English translation of cultural relic names through cognitive construal: A Shandong Museum case
认知识解视域下文物名称英译研究——以山东博物馆为例

摘要

基于认知识解理论，以山东博物馆文物名称英译为研究对象，从详略度、辖域与背景、视角、突显维度分析译本翻译策略、问题等。研究发现，在文物名称翻译中，详略度体现为“详译”“略译”或“省译”的认知翻译策略；正确识解文物的辖域和背景需要译者具有广博的中西跨学科知识；视角转换会影响翻译策略的选择，进而影响译文的跨文化识解难度和源语文化异质性的传播；突显体现为译者对翻译内容有所取舍，突显重要概念并弱化次要概念。本研究验证了认知识解理论对文物名称翻译的解释性和指导性，如何利用有限的文字转换高效传递文物信息并传播文化、提高跨文化识解效果，可做进一步探讨。

Abstract

Based on the theory of cognitive construal, this study focuses on the English translation of cultural relic names in the Shandong Museum, analyzing translation strategies and issues from the dimensions of specificity, scope and background, perspective, and prominence. The research finds that in the translation of cultural relic names, specificity is manifested through cognitive translation strategies such as “detailed translation,” “simplified translation,” or “omission.” Correctly construing the scope and background of cultural relics requires translators to possess extensive interdisciplinary knowledge of both Chinese and Western cultures. Shifts in perspective influence the choice of translation strategies, thereby affecting the cross-cultural construal difficulty of the translated text and the dissemination of the source culture’s heterogeneity. Prominence is reflected in the translator’s selective emphasis on certain aspects of the content, highlighting key concepts while downplaying secondary ones. This study validates the explanatory and guiding role of cognitive construal theory in the translation of cultural relic names. Further exploration is warranted on how to efficiently convey cultural relic information and disseminate culture through limited textual transformation, thereby enhancing cross-cultural construal effectiveness.