Comparative Study on English Translation Strategies of Military Terms in Zuozhuan

doi:10.12339/j.issn.1673-8578.2025.02.012

Abstract

Abstract:

Zuozhuan, the first complete historical chronicle in China, chronicles major military events during the Spring and Autumn period (770—476 BC), provides many military terms. Aimed at exploring the pattern of the translation of ancient military terms and thus providing implications for the translation of modern military terms, from the perspective of communicative theory of terminology (CTT), this paper examined the translation strategies for military terms in the two English translations of Zuozhuan through a small self-built parallel corpus. The study found that the two versions adopted highly similar strategies, i.e. generally utilize cultural context strategy to reduce the cognitive load for readers. Zuozhuan is influential in the Western world, in which the translation of military terminology could shed light on the translation studies on military terminology and the translation of Chinese classics.

Key words: Zuozhuan, communicative theory of terminology, military terminology, translation military terminology

GAO Yue, TAO Yuan, CHEN Yuanfei. Comparative Study on English Translation Strategies of Military Terms in Zuozhuan[J]. China Terminology, 2025, 27(2): 93-99.

Figures/Tables 4

References 25

[1]	左丘明. 左传[M]. 上海: 上海古籍出版社, 2016.
[2]	黄淑仪. 美国汉学中的《左传》译介与文学性研究[J]. 江西社会科学, 2017, 37(2): 115-121.
[3]	李惠. 《左传》的军事特色及其它[J]. 军事历史, 1999(2): 61-63.
[4]	中国人民解放军军事科学院. 中国人解放军军语[M]. 北京: 军事科学出版社, 1997: 1.
[5]	穆雷, 王祥兵. 军事翻译研究的现状与展望[J]. 外语研究, 2014, 30(1): 79-83.
[6]	冯志伟. 现代术语学引论[M]. 北京: 语文出版社, 1997: 1.
[7]	张鹏. 交际术语学理论(TCT理论)对普通术语学理论(TGT理论)的批判[J]. 中国科技术语, 2011, 13(2): 15-21. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8578.2011.02.003
[8]	CABRÉ M T. Theories of terminology: Their description, prescription and explanation[J]. Terminology, 2003, 9(2): 187.
[9]	刘性峰, 魏向清. 交际术语学视阈下中国古代科技术语的语境化翻译策略[J]. 上海翻译, 2021, (5): 50-55.
[10]	杨鲁. 军事术语学的学科形成与发展[J]. 中国科技术语, 2022, 24(4): 12. doi: 10.12339/j.issn.1673-8578.2022.04.002
[11]	范文洁, 李忠凯, 黄水清. 基于社会网络分析的《左传》战争计量及可视化研究[J]. 图书情报工作, 2020, 64(6): 90-99. doi: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2020.06.011
[12]	褚良才. 中国古代军语研究导论[M]. 杭州: 浙江教育出版社, 1998.
[13]	史光辉. 《中国古代军语研究导论》简评[J]. 古汉语研究, 2001 (3): 48-49.
[14]	王颖. 言约而事丰:谈《左传》的军事用语[J]. 解放军外语学院学报, 1995(5): 61-63.
[15]	何红, 赵甲平, 李宏利. 军事术语英译浅探[J]. 双语学习, 2007(12): 174.
[16]	彭小飞, 成欣. 军事术语的特征与翻译[J]. 中国科技翻译, 2019, 32(3): 53-55.
[17]	黄海翔. 中国古代军语英译策略浅析[J]. 中国科技术语, 2009, 11(2): 39-43.
[18]	RAN M. A Comparative Study of Strategies for Translating Military Terms in the Complete English Versions of San Guo Yan Yi[C]// Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Education, Language, Art and Inter-cultural Communication (ICELAIC 2019). Atlantis Press, 2019: 784-787.
[19]	王琰. 西方学界的中国军事典籍英译:回顾与展望[J]. 外语研究, 2022, 39(4): 83-90.
[20]	陈高春. 中国古代军事文化大词典[M]. 北京: 长征出版社, 1992.
[21]	STEVENSON A. Oxford Dictionary of English[M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
[22]	LEGGE J. The Chinese Classics: The Ch’un Ts’ew with The Tso Chuen[M]. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1960.
[23]	DURRANT S W, LI W, SCHABERG D C. Zuo Tradition/Zuozhuan: Commentary on the “Spring and Autumn Annals”[M]. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 2016.
[24]	刘家和. 理雅各英译《春秋》、《左传》析论[J]. 国际汉学, 2013(1): 184-196.
[25]	魏泓. 《左传》《史记》等中国典籍在西方的翻译与研究:美国著名汉学家杜润德教授访谈录[J]. 外国语(上海外国语大学学报), 2019, 42(3): 94-101.

原文	理译本	合译本	原文	理译本	合译本
广	chariot	chariot	铍	sword	cutlass
乘	chariot	chariot	戈	spear	dagger-axe
舆	chariot	war chariot	戈	lance	halberd
戎辂	chariot of war	war chariot	跗注	gaiters of red leather	brownish-red leather gaiters
巢车	carriage with a look-out	towered chariot	戎服	military dress	military garb
轏	sleeping carriage	army wagon	甲裳	buff-coat and lower garment	leather lower garment

原文	理译本	合译本	原文	理译本	合译本
广	chariot	chariot	铍	sword	cutlass
乘	chariot	chariot	戈	spear	dagger-axe
舆	chariot	war chariot	戈	lance	halberd
戎辂	chariot of war	war chariot	跗注	gaiters of red leather	brownish-red leather gaiters
巢车	carriage with a look-out	towered chariot	戎服	military dress	military garb
轏	sleeping carriage	army wagon	甲裳	buff-coat and lower garment	leather lower garment

原文	理译本	合译本	原文	理译本	合译本
脯	dried flesh	food supplies	旌	flag	banner/pennant
资	money	food supplies	旌	flag	banner/pennant
饩	rice	livestock	旆	large flag	pennon
牵	cattle	livestock	旆	great banner	flags and pennants
蓐	grass and rushes	rushes for the night’s rest	茅	standards of the maou

原文	理译本	合译本	原文	理译本	合译本
脯	dried flesh	food supplies	旌	flag	banner/pennant
资	money	food supplies	旌	flag	banner/pennant
饩	rice	livestock	旆	large flag	pennon
牵	cattle	livestock	旆	great banner	flags and pennants
蓐	grass and rushes	rushes for the night’s rest	茅	standards of the maou

原文	理译本	合译本		原文	理译本	合译本
佐	assistant leader		assistant	拒		square battle formation
佐	assistant-commander		assistant commander	陈	array	battle formation
舆帅	the master of the chariots	the commander of military administration		荆尸	forces called out according to its system	the Chu-style military formation