前人翻译成果的基础上进行创新翻译;四、当意译不能涵盖术语的全部含义或难以表达术语的基本含义时,采取音译。

This paper deals with the technical diffi culties and challenges encountered in carrying out an ongoing publicly-funded national research project entitled the Chinese Thought and Culture Translation and Communication Project, which aims at standardizing key concepts and terms in translating Chinese classical texts. The project was initiated to meet the needs of promoting equal dialogue and communication between the Chinese and western civilizations in an era that has seen an increasing demand from English readers for a better understanding of Chinese indigenous knowledge. The major part of the project deals with various fundamental issues in deciding the appropriate fi nal English translation in order to overcome both linguistic barriers and bridging the huge differences between the Chinese and western cultures. To achieve the goal, the following principles were established: the fi rst and foremost principle is the accurate understanding of the concepts, especially their connotations in thought and culture. Secondly, the concepts should be translated in relation to specifi c contexts. Thirdly, creative translation is encouraged, with due respect to existing translations by sinologists and specialists. Fourthly, phonetic transliteration is necessary and indispensable in the translation of concepts on which there are no English equivalents or semi-equivalents.