Wenzhen Li, Zhaoxing Zhou*
School of Foreign Studies, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou 545006, Guangxi, China.
*Corresponding author: Zhaoxing Zhou
Abstract
Against the backdrop of global cross-cultural communication, the transmission of Guangxi’s multi-ethnic culture—epitomized by the intangible heritage of Liu Sanjie mountain folk songs—faces critical challenges in preserving its unique cultural semantics during translation. This study examines English translation strategies for culture-specific items (CSIs) in Liu Sanjie mountain folk songs, using Huang Shaozheng's translation to establish a parrel corpus. Applying Aixelá's frame-work and functional equivalence theory, a mixed-method analysis (quantitative data from 160 CSIs + qualitative case studies) reveals a strong preference for cultural substitution strategies (66.25%) over cultural conservation (33.75%). Absolute universalization (34.38%) emerged as the dominant technique, prioritizing target-reader accessibility, while linguistic translation (21.88%) was the primary conservation method. Findings indicate that while substitution enhances readability for global audiences, it risks diluting Zhuang ethnocultural specificity. The study concludes that effective CSI translation requires strategic balance between cultural fidelity and communicative clarity, proposing intratextual gloss as a mitigating tool. This offers practical insights for translating intangible cultural heritage.
References
Aixelá, J. F. (1997). Culture-specific items in translation. Multilingual Matters.
Deng, L. J., & Hong, Y. P. (2024). Rhythm supremacy: Sheng Cheng's perspective on poetry translation. Translation History Review, 1, 20-34+173.
Huang, S. (2021). Liu Sanjie: Her free and undying mountain songs. Guangxi Normal University Press.
Lai, H., et al. (2025). A qualitative analysis of WHO's international standard terminologies on TCM. Chinese Medicine and Culture, 8, 86-95.
Nida, E. A. (1964). Toward a science of translating: With special reference to principles and procedures involved in Bible translating. Brill.
Shu, H. (2025). An exploration of the abstract cognitive function of metaphors and semantic shifts. Philosophy & Ideology Research, 5, 25-29.
Tan, L., & Liang, X. D. (2023). Liu Sanjie's ballads and "community communication": An investigation and prospect of the "Impression Liu Sanjie" model. Min Zu Lun Tan, 4, 22-31.
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator’s invisibility: A history of translation. Routledge.
Wang, B. R., & Quan, Y. B. (2017). Translation strategies for culture-specific items in Yu Hua’s novel Brothers: An investigation based on data statistics and case analysis. Shandong Foreign Language Teaching Journal, 38(2), 90-97.
Wang, S. Y. (2019). Translation strategies for culture-specific items in Chinese drama: A case study of the English version of Teahouse. Journal of Chifeng University, 40(12), 91-96.
How to cite this paper
Cultural Transmission through Translation: Strategies for Culture-specific Items in Liu Sanjie Mountain Folk Songs
How to cite this paper: Wenzhen Li, Zhaoxing Zhou. (2025). Cultural Transmission through Translation: Strategies for Culture-specific Items in Liu Sanjie Mountain Folk Songs. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 1(1), 8-15.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.08.002