The Research Of The Early English Translation Of Chinese Medicine Words--With Morrison’s Chinese-English Dictionary As The Investigative Object

Object iveThe dictionary which compiled by Morrison is the first Chinese-English Dictionary in China and has far-reaching influence. Many scholars have researched the dictionary from different perspective such as history, geography, religion, culture, philosophy, politics, customs and etiquette. However, there are many medical words haven’t been studied. Due to the different connotation that lead to the Chinese and western scholars comprehend Chinese medicine in different ways which manifest directly in the early English translation of Chinese medical words. The reason why we study Chinese medical words of Chinese-English Dictionary is that we can realize the effect of the early exchanges between Chinese and western medicine under different cultures and provide mirror for translation of modern Chinese medicine term.MethodsChinese-English Dictionary contains4595pages, three volumes with a total of6books. The author excerpted the medical related words from dictionary through reading, recording, selection, classification, analysis and other methods and classified them into separate categories like philosophical basis, visceral manifestation, body parts, Qi-blood fluid spirit, meridians and acupoint, etiology and pathogenesis, treatment, prescription and Chinese Medicinal herbs, diseases and symptoms. Then, according to TCM characteristics divided them into several small classes. Chinese Medicinal herbs are divided into21categories on the basis of medicinal efficacy; diseases into7aspects, for instant, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, paediatrics, andrology, ENT dept and loemia. After that, internal medicine is subdivided into7parts like diseases of pulmonary system, heart system, spleen-stomach, liver-gallbladder, kidney system, qi-blood-body fluid, limbs and meridian. Combined with the theory of TCM, this paper analyses the Morrison’s English translation of Chinese medicine term, and compares them with the modern Chinese medicine translation. Meanwhile, Morrison’s translation strategies are discussed.ResultsThere are740medical related phrases in Chinese-English Dictionary, divided into10categories, such as, philosophical basis44, visceral manifestation and diagnostic method57, body parts198, Qi-blood fluid spirit27, meridians and acupoint50, etiology and pathogenesis44, treatment and health36, prescription and Chinese herbs136, diseases and symptoms109, medical books and others39. Representative words are selected to analyses from10categories. For example,“阴阳”、“脏腑”、“丹田”、“血”、“腧穴”、“瘀”、“心肾不交”、“络脉”,etc. Based on the already classified medical words, Morrison’s translation characteristics which are about prescriptions of TCM, names of medicine, medicinal property are concluded. In addition, this paper discusses the gain and loss of Morrison’s English translation in accordance with the unique concept of Chinese medicine. Morrison translates medicinal herbs from many aspects, such as, drug’s name, alias, genera classification, shape description, growing environment, application site, chemical composition, nature and taste, efficacy, clinical application etc. But not all the contents are included in every Chinese medicine, the reason may be related to the book is not medical monographs. The disease translation strategy, including describe from pathogenesis and symptoms and free translation into western disease, etc. At the same time, to use examples to discuss acupoint and medical works. These strategies have certain significance for understanding Chinese medicine terms from cross-culture.ConelusionThe study of Chinese-English dictionary show that Morrison’s translation can only be approximate, cultural misreading and creation is unavoidable. For instant,“(?),解(?)”、“腑”、“三焦”、“消渴”,etc. Any translations between Chinese and western are hard to be one hundred percent accurate, however the culture need exchange, translation is required. The Chinese-English Dictionary as a world first English-Chinese or Chinese-English contrast dictionary, manifest the early circumstance of the western missionaries learning Chinese. Chinese medical words reflect the contents what the early missionaries paid attention to. And philosophical basis, body parts, meridians and acupoint, prescription and Chinese herbs, etiology and pathogenesis, treatment, all above can reveal Morrison medical observation behavior and medical thinking consciousness. Especially in part of disease, is the direct embodiment of the medical concept. The portions which are translated not so appropriate are also the parts with TCM theory characteristics. The gain and loss of Morrison’s translation provide reference for development of modern TCM English translation.