Translation of neologisms into Chinese
Encyclopedia
Translation of neologisms into Chinese generally follows three principles: free translation (意译 yìyì, literally "translation according to meaning") and transcription (音译 yīnyì, literally "translation according to sound") or a combination of the two.
Chinese translation
s can be roughly divided into two categories: official translation names and folk (or non-governmental; popular) translation names. Since the Chinese language
is spoken in several countries and territories around the world, most importantly the People's Republic of China
(mainland China
), Hong Kong
, Macau
and the Republic of China
(more commonly referred to as Taiwan
), and standardisations of Chinese translation names in these countries are regulated by different institutions, it is common for one to encounter different Chinese names for the same subject. More specifically, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia have official institutions and standards to regulate translations into Chinese, whereas in Hong Kong, translation names from media (including television, radio stations and newspapers) and established popular translation names predominate, which usually go on to further influence Macau and overseas Chinese communities.
In Chinese, traditionally, free translations are used for translating of non-proper nouns (proper nouns include names of people, places, countries, etc.). Most non-proper noun terms are introduced into modern Chinese using this method, including many names re-inegrated into Chinese from Japanese terms, which were originally translated from Chinese kanji
, during the 19th and 20th century. This is opposed to transcription (see below).
Examples:
Chinese translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
s can be roughly divided into two categories: official translation names and folk (or non-governmental; popular) translation names. Since the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
is spoken in several countries and territories around the world, most importantly the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
), Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(more commonly referred to as Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
), and standardisations of Chinese translation names in these countries are regulated by different institutions, it is common for one to encounter different Chinese names for the same subject. More specifically, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia have official institutions and standards to regulate translations into Chinese, whereas in Hong Kong, translation names from media (including television, radio stations and newspapers) and established popular translation names predominate, which usually go on to further influence Macau and overseas Chinese communities.
- Official translation names (官方译名 guānfāng yìmíng) refer to standard translation names of a specific region, which are normally established by relevant governmental nomenclature departments, with the purpose of standardising Chinese names for terms (including names of people, places and objects) in non-official languages. Such translation names only appear in regions administered by that government, and are often not applicable to regions beyond administration.
- Official names (官方名称 guānfāng míngchēng) are translation names developed by copyright-holding companies and are usually applicable to any Chinese-speaking region. However instances of companies which establish region-wise translation names also exist.
- Folk translation names (or popular translation names, 民间译名 mínjiān yìmíng) are translation names for things that do not have official Chinese names or official translation names, and are established and popularised by ordinary people. Names as such are most often are not differentiated by region, but are instead divided in terms of the Chinese dialect used, such as Mandarin Chinese used in mainland China, and CantoneseCantoneseCantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
used in Hong Kong. - Special names (特殊名称 tèshū míngchēng) are names for special disciplines, such as Catholicism and Buddhism, and usually follow special standards or rules. Besides, this category may also apply to foreign officials whose translation names are specially established by foreign official institutions, for convenience of reporting from worldwide Chinese-language media, as well as famous people of Chinese descent from overseas, who make announcements of their true Chinese names to avoid mis-translation by media, for example Hun SenHun SenHun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
, the Cambodian prime minister, who announced in 2003 that his Chinese name should be written as "云升 Yún Shēng".
Free translation
- 意译／意譯; yìyì, literally "translation according to meaning"
In Chinese, traditionally, free translations are used for translating of non-proper nouns (proper nouns include names of people, places, countries, etc.). Most non-proper noun terms are introduced into modern Chinese using this method, including many names re-inegrated into Chinese from Japanese terms, which were originally translated from Chinese kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
, during the 19th and 20th century. This is opposed to transcription (see below).
Examples:
- Basketball - 篮球 lánqiú, "basket ball"
- Physics - 物理 wùlǐ, "logics [of]/reasons [behind] matter/things", first introduced by Fang Yizhi (方以智)
- Chemistry - 化学 huàxué, "subject [of] transformations", first introduced by Xu Shou (徐寿, generally regarded)
- Mobile phone - 手机 shǒujī, "hand device/machine"
Phonetic translation
Examples:- Guitar - 吉他, jítā
- Hamburger - 汉堡包, hànbǎobāo
- Pizza - 比萨, bǐsà
Combination
Examples:- GeneGeneA gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
- 基因 jīyīn, "fundamental factor" - Hacker - 黑客 hēikè, "wicked visitor"
Further readings
- 段冬生 (2007)．"音译意译均相宜——谈谈汉语吸收外来词语" (On Chinese Language Borrowing Words from Foreign Languages; Yīnyì Yìyì Jūn Xiānyí - Tántan Hànyǔ Xīshōu Wàilái Cíyǔ)．井冈山学院学报 Jǐnggāngshān Xuéyuàn Xuébào 28 (09)．
- 许晓莉 Xǔ Xiǎolì (2003)．"外来词的翻译" (Translation of Foreign Loanwords into Chinese; Wàiláicí De Fānyì)．合肥联合大学学报 Héféi Liánhé Dàxué Xuébào 13 (02)．
- 乔磊 Qiáo Lěi (2009)．"汉语中英语外来词的语形表现及流行理据探析 Hànyǔ Zhōng Yīngyǔ Wàiláicí De Yǔxíng Biǎoxiàn Jí Liúxíng Lǐjù Tànxī"．宜宾学院学报 Yíbīn Xuéyuàn Xuébào 9 (5)．