Translating Culturally-Loaded Words in Yingzao Fashi: A Translation Compensation Perspective Based on Feng Jiren's Chinese Architecture and Metaphor

Abstract

The Yingzao Fashi (1103 CE) epitomizes Chinese architectural literature, merging technical specifications with cultural and philosophical ideas. Translating its culture-loaded terms demands conveying cultural depth beyond technical accuracy. Feng Jiren's work (2012) redefines this challenge by uncovering the text as a metaphorical system reflecting Song dynasty cosmology and aesthetics. Guided by Mona Baker's (2018) comprehensive framework of translation compensation theory, this study employs a comparative analysis to meticulously examine a range of compensation strategies. It further proposes an integrated multimodal approach, aiming to effectively mitigate the inevitable cultural loss encountered in the translation of such culturally saturated texts. Findings show that effective translation requires "deep compensation"—integrating phonetic preservation, technical explanation, visual aids, and cultural-metaphorical annotation—balancing precision and acceptability to translate both words and worldview.