Popularization and scientization in terminology translation

Abstract

San Ti (Three Body, better known to English readers as The Three-Body Problem) stands out as the most successful Chinese literary work introduced to international audiences through translation. Previous studies have primarily focused on translating culture-specific terms and fictive terms in the work, arguing that the strategy of foreignization alongside occasional footnotes significantly contributes to its tremendous success. Techno-scientific terms, on the other hand, have received relatively little attention because their rendering seemed to be a straightforward matter of back translation. However, our case study reveals that the source-text-oriented translation strategy for culture-specific terms and fictive terms presents only a partial picture of the science fiction (SF) terminology translation in San Ti. It demonstrates that translating techno-scientific terms needs to be considered alongside culture-specific and fictive terms. Moreover, it provides proof that translating techno-scientific terms cannot be simplified to a process of back translation only. The translator sometimes deviated from the principles of equivalence, resulting in three different types of interlingual terminological shifts, which are discussed and analyzed in the current study. Given the heterogeneity of the target readers and the interesting paradox of San Ti as hard SF, these different types of deviation serve two divergent purposes: popularization and scientization. In addition to explaining the success of San Ti in the English-speaking world, the findings of this case study also provide insights into the unfaithful facets, contextual factors and research scope of terminology translation in this specific genre.