Abstract

In recent years, as China joined the WTO and then greatly issued a series of foreign cultural policy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM for short) products begin to enter the international market. For foreign consumers, the most intuitive way to know about TCM products is by reading the instructions on the products. Hence, the English manual of TCM products is very important. The “four-character structure” appears frequently in a stream of literature of TCM, and it accounts for a considerable proportion in TCM terminology. The “four-character structure” is a language form with unique features: diverse structures, a sense of rhyme and music, which poses great obstacles to its translation; in particular, the expression of the function and symptoms of TCM makes its translation more challenging. Therefore, this paper analyzes the language features of four-character structures, principles and strategies of four-character structures in the translation of CMI. The aim is to serve for the TCM translation and the outside communication of TCM.

Key words: Chinese medicine instructions； Four-character structure；English Translation

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

2.1 Previous study on the translation of TCM-2

2.2 Connotation of Chinese four-character structure-2

3. Problems of the Translation of Four-Character Structure in CMI-4

3.1 Interpreting without real understanding-4

3.2 Lengthy and complex translation-5

4. Principles of the Translation of Four-Character Structure in CMI-6

4.1 Understandability-6

4.2 Simplicity-7

4.3 Naturality-7

4.4 Target-text oriented-8

5. Different Parts in CMI, Different Translation Methods-8

5.1 Translation of trade name-8

5.2 Translation of TCM terminology-9

5.3 Translation of functions and indications in CMI-11

6. Conclusion-13

Works Cited-14