International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

ISSN 2220-8488 (Print), 2221-0989 (Online) 10.30845/ijhss

Translation of Basic Concepts in Chinese Tai Chi Culture: Problems and Strategies
Lin Zhiyuan

Abstract
As one of the typical traditional Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi has been loved by an increasing number of people in this world. However, the ancient cultural ideas within it are not well understood by westerners, mainly resulted from the inappropriate translation of basic concepts in Tai Chi culture. The causes of the translation problems include inconsistency in multiple translated versions for a single concept, failure in understanding the source culture and unacceptable rendering of translated language expressions. Meanwhile some strategies are proposed to improve the translation quality, such as establishing a translated terminology bank, strengthening understandings of source language and culture, and holding the reader-centered attitude.

Full Text: PDF