Towards Translation Practices in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Perspective of Skopos Theory

Introduction: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an integral part of China’s cultural heritage. Most existing studies focus on the translation of ancient TCM texts into foreign languages, while there is scarce research on translating the works of foreign scholars into Chinese. Therefore, the current research aimed to facilitate the intracultural translation of Chinese cultural texts originally written in English back into Chinese by examining practical examples from the aforementioned translation. Materials and methods: Guided by the Skopos Theory, the present study analyzes and discusses the translation principles and techniques utilized in the Chinese version of 88 Chinese Medicine Secrets by Angela Hicks, at the lexical, syntactical, and discoursal levels. Results: The findings highlight the importance of selecting contextually appropriate terminology to ensure accurate information transmission. Adjustments to sentence structures are necessary to align with the expression habits of the target language. Additionally, context plays a vital role in language comprehension, reflecting a perceptual, experiential, and practical discourse awareness. Conclusion: To effectively inherit and promote Chinese medicine culture, TCM translators should adhere to the principles of the Skopos Theory—specifically the Skopos rule, coherence rule, and fidelity rule—throughout the translation process.