Translation of Artifact Names Based on Toury’s Norms Theory: A Case Study of the National Museum of China

Abstract

Amid increasing global cultural and intellectual exchange, China’s cultural interactions with the West have intensified. The National Museum of China, as one of the most internationally recognized Chinese museums, plays an important role in this exchange through the English translation of its artifact names. This paper applies Toury’s translation norms theory to analyze the English translations of artifact names at the museum, using a corpus of bilingual names collected through fieldwork. The analysis highlights how sociocultural factors and a preference for foreignization heavily influence the museum’s translation practices. The museum employs various translation methods, including literal translation, annotation, and transliteration, depending on the type of artifact. By offering practical insights for translators, this research aims to enhance the quality of museum text translations and contribute to the broader efforts made by museums to share Chinese culture with the world.